Who’s That?? A Guide To The Lesser Known Muppeteers Part 2 – Julianne Buescher

In ‘Who’s That?? we aim to educate the masses about some of the lesser known Muppeteers – one’s who maybe don’t always get the recognition they deserve.

When I jump on my ‘Fans For Skeeter’ bandwagon, I often site the incredibly female Muppeteers that could take on the role.  The one that I think sticks out the most in my opinion is Julianne Buescher, who has been around for so long that it’s amazing she hasn’t had a main character in either Sesame Street or The Muppets!

Julianne began her Henson career during the 1990’s series Dinosaurs, and joined the cast of Sesame Street as an occasional puppeteer from Seasons’ 23-25, taking on roles such as Betty Lou’s Mommy, Mama Countess and the first female Yip Yip.  She performed in Henson specials such as Muppet Classic Theater and Mr Willowby’s Christmas Tree as well as Creature Shop films like George of the Jungle and The Country Bears.  In her almost 25 year career as a Muppet performer she has become an integral part of the Muppet troupe, and is one of the go to Muppet performers in Los Angeles.  She continued her work with The Muppets recently in Muppets Most Wanted.

Julianne’s main work is with The Jim Henson Company, where she is a staple.  She’s worked on almost every Henson production since she began, performing lead characters in Sid The Science Kid and played a lead in the Henson pilot Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del.  She appeared in several episodes of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge and one of puppeteers that the contestants worked with.  She’s also been seen on screen in shows like The Middle and Criminal Minds, as well as a brief role opposite fellow puppeteers and Jason ‘Gary’ Segal in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  Outside of Muppets and Henson, Julianne’s worked on Robot Chicken, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Community, and she can be heard in 2 different Disneyland attractions (as Mandy Monorail and the show announcer for Turtle Talk with Crush)

Julianne has also toured extensively with Puppet Up! as an original performer since 2006. She has delighted fans all around the world with her silly characters, including Piddles the Pug, who resurfaced (played by Julianne) in the Grammy performance of Forget You by Cee Lo Green in 2011.

Julianne Buescher is an integral part of the Muppet/Henson family, and we can only hope she continues to shine!