Mary Jo Catlett

Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938, in Denver, Colorado) is an American stage, film, and television actress and voice actress, best known for originating the role of Ernestina in the original Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! (1964) and for providing the long-running voice of Mrs. Puff on SpongeBob SquarePants. She appeared in Extreme Ghostbusters as a guest voice actor in 1997.

Early life and education

Catlett was born in Denver, Colorado, to Cornelia M. (née Callaghan) and Robert J. Catlett. She is Catholic and has a sister, Patricia Marie, who is a Dominican nun. She graduated from Loretto Heights College in Denver with a B.S. in drama and psychology in 1960, and went on to pursue a professional stage career in New York.¹

Early life and education

Catlett made her off-Broadway debut in 1963 and quickly moved to Broadway. Her most prominent early stage credit came when she originated the role of Ernestina in the original 1964 production of Hello, Dolly!, which ran through 1970.¹

Through the 1970s she remained an active stage performer in Los Angeles. She took on the role of Mrs. Tiffany in a revival of Fashion in 1974 and was recognized with Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards in 1976 and 1980 for her stage work.¹ She received a nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the Ovation Awards in 1995, and portrayed Madame de la Grande Bouche in a stage production of Beauty and the Beast in 1994.¹

On television Catlett appeared in M*A*S*H, The Dukes of Hazzard, and the daytime serial General Hospital. She is also recognized for her recurring role as Pearl Gallagher, the third housekeeper on Diff'rent Strokes, appearing across seasons 5 through 8. She received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination in 1990.¹

Her film credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), Serial Mom (1994), The Benchwarmers (2006), and Let's Be Cops (2014).²

In 1998 Catlett joined the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants as the voice of Mrs. Puff, SpongeBob's long-suffering boating school teacher. Creator Stephen Hillenburg specifically sought her out after seeing her perform on stage and offered her the role directly.² She has voiced Mrs. Puff continuously since the show's debut, across every season, all theatrical films, and video game adaptations. The role earned her an Annie Award nomination in 2001 and has become her longest-running and most widely recognized credit.²

Extreme Ghostbusters

Catlett provided a guest voice on Extreme Ghostbusters in 1997, appearing in the episode "The Luck of the Irish."

Catlett has performed at charity fundraisers for AIDS-related organizations and the Entertainment Community Fund, motivated in part by the loss of her friend Robert Hoppe, who died from AIDS-related complications in 1989.¹

Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.

Early life and education

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Mary Jo Catlett

Early life and education

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Career

Extreme Ghostbusters

Personal life

References

Early life and education

Early life and education

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Career

Extreme Ghostbusters

Personal life

References

Footnotes