Thea White

Thea White
Born	Thea Ruth Zitzner (1940-06-16)June 16, 1940 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	July 30, 2021(2021-07-30) (aged 81) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Voice actress, librarian
Years active	1957–2021
Spouse	Andy White ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 2015)​

Thea Ruth White (née Zitzner; June 16, 1940 – July 30, 2021) was an American voice actress best known for her work as Muriel Bagge in the animated television series Courage the Cowardly Dog.^[1][2][3]

Early life

White was born in Newark, New Jersey on June 16, 1940,^[4][5] as 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.^[5] White moved to North Caldwell with her parents at the age of 12.^[5] She graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the American Theater Wing.^[5]

Career

White began her career on several stage productions in Dallas, Texas.^[6] While acting on stage, Broadway and theater, she served as the personal assistant for Marlene Dietrich, during Dietrich's later career.^[5]

After marrying her husband, White retired from acting and became a librarian and outreach specialist at the Livingston Public Library in Livingston, New Jersey.^[5] She returned to acting when she was offered the role of Muriel Bagge on Cartoon Network's Courage the Cowardly Dog.^[5] She voiced Muriel during the entire series run, and reprised her role in the 2006 video game Cartoon Network Racing, the 2014 short The Fog of Courage, and the 2021 Scooby-Doo! crossover Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Personal life and death

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.^[5] Andy was best known as the man who played drums on The Beatles' first single "Love Me Do".

White died from an infection at the Cleveland Clinic, on July 30, 2021, at the age of 81.^[6][7][8] She had undergone two liver cancer-related surgeries in the days leading up to her death.^[9][7]

Work

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999-2002	Courage the Cowardly Dog	Muriel Bagge
2002	The 1st 13th Annual Fancy Anvil Awards Show Program Special
2006	Cartoon Network Racing
2014	The Fog of Courage
2021	Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog	Muriel Bagge, Rich Old Lady	Posthumous release; final film role[10]

References

1. "Thea White, Voice of Muriel on 'Courage the Cowardly Dog,' Dies Age 81". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
2. Wit, Alex Dudok de (2021-08-03). "Marty Grabstein & John Dilworth Remember 'Courage The Cowardly Dog' Colleague Thea White". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
3. "'Courage the Cowardly Dog's Thea White Passes at 81". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
4. "Thea White Obituary 2021". Archived from the original on 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
5. "Local resident puts aside shyness, finds 'Courage'". newjerseyhills.com. April 12, 2002. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
6. "Thea White, Voice of Muriel on 'Courage the Cowardly Dog,' Dies at 81". The Hollywood Reporter. August 1, 2021. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
7. "Thea Ruth White, Voice of Muriel on 'Courage the Cowardly Dog', Dies at 81". TMZ. August 2021. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
8. Williams, Helen (2021-08-01). "What happened to Thea White? Fans react to death of Courage the Cowardly Dog's Muriel Bagge". HITC. Archived from the original on 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
9. "Courage the Cowardly Dog Star Thea White Dies at 81". TV Shows. Archived from the original on 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
10. Milligan, Mercedes (2021-06-22). "'Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog' Crossover Arrives Sept. 14". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2021-06-23.

External links

• Thea White at IMDb