Grump made his earliest appearances in TV commercials for Federal Housing Administration during the mid-1960s, one of which shows him living in a shabby house. He was also paired with Kermit in later iterations of the "Visual Thinking" sketch (where he was voiced by Jerry Juhl), beginning with The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966. He also appeared in a few scenes in The Muppets on Puppets. By 1969, he was used as the Head of the Board in the Sesame Street Pitch Reel (performed here by Jim Henson) and later reworked for Sesame Street’s first season as a hippie and The Muppet Show as Mary Louise. Grump was rebuilt for the Muppet Meeting Films, where he was paired with Leo as the two principal players. Grump, in keeping with his name, was bitter, constantly grousing, and never entirely sure of what was going on. He assisted Leo in various presentations, often to his regret. His wife's name in this series, according to "Ideal Sales Rep", is Emma. Grump has also appeared in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, ABC News Special: Wall Street and the Economy, and in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson as a member of The Merrill Lunch Hungerdunger McCormack All Accountant Marching Society.