Dave Goelz

David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer, actor, and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after Jim Henson's death), Zoot and Beauregard, originating on The Muppet Show. Goelz's puppeteering roles also included in Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. Outside of puppeteering work, he was also the voice of Figment in the Journey into Imagination with Figment attraction at Epcot. Early life Born in Los Angeles, California, Goelz had an interest in puppetry as a child, including an affinity for the children's television show Time for Beany, but after graduating from John Burroughs High School in Burbank, he attended the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design and began work as an industrial designer. Goelz applied to work at Walt Disney Imagineering, but was not considered on the basis that they had sufficient industrial designers already employed. The mechanically-minded Goelz worked for such companies as John Deere, American Airlines, and Hewlett-Packard. However, when Sesame Street premiered, he was fascinated by the craftsmanship, as he recalled in an interview: While working full-time for an electronics firm, Goelz began dabbling with puppet building. Career