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Anthony Asbury

Anthony Asbury has built a screen career around performance in more than one form. Born on May 16, 1964, in Arlington, Texas, the American actor and puppeteer began his career on the ITV satire Spitting Image, where he performed a majority of the show’s characters between 1984 and 1992. His work included voicing figures such as Pope John Paul II, John McEnroe and Edwin Meese. From the second season, he also worked alongside Steve Nallon as the puppeteer for Margaret Thatcher. That mix of voice, movement and character work became central to Asbury’s career. While working on Spitting Image, he met Louise Gold, who introduced him to Jim Henson during the production of Labyrinth. Henson invited Asbury to perform several of the film’s creatures. His assignments included Firey 5, one of the Four Guards and the Right Door Knocker—parts that placed him inside the strange, tactile fantasy world surrounding the film’s human cast. Asbury remained associated with the Henson company and continued performing puppets for film and television. That work included The Witches, The Flintstones and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, extending a career shaped by the precise physical craft of giving personality to characters built from fabric, foam and mechanics. His other roles include Little Shop of Horrors and Absolutely Fabulous. Taken together, Asbury’s credits show the range of a performer comfortable working both as an actor and through puppets. Whether contributing to political satire, fantasy filmmaking, comedy or children’s television, his career has been grounded in character: finding the voice, gestures and timing that make even the most exaggerated creation feel alive.