On the streets of New York City, almost anything is possible. Uninhibited pedestrians dance while waiting for a traffic light. Taxicabs honk, buses stop at designated stops, and people rush to their destinations, hardly bothering to glance up from their phones. People pass by homeless folks without a thought. Buskers make music, mimes pantomime being stuck in a box, dancers dance, and Reggie Guillaume convinces passersby to stop and sing karaoke. But nothing beats the Rat Man of New York.
Videos by InspireMore
Yes, “Buddy the Rat” is real. Performance artist Jonothon Lyons created the rat persona about 16 years ago. He brought his talent out of retirement in 2020 to film a short video for Thanksgiving. Buddy even got a thumbs up from the Mass Transportation Authority (MTA), thanking him for wearing a mask during the pandemic. Jonothon admits he wore a regular mask under the large rat head mask to meet regulations.
Jonothon dons the costume now to gauge the reactions and create cute videos like this mini love story.
Calling himself the number one rat actor on Instagram, Jonothon continues working on other projects while having fun as Buddy the Rat. You can follow Jonothon on Instagram to keep up with his many projects. If you want to see fan input, use the hashtag #buddytherat to locate videos others upload.
Comedian Soo Ra had Jonothon’s help with this clip from the New York Comedy Fest. She earned honors as one of New York’s funniest comedians. She is currently touring with Nate Jackson. You can find out more about this young comedian by following her on Instagram.
If you are in the city, you always risk being photobombed by the famous Rat Man of New York.
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