PERFORMER | Fran Brill |
DEBUT | 1993 |
Wanda Cousteau is a fish explorer who debuted on Sesame Street in Episode 3128.
Wanda wears a diver's helmet filled with water, so she can explore on land. As she explains it, "My mission is to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations -- to boldly go where no fish has gone before!," a phrase she would often use (with variations depending on what she was exploring). Wanda became a minor recurring character the following season, with redesigned fins. Though she disappeared following that season, the puppet made a return appearance in Episode 4201, performed by Joey Mazzarino.
Wanda's last name is a reference to underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. In Episode 3161, Big Bird introduces Wanda as "A Fish Called Wanda," a reference to the film of the same name. Wanda's mission statement is a reference to the opening narration from Star Trek.