Rowlf the Dog

Rowlf the Dog

Rowlf the Dog is the floppy brown eared Muppet dog that plays the piano. He is usually found in the Muppet Theater's orchestra pit. He can play in any style, from classical to honkey tonk. He often tries to upstage by giving the keys a bang with his fist or barking out a witty remark. He also plays the silly surgeon Dr. Bob on The Muppet Show's recurring sketch Veterinarian's Hospital.

Rowlf is always cool and relaxed, and his sense of humour often revolves around his dog-like nature. He is a big fan of Ludwig Von Beethoven.

Rowlf was built in 1962 for Purina Dog Chow commercials. He was the first Muppet built by Don Sahlin. Pretty soon, Rowlf rose to stardom as Jimmy Dean's sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show. He was the first Muppet to get a regular spot on network television. In 1976, Rowlf joined the recurring cast of The Muppet Show as the group's pianist. When Rowlf was required to play piano, Jim Henson would control Rowlf's head while leaving an actual piano player to operate Rowlf's hands, making what may have seemed to be an illusion just the opposite.

Rowlf's television appearances include The Jimmy Dean Show, Adventure In The Arts: The Muppets On Puppets, The Muppet Show, The Muppets Go Hollywood, John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together, The Muppets Go To the Movies, John Denver and the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, A Muppet Family Christmas, The Jim Henson Hour and The Muppets at Walt Disney World. He was also seen in one Sesame Street counting segment in 1969.

Baby Rowlf was a regular character in the animated series Muppet Babies.

Rowlf's film work includes The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan. He made very brief cameos in other Muppet movies.

The CD Rowlf the Dog: Ol' Brown Ears is Back was released by BMG in 1993 and featured some of the silliest songs from the Muppet Show, as performed by Rowlf with an orchestra.

Rowlf is performed by Jim Henson. He is a live hand puppet. Jim usually performed the head and the voice, with another Muppeteer (often Steve Whitmire) performing his paws. After Jim's death in 1990, Bill Barretta took over the role a few times.

Casting History

• Jim Henson - from Purina Dog Show commercials (1962) to The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)

• Bill Barretta - from Muppets Tonight (1996) to Present

See also

Rowlf quotes