Gonzo the Great

Gonzo
The Muppets character
First appearance	The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)
Created by	Jim Henson Jerry Juhl
Voiced by	Russi Taylor (Muppet Babies)
Performed by	Dave Goelz (1976–present)
Information
Species	Alien
Gender	Male
Occupation	Stunt performer, plumber
Significant other(s)	Camilla the Chicken
Nationality	American

Gonzo, also known as The Great Gonzo and Gonzo the Great, is a Muppet character known for his eccentric passion for stunt performance. Aside for his trademark enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzo's is the ambiguity of his species, which has become a running gag in the franchise. Commonly referred to as a "whatever" and a "weirdo", Gonzo has been considered to be of various origins; including a Fraggle, in his debut appearance on The Great Santa Claus Switch; an avian creature, in the majority of his portrayals; to even extraterrestrial in Muppets from Space, the only Muppet film to feature a character other than Kermit the Frog as the protagonist.

Developed and performed by Dave Goelz, Gonzo made his first appearance in the 1970 special The Great Santa Claus Switch, as the "Cigar Box Frackle". Originally a minor figure in The Muppet Show, he soon evolved into one of the franchise's primary characters. Gonzo has appeared in every Muppet film, including The Muppet Christmas Carol, where he portrayed author Charles Dickens. In Muppets Most Wanted, Gonzo was referred to as "Zongo" by Constantine, a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog in appearances, who has escaped from a maximum security prison in Siberia, Russia.

In the first season of The Muppet Show, the character had sad and immobile eyes. The producers noticed that he worked better in a more energetic form and modified the eyes to have movable eyelids which helped make him a more active character than ever. As such, he became one of the principal characters in the series. Gonzo is known for his wild-eyed, optimistic attitude, yet he is also something of an intellectual. In his revised incarnation, Gonzo, rather than feeling misunderstood by the audience, was dedicated to performing for its own sake, regardless of audience reaction. In one episode, after Kermit decides to cancel a jousting sketch, Gonzo, in armor for the sketch, forces Kermit, at lance-point, to reverse the decision. Floyd Pepper, also in armor for the sketch, observes the exchange with amusement, then asks Gonzo, regarding the sketch, "Do you really think this will work?" Gonzo replies "No! Isn't it terrific?!" Several of Gonzo's stunts have often gone wrong or do actually work in wrong ways. One notable stunt involves him catapulting himself into the balcony box of Statler and Waldorf, but the catapult broke down and in his attempt to fix it, Kermit and Miss Piggy are sent flying instead, Gonzo claiming that they stole his act. Statler and Waldorf have actually been victim to several of Gonzo's stunts including a motorcycle stunt in which Gonzo intends to drive a motorcycle off a ramp into the box of the hecklers (who are chained to their seats by Gonzo). Although the stunt works, Gonzo loses control of his bike and crashes it into the box, knocking the men unconscious. It is plausibly arguable that Gonzo's penchant for death-defying acts came from a Muppet Character Shop idea for a spoof (essentially a Muppet version) of Evel Knievel.

...
Wikipedia