Thea White

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Thea White
Born
Thea Ruth Zitzner

(1940-04-15)April 15, 1940[1]
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJuly 30, 2021(2021-07-30) (aged 81)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationVoice actress, librarian
Years active1957–2021
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1983; died 2015)​

Thea Ruth White (née Zitzner; April 15, 1940 – July 30, 2021)[1][2] was an American voice actress best known for her work as Muriel Bagge in the animated TV show Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Early life[]

White was born in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of Arthur and Theatrice (née Hazard) Zitzner. White's mother and maternal grandmother Eva were both actresses: Theatrice began acting as a child, and continued to do so as an adult, while Eva made her acting debut as a teenager and retired following marriage, later opening a movie theater with her husband.[2] White moved to North Caldwell with her parents at the age of 12.[2] She graduated high school and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the American Theater Wing.

Career[]

White began her career on several stage productions in Dallas, Texas.[1] While acting on stage, Broadway and theater, she served as the personal assistant for Marlene Dietrich, during Dietrich's later career.[2]

After marrying her husband, White retired from acting and became a librarian and outreach specialist at the Livingston Public Library in Livingston, New Jersey.[2] She returned to acting when she was offered the role of Muriel Bagge on Cartoon Network's Courage the Cowardly Dog.[2] She voiced Muriel during the entire series run, and reprised her role in the 2006 video game Cartoon Network Racing and the 2014 short The Fog of Courage, as well as the 2021 Scooby-Doo! crossover Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Personal life[]

She had resided in Caldwell. She met her husband, Andy White, while acting in the play Goodbye Charlie; they later married in 1983 and remained so until his death in 2015.[2] Andy was best known as the man who played drums on The Beatles' first single "Love Me Do". She previously worked as a librarian at the Livingston Public Library.

Death[]

White died on July 30, 2021 from an infection at the Cleveland Clinic, aged 81.[1][3][4] She had undergone two liver cancer-related surgeries in the days leading up to her death.[5][3]

Work[]

Year Title Role Notes Source
1999-2002 Courage the Cowardly Dog Muriel Bagge
2002 The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards Show Program Special Muriel Bagge
2006 Cartoon Network Racing Muriel Bagge
2014 The Fog of Courage Muriel Bagge
2021 Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog Muriel Bagge, Rich Old Lady Posthumous release; final film role [6]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Thea White, Voice of Muriel on 'Courage the Cowardly Dog,' Dies at 81". The Hollywood Reporter. August 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Local resident puts aside shyness, finds 'Courage'". newjerseyhills.com. April 12, 2002. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Thea Ruth White, Voice of Muriel on 'Courage the Cowardly Dog', Dies at 81". TMZ. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Williams, Helen (2021-08-01). "What happened to Thea White? Fans react to death of Courage the Cowardly Dog's Muriel Bagge". HITC. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
  5. ^ "Courage the Cowardly Dog Star Thea White Dies at 81". TV Shows.
  6. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2021-06-22). "'Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog' Crossover Arrives Sept. 14". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2021-06-23.

External links[]

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