Kathryn Mullen
Encyclopedia
Kathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson
projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show
in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat. She also voice directed Dog City
for Nelvana
, worked as a designer for The Muppet Movie
, a performing assistant for Yoda
on The Empire Strikes Back, and was one of the creators of Between the Lions
. While reprising this character for several Muppet movies, she also created the character of Mokey - a gentle, New Age
style Fraggle - on Henson's Fraggle Rock
. She performed the Gelfling Kira in the movie The Dark Crystal
, Allegra on "Allegra's Window
", and Leona the Lion on "Between the Lions
".
Kathy Mullen, with her husband, former Muppet designer Michael K. Frith
, has joined forces with British charity "No Strings" to create a film for children in Afghanistan, warning of the dangers of land mines. In the film, "The Story of the Little Carpet Boy," one puppet loses several limbs before he learns to avoid land mines completely. Kathy and Michael picked up the idea from Johnie McGlade, an emergency aid worker who used a scruffy rabbit puppet to bring smiles to the faces of people who had lived through earthquakes, hunger, or genocide.
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat. She also voice directed Dog City
Dog City
Dog City is a television series that was produced by Nelvana Limited and Jim Henson Productions and aired on FOX from September 26, 1992 to January 28, 1995, and in Canada on Global in 1993, then on Teletoon until 2000. The show contained both animation by Nelvana, and puppetry by Jim Henson...
for Nelvana
Nelvana
Nelvana Limited is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 known for its work in children's animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book superheroine created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s...
, worked as a designer for The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
, a performing assistant for Yoda
Yoda
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, appearing in the second and third original films, as well as all three prequel trilogy films. A renowned Jedi master, Yoda made his first on-screen appearance in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back where he is responsible for...
on The Empire Strikes Back, and was one of the creators of Between the Lions
Between the Lions
Between the Lions is a PBS Kids' puppet show designed to promote reading. The show is a co-production between WGBH in Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in New York City, in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, in Mississippi. The show has won seven Daytime Emmy awards between 2001 and...
. While reprising this character for several Muppet movies, she also created the character of Mokey - a gentle, New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
style Fraggle - on Henson's Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
. She performed the Gelfling Kira in the movie The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 British-American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Although marketed as a family film, it was notably darker than previous material created by them. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking. The primary concept artist was the...
, Allegra on "Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window
Allegra's Window is a children's television series that aired on Nick Jr. from July 12, 1994 to May 1, 1996, with reruns airing from May 2, 1996 to August 30, 2000 and later airing on Noggin from February 2, 1999 to April 2003...
", and Leona the Lion on "Between the Lions
Between the Lions
Between the Lions is a PBS Kids' puppet show designed to promote reading. The show is a co-production between WGBH in Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in New York City, in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, in Mississippi. The show has won seven Daytime Emmy awards between 2001 and...
".
Kathy Mullen, with her husband, former Muppet designer Michael K. Frith
Michael K. Frith
Michael Kingsbury Frith born July 8, 1941 in Bermuda, is the former Executive Vice President and Creative Director for Jim Henson Productions. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and varied....
, has joined forces with British charity "No Strings" to create a film for children in Afghanistan, warning of the dangers of land mines. In the film, "The Story of the Little Carpet Boy," one puppet loses several limbs before he learns to avoid land mines completely. Kathy and Michael picked up the idea from Johnie McGlade, an emergency aid worker who used a scruffy rabbit puppet to bring smiles to the faces of people who had lived through earthquakes, hunger, or genocide.