McDonald's headquarters is notoriously tight-lipped about the details of what goes into hiring and training the actors who play Ronald McDonald. And the reason for that is because according to McDonald's, there are no actors playing the part. The official stance of the company is that Ronald McDonald is just one, real clown.

Long-time CEO, James Skinner, once famously exclaimed in a meeting that "Ronald hasn't been here because he's out in the field busy doing work and fighting through the protesters," perpetuating the idea that the character was just one, real person. When pressed for an answer as to how Ronald was able to appear at so many events around the world in the course of one day, McDonald's released a statement, from Ronald of course, saying "If I told you all my secrets, they wouldn't be secrets anymore. Let's just say that between you, me and Santa, it's magic."

According to the Wall Street Journal, the company is able to preserve the illusion of Ronald being one person by making sure that no two Ronalds are ever photographed or appear in public together. In fact, the only place they might have been spotted together would be at the company's convention in Oak Brook, Illinois. The convention wasn't all fun and games for the group of clowns, who risked probation or even dismissal if they didn't pass the convention's strict, Ronald inspections.