[1] Fridell became the official Ronald McDonald clown character in 1985, after King Moody retired from the role.

[1] He portrayed the character in the McDonald's Corporation television commercials and for the chain fast-food restaurants for six years until 1991.

[1][3] From the 1970s until the mid-1990s, Fridell also had supporting character roles in a number of popular TV series, such as M*A*S*H, Newhart, Ironside and Adam-12.

Fridell returned as himself in several Toyota commercials in 2010, responding to the image damage the company suffered due to a slow response to safety issues in 2009.

[7] The family currently resides in Glen Ellen (in the Sonoma Valley region of California) where they have operated the GlenLyon Vineyards and Winery since 1989.