Mary Jo Catlett

Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She has been a main cast member on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants since its debut, providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! and for playing Pearl Gallagher, the third housekeeper on Diff'rent Strokes.^[1]

Catlett began her career as a theater actress in Off-Broadway and Broadway musicals. Since the late 1960s, Catlett has appeared in television shows such as M*A*S*H, The Waltons, The Bob Newhart Show, The Dukes of Hazzard, and General Hospital. She received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination at the 1990 ceremony for her work in the latter. She also received an Annie Award nomination in 2001 for her voice-over work as Mrs. Puff.^[2]

Early life and education

Catlett was born in Denver, Colorado, the daughter of Cornelia M. (née Callaghan) and Robert J. Catlett.^[3]

Career

Catlett appeared on General Hospital (for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award) and in several episodes of the television sitcom M*A*S*H. She provides the voice of Mrs. Puff in the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as the related film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004). In 2002, she was nominated for The Annie Award for Best Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Production for SpongeBob SquarePants.

She also provided the voice for Cousin Larry's mother on the animated series Kim Possible. Mary Jo Cattlet has also provided voices for Rugrats, The Smurfs, Quack Pack and Extreme Ghostbusters.

She is also known, prior to her role on Diff'rent Strokes, for the commercials she did for Black Flag and its pest-control products, particularly the Roach Motel brand.

Her many television guest roles include appearances on episodes of That's So Raven, Glee and Desperate Housewives. She played wrestler "Terrible Tessie" in the first season Starsky & Hutch episode "The Omaha Tiger",^[4] and as "Cousin Alice", the slow-witted but well-meaning relation of an old acquaintance of the Duke family in the first season Dukes of Hazzard episode "Swamp Molly".^[5]

She had a voice role on the "American Dream Factory" episode of American Dad!. Catlett appeared in feature films including Serial Mom, The Benchwarmers and Beethoven's 5th. She has appeared in an episode of 2 Broke Girls with other veteran character actresses and guest starred on Shake It Up.

Filmography

This film-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

This television-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

• The Littlest Angel (1969) (a part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame anthology series) as Scribe #1
• Bananas (1971) as Woman in Hotel Lobby Cheering Honeymoon (uncredited)
• The Bob Newhart Show (1975) as Mrs. Engleheart
• The Waltons (1975) as Elvira Roswell
• Kojak (1975) as Verna
• How to Break Up a Happy Divorce (1976) as Soprano
• Police Woman (1976) (television series) as Car Rental Clark
• M*A*S*H (1976–1978; three episodes) as Becky and Nurse Walsh
• Flush (1977) as Bertha
• Semi-Tough (1977) as Earlene Emery
• Fantasy Island (1978; four episodes) as Hooligan Hanreddy and Carlotta Smith
• The Champ (1979) as Josie
• Dukes of Hazzard (1979; one episode) as Cousin Alice
• Foul Play (1981) as Stella Finkle
• The Beach Girls (1982) as Mrs. Brinker
• The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) as Rita
• O'Hara's Wife (1982) as Gloria
• Diff'rent Strokes (1982–1986) as Pearl Gallagher
• The Smurfs (1981–1989) as Additional voices
• Alf (1986; one episode) as Mary Jo
• General Hospital (1989–1990) as Mary Finnegan
• Serial Mom (1994) as Rosemary Ackerman
• Quack Pack (1996) as The Claw's mother
• Rugrats (1999; one episode) as Doreen
• SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–present) as Mrs. Puff
• The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2004; one episode) as Witch
• Lloyd in Space (2004; one episode) as Mrs. Horton
• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) as Mrs. Puff
• That's So Raven (2004–2005; four episodes) as Mrs. Applebaum
• The Benchwarmers (2006) as Mrs. Ellwood
• State of Mind (2007: one episode) as Mrs. DelVecchio
• Kim Possible (2007; one episode) as Aunt June
• American Dad! (2007; one episode) as a store owner
• Days of Our Lives (2009; one episode) as Bev
• Cold Case (2009; one episode) as Betty Joe Henders '09
• Surprise Surprise (2009 LGBT film based on the earlier play by the same name) as Winnie Blythman
• Glee (2010; one episode) as Mrs. Carlisle
• 2 Broke Girls (2011; one episode) as Elaine
• Shake It Up! (2012; one episode) as Elderly Woman
• Desperate Housewives (2012; one episode) as Debi Brown
• Did You Look for Work This Week (2012) as Trixie
• The Mentalist (2013; one episode) as Ruth
• Mr. Box Office (2013; one episode) as Gertrude
• Modern Family (2013; "Goodnight Gracie") as Edith
• Rizzoli & Isles (2013; one episode) as Bunny
• Instant Mom (2014; one episode) as Mrs. Sharp
• Let's Be Cops (2014) as Elderly Lady during end credits
• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) as Mrs. Puff
• The McCarthys (2015; one episode) as Mrs. Murphy
• When the Moon Was Twice as Big (2016) as Elsie
• Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (2016; one episode) as Ethel Simmons
• Trial and Error (2017; one episode "The Right-Hand Man") as the East Peck Hall of Record's Clerk
• Billy Dilley's Super-Duper Subterranean Summer (2017; one episode "Billy/Willie") as Aunt Agnes
• Commercial Voice (Buzzr TV) as David Ruprecht's Grandma

References

External links

• Mary Jo Catlett at the Internet Broadway Database
• Mary Jo Catlett on IMDb
• Mary Jo Catlett at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Mary Jo Catlett on AboutTheArtists.com