Character Biography

What is Gonzo? Rumor has it that one of his ancestors was a turkey…or maybe an anteater….or some have mentioned a toaster oven. But it is best to think of Gonzo the way his friends describe him — He’s a….whatever…and they love him for it.

Now known as an international performance artist and daredevil, Gonzo began his career as a traveling plumber (He has often noted that plumbing and show business have a great deal in common, ask him for the details.) But Gonzo wanted to do more than unclog drains and re-pipe kitchens. He wanted to be a movie star. So, naturally (for him) he headed to Bombay, India. When told that the place to go to become a rich and famous movie star is Hollywood, he responded, “Sure, if you want to do it the easy way!” Gonzo, suffice it to say, never does anything the easy way.

Gonzo never made it to Bombay, but his penchant for combining high culture with a high tolerance for pain was noted by Kermit the Frog who gave Gonzo his very own spot on the first episode of The Muppet Show. After a few appearances (i.e. eating a steel-belted radial tire while humming “Flight of the Bumblebee,” or reciting Hamlet’s soliloquy while being shot out of a cannon), Gonzo was star. The rest is history…

After supporting roles in The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppet Treasure Island, Gonzo took on the role of Charles Dickens in The Muppet Christmas Carol. He played his first lead role in the feature film Muppets From Space, and returned to his plumbing roots in the international hit movie, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. Gonzo was recently hired as the head writer of “Up Late with Miss Piggy” and oversees a diverse team of rats, prawns and humans.