Julianne Buescher is a puppeteer, actor, and voiceover artist who has been working with the Muppets since 1990.
She performed her first Henson character on the TV series Dinosaurs. Since then, she's become a Los Angeles based Henson/Disney regular, performing hundreds of characters in such productions as Muppets Haunted Mansion, Muppets Now, The Muppets Take the Bowl, The Muppets Take the O2, The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, Muppets Toyota and Lipton commercials, Sesame Street, Muppets Tonight, Muppet Classic Theater, Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and in Creature Shop projects including The Country Bears, George of the Jungle, and Frances (as Gloria and Albert). Non Henson projects include the puppet episode of Community (as Shirley), the "Smile Time" episode of Angel (as Flora) and the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall featuring Buescher as the Angel in the Dracula musical.
Buescher is an original member of Stuffed and Unstrung (aka Puppet Up! Jim Henson's Puppet Improv), in which she performed Piddles the Pug, the Translation Weasel, and many others. She designed and built many of the original puppets created for Puppet Up! including Piddles, Trixie (Pretty Girl), Duck Boy, Claude Bigfoot, Al the Alien, Herman Monster, Yodita, Grandma/the Queen, Leopard Girl, Nerd Girl, Nerd Boy, PTA Mom, Germ 2, and Germ 3. Buescher also redressed the recycled puppets Girleen, Odie, Sylvia, Spiff Mouse, Gopher Tortoise, and the Orangutan (Professor Ape).
She is also one of the few performers to utilize the Henson Digital Performance System, bringing real-time digital puppets to life. "Dawn the Fairy" traveled the globe, introducing this new form of puppetry (also used on The Skrumps). Another HDPS digital puppet on the air is "Coo", a blue cuckoo bird who hosts the Sprout Channel's Morning Block (puppeteered and voiced by Buescher). Henson also used HDPS on the PBS series Sid the Science Kid (2009 Emmy Nominee). Buescher puppeteers/voices the characters "May" and "Grandma" (and "Nunu" in Sid the Science Kid: the Movie).
Buescher is also an award-winning actor, singer, voice-over artist, indie-filmmaker, illustrator, and writer. She appeared on The Patient, Lessons in Chemistry, As We See It, Silicon Valley, The Middle, Criminal Minds, and Desperate Housewives, and in ads for Blue Shield of California and Preen Weed-Killer. Her acting awards include a Drama Logue Award and Ovation Nomination for creating the role of "Inez" in the musical Tight Quarters. Her self-produced short film Resculpting Venus: A Comedy about Breast Cancer is a Best Narrative winner. And the float she designed for the New Years Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade ("Bathtime Friends"/City of Burbank) won the Founders Trophy.
Buescher's voice-over work includes many lead characters in the Elder Scrolls/Skyrim and Reckoning games, and as "The Adjutant" in Starcraft 2 (for which she made the IMDb's list of "Sexiest Female Voices in VO"). Other credits include the voice of Mandy the Monorail at Disneyland, a singing vampire and reporter in Scooby-Doo Music of the Vampire, a young singing bride in Disney's Mulan, and a character singer on the Dinosaurs album Big Songs. She also voice-matches many stars, looping Daisy Ridley in Star Wars, Tilda Swinton in Dr. Strange, Michelle Yeoh in Crazy Rich Asians, Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Julie Andrews AND Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins, Kate Beckinsale in Click, Joan Cusack in Chicken Little, Halle Berry in Catwoman, Jennifer Lopez in Shall We Dance, Naomie Harris in the Pirates of the Caribbean games, and many others.
She was asked to join the Broadway cast of Avenue Q but turned it down, choosing to travel with "Puppet Up!" to Edinburgh, Melbourne, Sydney, New Zealand's South Island, Tokyo, Aspen, Vegas, and back to New York (as Stuffed & Unstrung at the Union Square Theater). Buescher also appeared as Piddles the Pug with Cee Lo Green on the 2011 Grammy Awards.
Muppet Credits[]
for a complete character gallery, see Julianne Buescher characters
- Sesame Street (seasons 23-26): Sherry Netherland, Betty Lou's Mommy, and others...
- Muppet Meeting Films: Shirley, Denise, Diana, and others
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Grover (puppet only)
- Muppet Classic Theater: Yolanda Rat and others
- "Kokomo" music video: Winkie Bunny, others
- Muppet Sing Alongs: It's Not Easy Being Green
- A New Baby in My House: Queen Quinella
- Muppets on Wheels: Bertha, Dog Truck Driver, Train Engineer
- Things That Fly: Rhonda, Flight Attendant
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree: Beverly Mouse (also cameo as a dancer)
- Muppets Tonight (episodes 203 and 209)
- Elmopalooza
- Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola: Bambalona and Weasel in the Animal Band
- Family Feud: Sweetums (eyes)
- The Muppet Show Live: Scooter (puppet), Sheep, others
- Pizza Hut commercials
- The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon: Snowth (2001 telethon), Sal Minella (right hand, legs) (2004 telethon)
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: The Wizard as Green Lady/Chicken (face/voices)
- Toyota Big Game commercials
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ("The Weight")
- Lipton Tea commercials
- Muppets Most Wanted
- The Muppets (2015): Denise, Yolanda Rat, Debbie
- Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival: Floyd's arms
- The Muppets Take the Bowl: Yolanda Rat, Wanda, Hair, Bunny, Chloe the Clam, Siri Voice, Ghost, Green Frackle, assistant for Floyd Pepper, on-screen cameo as tourist
- The Muppets Take the O2: Yolanda Rat, Wanda, Hair, Bunny, Ghost, Green Frackle, Londoner dog (singing only), Sheep, assistant for Floyd Pepper
- Facebook Portal commercials
- Muppets Now: Beverly Plume, Margaret, Rosie, Yolanda Rat, Beak-R, Priscilla, Brie, Elena, Some Bunny, La Cabra, Esther, Mary
- Muppets Haunted Mansion: Yolanda, Beverly Plume, Wanda, Screaming Goat, and others
- The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (season two music videos)
- Holey Moley: Supporting Muppet Performer
Henson Company/Creature Shop[]
for a complete character gallery, see Julianne Buescher characters
- Dinosaurs: Robbie Sinclair (eyes), Roy Hess (arms), Baby Sinclair (arms; Season 4), Ansel (face), Aubrey Molehill (face), Crazy Lou (face), Elder No. 3 (face), Ethyl (occasional, face), Katie (face), Mindy (face), Monica deVertebrae (face), Shopper (puppet/voice), Sitcom Wife (puppet/voice), many other hand puppets and characters
- Nissin Cup Noodles commercials: Mama Caveman (face); Clio Award Winner
- The Indian in the Cupboard: Rat
- George of the Jungle: Mama Ape (face), various animals
- Various special events worldwide: Dawn the Fairy (face/voice), one of the first real-time digital puppets (also a version in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz) and Nalu the Mermaid
- The Country Bears: Tennessee O'Neal (face/original track voice) (also cameo as waitress at Swarmin Hive)
- The Country Bears Live: Live Stage Show at El Capitan in Hollywood
- Frances: Gloria (puppet/face/voice), Albert (face/voice)
- Puppet Up!: Original Cast Member (characters include Piddles the Pug, Pretty Girl, Translation Weasel, and others)
- Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del: Louisa Cappellini
- The Skrumps: Raisins (face/voice)
- Livin' It Up with the Bratz: Yasmin, Sasha (faces/voices)
- TJ Bearytales: Alison (face/voice)
- Musical Mornings with Coo (Sprout block): Coo (face/neck/voice)
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Angel in Dracula Musical
- Sid the Science Kid: May and Grandma (faces/voices)
- Stuffed and Unstrung: Original Cast Member
- The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards: Piddles the Pug
- Sid the Science Kid: The Movie: May, Grandma, and Nunu (faces/voices)
- L.A. Times film career trailer for "Puppeteers": Cowgirl (puppet/voice), Tiger teammember
Non-Henson Puppeteering[]
- Community: Shirley (puppeteer/original track voice)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live (Sesame Shore): Mr. Pickle
- Angel: "Smile Time" - Flora (puppet/voice)
- The Mr. Potato Head Show: Potato Bug (puppeteer/voice/singing), and others (cameos as Bond Girl and Flower Lady)
- Geo-Kids: 1st season series, Bobby the Bushbaby (original puppeteer/voice)
- Riders in the Sky TV series: Annie Oak (puppeteer only), Teachers Pet (puppeteer/voice), Mother Burp, Sexy Cactus, and others
- Cousin Skeeter: Nicole (puppeteer/original track voice)
- Crank Yankers: MTV Awards
- McDonald's commercials: for "Dinosaurs"
- Venus on the Harddrive (Fox Pilot): Venus (face)
On-Camera Acting[]
- As We See It: Aunt Birdy
- The Patient: Gale
- Lessons in Chemistry: Secretary
- American Crime Story: Mary Anne Wirth
- The Connors: Jill
- Silicon Valley: Debbie
- The Middle: "The Cheerleader" - Woman Customer
- Criminal Minds: "Hopeless" - Meg
- Desperate Housewives: Salon Patron
Voiceover Acting[]
- Blue Beetle (Trailer): Voice of the Blue Beetle Suit
- Disneyland: BlackSpire Outpost voices of Mom, Weru, Chuta, Koopla Nanuk
- Star Trek Into Darkness: Enterprise Computer/other voices
- Jimmy Kimmel Live: Linus, Sally Struthers, Hillary Clinton, & other voice matches
- The Tonight Show: Gisele Bündchen Voice Match
- Reckoning: Multiple Characters
- Elder Scrolls/Skyrim and Elder Scrolls Online: Multiple Characters
- Starcraft 2: The Adjutant
- Disneyland: Mandy Monorail ride voice, Turtle Talk with Crush show announcer
- 24: Amy Price-Francis Voice Match
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Naomi Harris Voice Match
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith: Angelina Jolie Voice Match
- Chicken Little: Joan Cusack Voice Match
- Shall We Dance, Monster-In-Law, Gigli: Jennifer Lopez Voice Match
- Catwoman: Halle Berry Voice Match
- Flightplan: Jodie Foster Voice Match
- Open Season: Rosie O'Donnell Voice Match
- Robot Chicken: Cameron Diaz Voice Match
- Mulan: Young Bride/Singer
- Naruto: Anko Mitarashi (series regular)
- Ratchet 'n' Clank Going Commando: Help Desk Girl
- Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance: Aeron Azzameen
- Star Wars: Lethal Alliance: Rianna
- Doc McStuffins: Bella
Notes[]
- While recording on Catwoman as Halle Berry's voice match, Buescher learned that Halle's mother and her own mother were rival cheerleaders at opposing high schools in her hometown.
See also[]
External links[]
- Julianne Buescher on the Henson Alternative Wiki
- Julianne Buescher on the Henson Digital Puppetry Wiki
- Official Site
- Resumé and VO demos
- Internet Movie Database
- Below The Frame with Matt Vogel Interview
- Game Rant Muppets article
- Hollywood Reporter Muppets article
- Muppet Musings interview
- ToughPigs.com interview
- Under the Puppet interview
- Muppet Newsflash interview