Photo: Flickr user nate8nine / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What strikes me about Mary Jo Catlett is the sheer span of her career. She originated Ernestina in the 1964 Broadway run of Hello, Dolly!, then later showed up in living rooms as Pearl on Diff'rent Strokes, and for a whole generation of kids she's simply the voice of Mrs. Puff on SpongeBob SquarePants. I find that arc fascinating: a stage actress whose most enduring role might be one where her face never appears. Born in Denver in 1938, she's the kind of dependable character performer who quietly outlasts trends, and I respect that staying power enormously.
Overview
Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress and comedian. She is a main cast member on the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants, providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! and for playing Pearl Gallagher, the third housekeeper on Diff'rent Strokes.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mary Jo Catlett
- Name (Japanese)
- メアリー・ジョー・キャトレット
- Reading
- めありー・じょー・きゃとれっと
- Born
- September 2, 1938 (age 87)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Tiger
- Origin
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / voice actor / film actor / stage actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.