‘Courage The Cowardly Dog’ Voice Actress Thea White Dies At 81

Thea White, the voice actress behind Muriel Bagge on “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” has died at the age of 81.

White’s brother John Zitzner confirmed her passing with Deadline saying the late actress succumbed to “complications from surgery” related to her liver cancer Friday morning in Cleveland, Ohio.

Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1940, White reportedly knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. Her penchant for the craft seemingly stemmed from her exposure to it at an early age, considering both her mom, Eleanor Hazard, and grandmother, Eva, worked as vaudeville performers.

After finishing high school, White went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the American Theatre Wing. She worked several jobs while studying and honing her acting skills.

In her 20s, White acted professionally on stage. But she went on to become the personal assistant of German-American actress Marlene Dietrich when the latter was touring Australia.

In 1983, White tied the knot with Scottish musician Andy White, who performed as a drummer on some of the Beatles’ hit songs, such as “P.S. I Love You” and “Love Me Do.” She took on a job as a librarian while enjoying married life. White stayed with her husband until his demise in 2015, according to Variety.

White eventually returned to acting through the Cartoon Network series “Courage the Cowardly Dog.” She voiced the character of Scottish grandmother Muriel Bagge in all episodes of the show, from the 1999 premiere episode to its finale in 2002.

On the show, Muriel’s grumpy husband, Eustace, was played by Lionel Wilson and Arthur Anderson. On the other hand, the couple’s always nervous pink dog, Courage, was voiced by Marty Grabstein, who paid tribute to the late artist on Saturday via Facebook.

“I would like to take a moment today to speak about my dear friend, Thea White, who left us yesterday morning … Very, very sad day for me and of course for her family,” he said in a video he uploaded to the platform before adding, “She made a very, very deep impact on my life … She was an extraordinary woman.”

White’s final projects as Muriel included the 2014 short “The Fog of Courage” and last year’s “Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

White is survived by her brothers, John and Stewart Zitzner, John’s wife Peg Zitzner and their offspring.