Louise Gold

Louise Gold performs in the jousting scene.

Gold performs Annie Sue for "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend."

Gold with her Muppet Whatnot likeness in 2012.

Gold with Funella of The Furchester Hotel

Gold with Mean Mama.

Louise Gold (b. August 19, 1956) is a performer of stage and screen who trained at the Arts Educational School. She has worked extensively in British musical theater, and has been a recurring puppeteer in various Muppet productions since the 1970s. Her most well-known characters are Annie Sue and Funella Furchester.

Her first work with the Muppets was on The Muppet Show, becoming its only British on-screen talent. She began primarily doing voices for characters that would be manipulated by other puppeteers. Her first work was a recording of "Chanson D'Amour" for episode 204, sung in three-part harmony.

While on The Muppet Show, she frequently worked as assistant to Jim Henson when performing characters that would require more than one person. She has also been teamed with Jerry Nelson often times over the years in various productions, especially for musical numbers. She commented on this, saying: "I guess people think we sound good together!"

In the Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter (Volume 3, No 1, 1981), the 5'9" tall performer described the hiring process: "They were looking for a girl strong enough and tall enough to manipulate the puppets. I think I was chosen for my size, not my talent!"

As a puppeteer, she went on to become a founding member of the team behind the satirical TV show Spitting Image.

Some of her stage credits (as a singer actress in musical theater) include Tanya in Mamma Mia, Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby in The Waterbabies, Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins, and Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver!.

As a cabaret performer she has attempted to bring together both strands of her career, particularly in her own cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By Appointment.

In August of 2010, she led the Jim Henson's Camden walk. In the February 2013 issue of Empire, James Bobin confirmed that Louise Gold would perform in Muppets Most Wanted and that her character Annie Sue would be in the movie (though her character had no featured lines in the final edit of the film).

Muppet/Henson Credits

• The Muppet Show: Afghan Hound, African Mask (Water), Annie Sue, Beakie (episode 307), Zelda Rose, Geri and the Atrics guitarist, Lou, Lottie Lemon and her Singing Wig, Mean Mama, Fish Singer, Mildred Huxtetter (episodes 204 and 305)
• The Great Muppet Caper: Annie Sue, Lou
• The Muppets Go to the Movies: Popcorn Girl
• The Dark Crystal: Gourmand Skeksis (puppetry only)
• The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: Mother
• The Ghost of Faffner Hall: Fughetta Faffner
• The Muppet Christmas Carol: Mrs. Dilber, Cockney Woman
• Sesame Street (Seasons 23, 24, 25, and 27): Ethel Mermaid, Louisey, Mrs. Frazzle, Renata Scottie, Prunella, Diva, Super Nanny, Sally Messy Yuckyael, Anyone's Nose singer, Charmin', the Princess with the Pea, The Grand Royal Square Lover, Bob Lackey, Darlene, Bonnie Rabbit, Mathilda, Roxanne, Celeste, Sooey the Pig, Diva la Diva, Big Glad Wolf, Cinderella (Lost Slipper Caper), AM in "Classical Alphabet Song", Harriet Hare, Loretta, chicken ("I Am Chicken") Maiden in "Maiden Love", Maria, Mathilda, Molly Darton, Green AM in "Near and Far", Pinkie Monster, Old Mother Hubbard (Mother Hubbard's Heist), Rapunzel (Fairy Tales Today), Green AM in "Some Enchanted Lunchtime", Star White, The Teenager, AM in "Wet Paint Sign", Winnie
• The Secret Life of Toys: Hortense, Raisin, Daffodil
• The Animal Show: Bunnie Bear (after the first season), Tizzy (after the first season), Rhonda Rat, Rodent Reporter, Trudy the Chimpanzee, Natasha the Tarantula, Doreen the Camel, Phoenicia the Hippopotamus, Monica the Musk Ox, Alicia the Volcano Rabbit, Mavis the Frog, Virginia the Red Fox, many other guest animals
• Muppet Treasure Island: Tourist Rat
• Alice in Wonderland: Guinea Pigs, Flowers
• Animal Farm: Mabel the chicken (voice only)
• Mopatop's Shop: Meesey Mouse, Princess Lulabelle, Phoebe the Fortune Teller, Shula the Shark
• Muppets Most Wanted: Annie Sue, Kangaroo
• That Puppet Game Show
• The Furchester Hotel: Funella Furchester, The Countess, various others
• The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

See also

• Miscellaneous Cameos

External links

• Fan page with extensive info
• Emma Shane's Interview with Gold
• BBC News - Louise Gold: Meet the British 'Muppeteer' (2012-01-26) video