Eugene first appeared as an unnamed animal in the direct-to-video Muppet production Muppet Classic Theater. He upstaged the other characters by dancing frantically during the "Gotta Get That Name" musical number in the "Rumpelstiltskin "segment. Steve Whitmire revealed on alt.tv.muppets that "Brian Henson performed the mink in 'Gotta Get That Name'".
He received the name "Eugene" when he appeared on Muppets Tonight, usually performed by Steve Whitmire. He worked in the control room as Nigel's assistant.
His precise species is never identified on screen, although he closely resembles Maureen the Mink from A Muppet Family Christmas. Whitmire has also referred to him as a weasel. [1]
In a Muppet Central interview, Steve Whitmire said that Eugene was his favorite new character from Muppets Tonight.