You'll never guess what the cast of 'Big Comfy Couch' is up to now!
'The Big Comfy Couch' is a beloved Canadian children's show that reached audiences in the US, France, Belgium, Latin America, and Spain. Created by the puppeteers Cheryl Wagner (far left) and Rob Mills (far right, it aired for seven seasons, between 1992-1996 and 2006-2007.
'The Big Comfy Couch' was all about Loonette and Molly, a clown and her dolly. They lived on a big comfy couch but would also go on adventures, usually to Granny Garbanzo's garden, all while learning, solving problems, reading, playing, and, of course, tidying up at the end!
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
The main cast was made up of talented performers who charmed and educated children through their acting, singing, dancing, and puppeteering. But you probably have no idea what happened to them in the years since! Read on to find out more...
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Alyson Court was 16 years old when she auditioned to be Loonette in 'The Big Comfy Couch.' At the time, she was working for the other Canadian children's classic 'Mr. Dressup' and had also appeared on 'Sesame Street.'
Photo: E! Insider / Youtube
Court said that, although the clock for stretching was hard as a rock, the big comfy couch did live up to its name. There were two separate couches, but the first was "very well broken in… it lived at Cheryl's house, so I think a lot of teenage parties happened on that couch," she told E!
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Court told E! Insider in 2022 that she had studied dance, gymnastics, and judo as a kid, which helped with flexibility. "Everything is squashed onto a 2D plane, so it probably looks way more impressive than it is… the most uncomfortable part was that we were doing it on a cement floor. It looks like a nice soft fluffy rug… but it's not."
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Court is all grown up now! She has dozens of film and TV credits under her belt since the last episode of 'Big Comfy Couch.' She's worked as a voice actress for 'Resident Evil' videogames and other animated shows, as well as acting in 'Murdoch Mysteries' and voice directing other shows.
Photo: @alysontheother / Twitter.
Court was married to Erik Suzuki, a videogame director, for three years, and she has a son named Blaede who was born in 2003. In 2019, she announced her marriage to comic book creator Z.M. Thomas (pictured).
Photo: @alysontheother / Twitter
Major Bedhead was Loonette's unicycle-riding mailman friend. He loves playing in the mud, the color pink, and singing. Although a little loopy and clumsy, he is always respectful and in a good mood.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Major Bedhead was played by Canadian actor, puppeteer, puppet builder, juggler, and writer Fred Stinson. He also appeared on other children's shows, like the Canadian production of Sesame Park and as Professor Noise in the first season of 'Doodlebops.'
Image: Fred Stinson / LinkedIn
Outside of children's shows, he put his puppetry to darker pursuits. In fact, outside of 'The Big Comfy Couch,' he is most known for his work on the horror films 'Bride of Chucky,' 'The Thing,' and 'Cult of Chucky.'
Loonette's grandmother from Russia was kind, wise, and full of lessons for Loonette and Major Bedhead. She had a big, beautiful garden and a cat named Snicklefritz.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Kuchirka is a Canadian clown and self-described "globetrotter of laughter and emotion." Today, she teaches workshops on the art of clowning, performs at festivals worldwide, and releases music. And here's a fact to blow your mind: she was just 35 when she began playing Granny Garbanzo!
Image: Fredolini-Frederico Boris Iuliani / YouTube
Loonette's aunt was usually on an adventure and communicated with Loonette through live-action letters. She was a great singer and always dressed in her signature yellow. Cleverly, an antimacassar is a small cloth placed on couches or chairs to keep them from getting dirty.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Taborah Johnson, a.k.a Tabby Johnson, is a Canadian singer and actress who also appeared in the film 'The Sentinel' and continues lending her voice to animations. She is the sister of actor Clark Johnson (best known for playing the newspaper editor on 'The Wire') and Juno-winning singer Molly Johnson.
Photo: OurTAWC / Youtube
Molly was Loonette's best friend in the whole world. In the show, she didn't speak, but she did move, and she communicated to Loonette with thought bubbles. She was played by Canadian puppeteer Bob Stutt.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
While Loonette never believed in them, Molly was right about these funny little creatures – Fuzzy and Wuzzy – who lived under the couch. They were brothers and voiced by Bob Stutt, who also did Molly, and the show's creator Robert Mills.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
Granny Garbanzo's cat, whose full name is Snickel Gustav Amadeus Fritz, was very silly and often mischievous. He loved Major Bedhead the most and even got his own Major Beadhead doll during the show. He was also puppeteered and voiced by Bob Stutt.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube
This Candian puppeteer and writer also worked on other great shows like 'Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium,' 'Fraggle Rock,' 'Sesame Street' and 'Groundling Marsh.'
Photo: Bob Stutt / Facebook
During the seventh and final season of 'The Big Comfy Couch' in 2006, the Loonette character was taken over by the actress, singer, and dancer Ramona Gilmour-Darling. Since then, the actress has appeared on stage across Canada and on the TV show 'Covert Affairs.'
Photo: Billie Neeld / YouTube
"I think the show would work for kids today… What I'd love to see is to introduce a new character that takes over the couch. I could be Loonette, but she'll be grown. So, a new childlike character would be great," Court told E! Insider in 2022.
Photo: THE BIG COMFY COUCH / Youtube