Statler and Waldorf

 Statler's performer: Richard Hunt • (1976 - 1991) Jerry Nelson • (1992 - 2001) Steve Whitmire • (2002 - present)  Waldorf's performer: Jim Henson • (1975 - 1990) Dave Goelz • (1992 - present)



Statler and Waldorf shares the stage left balcony box in the Muppet Theater, and the two delight in heckling every aspect of The Muppet Show. Statler and Waldorf are especially unforgiving to Fozzie Bear. They also always used to have the last word with a final comment after the show's end credits had run. (Although, technically, the last utterance of each show would be the saxophone note blown by Zoot.)

Statler and Waldorf first appeared in the 1975 pilot The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.

On the first season of Muppets Tonight, Statler and Waldorf are seen watching the show from the living room of what appears to be a retirement home. In the second season, they watch the show on a portable television from various locations, including a golf course and a ski lift.

In The Muppet Christmas Carol, they play the ghosts of Scrooge's business partners, Jacob and Robert Marley. In Muppet Treasure Island, Statler and Waldorf are figureheads on the Hispaniola. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, they appear as "the Kalidah Critics," strange beasts who shout insults at anyone attempting to cross a treacherous bridge.

Statler & Waldorf are currently starring as themselves in a bi-weekly feature called From the Balcony on the website Movies.com. The feature has the duo wisecracking about upcoming & just-released movies.

Statler was named after the Statler Hotel. Waldorf was named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.

Waldorf's wife, Astoria, made one appearance on The Muppet Show and bore a striking resemblance to Statler.

People have trouble remembering which one is Statler and which one is Waldorf. Statler always appears on the audience's right, Waldorf on the left. In other words, Waldorf is the one with the mustache.

Individual appearances
Statler and Waldorf are almost always seen together, although they have been seen one without the other on occassion. Those cases include...


 * Statler alone is involved in a plot in Episode 120 of The Muppet Show in which he goes backstage to meet Valerie Harper. He brings a plant with him as a gift which takes over the backstage of the theatre.
 * Statler appears in the "Cliff's Nightmare" episode of The Cosby Show with Bill Cosby playing his curmudgeonly partner.
 * When Statler can't make it to The Muppet Show guest starring Dizzy Gillespie, Waldorf brings his wife Astoria.
 * Waldorf tries to convince John Denver to back out of his appearance on The Muppet Show in the teaser for Episode 401.

Casting History: Statler
Primary Performers
 * Richard Hunt - from The Muppet Show (1976) to The Muppets At Walt Disney World (1990)


 * Jerry Nelson - The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) and from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) to It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)


 * Steve Whitmire - Weezer's "Keep Fishin'" music video (2002) to Present

Other Performers
 * Bill Barretta - Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)


 * Drew Massey - Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony Pilot and Episodes 9-13 (2005-06)

Casting History: Waldorf
Primary Performers
 * Jim Henson - from The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) to The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)


 * Dave Goelz - from The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) to Present

Other Performers
 * Jerry Nelson - Muppet Meeting Films (1974) (as Mr. Cosgrove)


 * Craig Shemin - The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)


 * Kevin Clash - Muppets Tonight Episode 101: Michelle Pfeiffer


 * Victor Yerrid - Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony Pilot and Episodes 9-present (2005-06)