Just a clown and her dolly! Kids born in the '90s probably remember the show, The Big Comfy Couch. It was a Canadian children's television show about a clown named Loonette and her doll, Molly who solve problems on their couch. They meet up with family, neighbors, friends, animals and even dust bunnies daily.The Big Comfy Couch ran from 1992 until 2006. Because the show ran for such a long time, two women played Loonette the Clown. She was the main star of the show, a freckle-faced young clown. She was first portrayed by Alyson Court from 1992 to 2003 and then Ramona Gilmour-Darling in 2006.However, because Court played her the longest, we are just focusing on her today. Before The Big Comfy Couch, she has an impressive resume including voice work as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice series and The Care Bears Family. Here is what she has been up to since leaving The Big Comfy Couch.
9 Why Loonette Left 'The Big Comfy Couch'
Court was 19 when she assumed the role of Loonette. Although she could pass as a young child, it got harder as the years went on. However, that wasn't the reason for her leaving. According to Pop Crush, Court left the show after season six because she wanted to focus her life on taking take of her child.
"But I was 22, 23 and I wanted to live my life and enjoy being a young adult. I was finding it was very oppressive because I'd never experienced that kind of control before. So, I was like, "I can't do this anymore. I need to go." And we were done. They weren't expecting to come back. It wasn't until 2002 that we did. I was married by this point, and pregnant. So, I was a responsible adult," she told E! Online.
8 Alyson Court's Relationship And Child
Alyson Court was previously married to Erik Suzuki, a former Capcom voice and video game localization director. They welcomed their son, Blaede Court- Suzuki, together in January 2003. Their relationship didn't last very long, however, and they later divorced.
7 Alyson Court Continued Acting After 'The Big Comfy Couch'
She took some time off after The Big Comfy Couch to spend time with her then husband and her son, but Court did return to acting around 2006. Besides Comfy Couch, she starred in Skyland, The Amazing Spiez!, Mike The Knight and many more. While appearing in many movies and TV shows, Court mainly focuses on voice work in shows and videos games such as Resident Evil.
6 'Big Comfy Couch' Fan Conventions And Charities
Alyson Court has appeared as a guest at numerous fan conventions. She always enjoys meeting fans, especially the ones who dress up as Loonette with their own Molly doll. But the ones who stand out the most are the fans who show up who lost a child that watched the show. "Even meeting parents after their child has died, and they still stood in line for six hours just to say, "Your show was the only thing that put a smile on my son's face right before he passed," she told E!.
She also had a lot of opportunities for charity work when the show became successful in the U.S. as well.
5 Alyson Court Can Still Do The 'Big Comfy Couch' Clock Stretch
One of the best parts of the show was at the end when Loonette did the clock stretch on the ground. "Here's the deal: I can, but it takes me about two weeks to recover," she told E!. "Right before COVID, there was a fan convention and a young woman was like, "I want to do the clock stretch with you. C'mon." And I went for it: Leg right up over the head, the splits, everything. There may have been a beverage or two that evening to soothe some of the pain." Court is currently 48 years old.
4 Alyson Court's Current Relationship
Despite many fans thinking she was married to Steve from Blues Clues, she is not. Raising her son as a single mom, Court finally found love again. In March 2018, she became engaged to comic book creator, Z.M. Thomas. They got married on July 1, 2019, also known as Canada Day. Not much is known about their relationship, aside from the rare pictures and updates she posts on Twitter. They also have an adorable cat named Dexter, who she posts a lot about.
3 Alyson Court Has Turned To Directing
Along with acting and voice over work, Court is also expanding her resume into directing. E! Online didn't give many details, but Court is working on new shows for Disney+ and Netflix. Most notably, she voice directs, which is guiding voice actors. She mostly does that work over Zoom now, but has directed many celebrities such as Meghan Trainor, H.E.R, Rachel Bloom and Leslie Odom Jr. We can't wait to see what she is working on next.
2 Alyson Court Is Not Opposed To A 'Big Comfy Couch' Reboot
Talking with E! Online, Court expressed that a reboot is not out of the question. However, she wouldn't be the main star. "What I'd love to see is to introduce a new character who takes over the couch. I could certainly still be Loonette, but, you know, Loonette has grown. And that way you could have consistency with the old episodes into the new ones. And then a new young character, I think, would be lovely thing to see. A new, very childlike character, where you're not trying duplicate what somebody did before. So, expand the world. That would be my suggestion," she told the outlet.
1 Alyson Court's Current Net Worth
Court has been acting since 1984 and still is today. That's why it is such a shock that her net worth is only $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. However, due to divorces, taking care of a child, donating to charities and various other factors, her net worth must have taken a big hit.