Celebrity Guest

Dave Goelz is a principal puppeteer with Muppets. Although he was passionate about puppets as a boy (inspired by Howdy Doody, and Beany and Cecil), he trained as an industrial designer. In 1972, while designing scientific instruments in California’s Silicon Valley, Goelz happened to watch Sesame Street and became fascinated with the Muppets. Puppetry became an all-consuming passion that soon led him to employment in the Muppet Workshop, and training as a Muppet performer by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. From 1977, Goelz focused solely on performing. Goelz’s Classic Muppet characters include The Great Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot the Sax Player, Beauregard the Janitor, Digit, Chip the I.T, guy, Gary Cahuenga the Vent Dummy, Randy the Stupid Pig, and Waldorf. He also originated Boober, Traveling Matt, Philo the Rodentia, The World’s Oldest Fraggle, Wrench Doozer, and Large Marvin for Fraggle Rock ; Rugby and Ditz for Jim Henson’s Secret Life of Toys ; Stinky the Skunk for Jim Henson’s Animal Show with Stinky and Jake ; the Skeksis General and Kira’s pet animal, Fizzgig for The Dark Crystal; and Didymus for Labyrinth . Goelz has performed in all major Muppet projects for 52 years, and continues as a Muppet Performer, most recently playing Zoot in Muppets Mayhem. He is also a co-executive producer of the Apple TV+ series Fraggle Rock, Back to the Rock.