History Creator / MuppetPerformers

* '''Fran Brill:''' The first female Muppet performer, she joined the troupe in 1970, working primarily on ''Sesame Street''. Her two most famous characters are Prairie Dawn and Zoe, whom she played until her retirement in 2014. Outside the Muppets, she also worked as a voice actor on shows like ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog''.
* '''Julianne Buescher''': She has performed various background Muppets over the years, and Yolanda Rat and Denise in the 2015 Muppets series. She is also a voice actor for various non-Henson cartoons, notably being the English dub voice of Anko in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''.
* '''Kevin Clash:''' Joining in 1984, his best known for playing Hoots the Owl, Clifford, Polly Lobster, Baby Sinclair and, most famously, lovable Elmo. In addition, he worked as a director and producer for Sesame Workshop until 2012, when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. He currently works as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company on other projects.
* '''Stephanie D'Abruzzo:''' Working for ''Sesame Street'' since 1993, she performs as Curly Bear, Elizabeth, and Lulu, as well as Prairie Dawn following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside the Muppets, she played Lady Richington on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'', Kessie on ''Series/TheBookOfPooh'', and Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the original Broadway cast of ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
* '''Ryan Dillon:''' He began on ''Sesame Street'' in 2005 as he was leaving high school, and is the current performer for Elmo.
* '''Artie Esposito''' Largely only known for briefly being [[NeverLiveItDown understudy for Kermit the Frog]], and performing as him on a few occasions in the mid-2000s. [[invoked]]
* '''Dave Goelz:''' Originally an industrial designer, Goelz joined the Henson organization as a puppet builder before becoming a performer for characters like Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Boober Fraggle, Zoot, and Uncle Traveling Matt. He also inherited Waldorf after Jim Henson died.

* '''Kevin Clash:''' Joining in 1984, his best known for playing Hoots the Owl, Clifford, and, most famously, lovable Elmo. In addition, he worked as a director and producer for Sesame Workshop until 2012, when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. He currently works as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company on other projects.

* '''Brian Henson:''' Jim's son, and currently chairman of The Jim Henson Company. One of his first assignments was working on the complicated bicycle scene from ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', and he went on to direct ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' and ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'', as well as episodes of ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', ''Series/MuppetsTonight'', and ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. He also performed Series/TheStoryteller's dog, Sal Minella on ''Muppets Tonight'', and as Scooter and Janice in ''Film/ItsAVeryMerryMuppetChristmasMovie''.
* '''Creator/JimHenson:''' The creator of the Muppets, he was known for playing Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, the SelfDemonstrating/SwedishChef, [[JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Waldorf]] and many, many others.

* '''Richard Hunt:''' Hired right out of high school, Hunt was the original performer for Scooter, Janice, Beaker, Statler, Sweetums, Gladys the Cow, and others. He died of AIDS in 1992, and ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' was dedicated in his honor.
* '''Eric Jacobson:''' Joined in 1994, he is known for inheriting many of Frank Oz's roles, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Bert, Sam the Eagle, Animal and Grover. He also took over some of Jim Henson's characters such as Guy Smiley and, after Steve Whitmire left, the Newsman. Since 2015, he's also Caroll Spinney's understudy for Oscar the Grouch.
* '''Peter Linz:''' He performed as Tutter and Pip on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', and as Walter in the recent theatrical films. Since 2017, he's been the performer for Ernie, Statler, Robin, Link Hogthrob, Herry and Lips. Outside the Muppets, he performed Theo Lion on ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.

* '''Joey Mazzarino:''' He performed mainly for ''Sesame Street'', where he played Murray, Papa Bear, and Stinky the Stinkweed, among others. He also served as a writer and director on the show, as well as co-writing the screenplays for ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfElmoInGrouchland'', before he left Sesame Workshop in 2015. Outside the Muppets, he was a voice actor on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity''.
* '''Jerry Nelson:''' Known for his [[ManOfAThousandVoices vocal range]], Nelson is known as the original performer for Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry and Robin the Frog. Though he retired from puppeteering in 2004, he continued to lend his voice to ''Sesame Street'' until his death in 2012.
* '''Creator/FrankOz:''' An associate of Jim Henson since the early 1960s, he is known for originating the roles of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Bert, Grover, Cookie Monster, and many others. He retired from puppetry around 2001 to focus on his career as a movie director. Outside the Muppets, he is known for playing Yoda in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films.

* '''Martin P. Robinson:''' Joining in 1981, he is mainly associated with ''Sesame Street'', and he is known for playing Telly, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Slimey. He also played The Cat in the Hat on the second season of ''Series/TheWubbulousWorldOfDrSeuss''.
* '''Matt Robinson:''' Best known for playing human character Gordon on the first three seasons of ''Sesame Street'', Matt created and voiced the character Roosevelt Franklin.
* '''David Rudman:''' Mainly associated with ''Sesame Street'', he is known for playing Baby Bear, and is the current performer for Cookie Monster, Scooter, Beaker, and Janice. He, along with his brother Adam, co-created various preschool shows, including ''Jack's Big Music Show'', ''Bunnytown'', and ''WesternAnimation/NatureCat''.

* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1996, he is noted for performing many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, Robin (who he gave up in 2017 when he was cast as Kermit), and Lew Zealand. He also played Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'', and has performed Sweetums since 2009. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer and director, and is Caroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird. In 2017, he took over the role of Kermit following Steve Whitmire's ousting. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''.
* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman. He was let go from The Muppets in 2016 due to various issues.

* ManOfAThousandVoices: Most of them, but Jerry Nelson was particularly known for this. It has been commented that Robin the Frog's voice was closest to his natural one, and therefore hardest to duplicate.
* PassingTheTorch: In cases when an older performer is in ill health or retiring, an effort is generally made to allow them to pick a successor for their roles. Eric Jacobson has taken Frank Oz's key roles, while Matt Vogel was selected personally to take over for Jerry Nelson, and is also serving as understudy for Caroll Spinney. Averted in the cases of sudden deaths (Henson, Hunt) and removals (Clash, Whitmire)

* '''Bill Barretta:''' A performer since 1991, he is known for inheriting some of Jim Henson's deeper-voiced characters, like Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, and the Swedish Chef, as well as performing the body of Earl Sinclair from ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' and originating the role of Pepe the King Prawn.

* '''Stephanie D'Abruzzo:''' Working for ''Sesame Street'' since 1993, she performs as Curly Bear, Elizabeth, and Lulu, as well as Prairie Dawn following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside the Muppets, she played Lady Richington on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'', Kessie on ''[[Franchise/WinnieThePooh The Book of Pooh]]'', and Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the original Broadway cast of ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

* '''Artie Esposito''' Largely only known for briefly being [[NeverLiveItDown understudy for Kermit the Frog]], and performing as him on a few occasions in the mid-2000s.

* '''Eric Jacobson:''' Joined in 1994, he is known for inheriting many of Frank Oz's roles, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Bert, and Grover.
* '''Peter Linz:''' He performed as Tutter and Pip on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', and as Walter in the recent theatrical films. Since 2017, he's been the performer for Ernie, Statler and Herry. Outside the Muppets, he performed Theo Lion on ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.

* '''David Rudman:''' Mainly associated with ''Sesame Street'', he is known for playing Baby Bear, and is the current performer for Cookie Monster, Scooter, and Janice. He, along with his brother Adam, co-created various preschool shows, including ''Jack's Big Music Show'', ''Bunnytown'', and ''WesternAnimation/NatureCat''.

* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1996, is noted for performing many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, and Lew Zealand, as well as playing Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'', and Sweetums since 2009. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer and director, and is Carroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''. In 2017, he took over the role of Kermit following Steve Whitmire's ousting.

* ManOfAThousandVoices: Most of them, but Jerry Nelson was particularly known for this.

* '''Stephanie D'Abruzzo:''' Working for ''Sesame Street'' since 1993, she performs as Curly Bear, Elizabeth, and Lulu, as well as Prarie Dawn following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside the Muppets, she played Lady Richington on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'', Kessie on ''[[Franchise/WinnieThePooh The Book of Pooh]]'', and Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the original Broadway cast of ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

* '''Carroll Spinney:''' Joining in 1969, he has played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street'' almost exclusively since the very first episode.

* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1996, is noted for performing many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, and Lew Zealand, as well as playing Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'', and Sweetums since 2009. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer and director, and is Carroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''. In 2017, he took over the role of Kermit following Steve Whitmire's departure.
* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman. He was let go from the Muppets in 2016 due to various issues.

* '''Billy Barkhurst:''' He took over the role of Ernie in 2014 when Steve Whitmire left ''Sesame Street''.

* '''Peter Linz:''' He performed as Tutter and Pip on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', and as Walter in the recent theatrical films. Outside the Muppets, he performed Theo Lion on ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman. For reasons unknown, he was let go from the Muppets in 2016.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman. For reasons unknown, he was let go from the Muppets in 2017.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman. For reasons unknown, he left the Muppets in 2017.

The Muppet Performers are a group of people who bring Creator/{{Jim Henson}}'s [[Muppets Franchise/TheMuppets]] to life, on shows like ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', ''Series/FraggleRock'', and many feature films.

The Muppet Performers are a group of people who bring Creator/{{Jim Henson}}'s Muppets to life, on shows like ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', ''Series/FraggleRock'', and many feature films.

* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1996, is noted for performing many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, and Lew Zealand, as well as playing Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'' and Sweetums since 2009. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer and director, and is Carroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''.
* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman.
* '''Victor Yerrid:''' Also best-known for ''From the Balcony'', where he performed Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef, Sweetums and many others.

* '''Victor Yerrid:''' Also best-known for ''From the Balcony'', where he performed Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, Sweetums and many others.

* '''Brian Henson:''' Jim's son, and currently chairman of The Jim Henson Company. One of his first assignments was working on the complicated bicycle scene from ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', and he went on to direct ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' and ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'', as well as episodes of ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', ''Series/MuppetsTonight'', and ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. He also performed Series/TheStoryteller's dog, Sal Monella on ''Muppets Tonight'', and as Scooter and Janice in ''Film/ItsAVeryMerryMuppetChristmasMovie''.

* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1996, is noted for performing many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, and Lew Zealand, as well as playing Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted''. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer and director, and is Carroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''': Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''': Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman.

* '''Dave Goelz:''' Originally an industrial designer, Goelz joined the Henson organization as a puppet builder before becoming a performer for characters like Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Boober Fraggle, Zoot, and Uncle Traveling Matt.

* '''Creator/JimHenson:''' The creator of the Muppets, he was known for playing Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, the SelfDemonstrating/SwedishChef, [[JustFrFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Waldorf]] and many, many others.

* '''Steve Whitmire:''': Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. After Jim Henson's death in 1990, Steve took over many of his roles, including Kermit, Ernie, and Waldorf.

* '''Dave Goelz:''' Originally an industrial designer, Goelz joined the Henson organization as a puppet builder before becoming a performer for characters like Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Boober Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt.

* '''Creator/JimHenson:''' The creator of the Muppets, he was known for playing Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, and many, many others.

* '''Kevin Clash:''' Joining in 1984, his most noted roles include Hoots the Owl, Clifford, and, most famously, lovable Elmo. In addition, he worked as a director and producer for Sesame Workshop until 2012, when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. He currently works as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company on other projects.
* '''Stephanie D'Abruzzo:''' Working for ''Sesame Street'' since 1993, she performs as Curly Bear, Elizabeth, and Lulu, as well as Prarie Dawn following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside the Muppets, she played Kessie on ''[[Franchise/WinnieThePooh The Book of Pooh]]'', and was part of the original Broadway cast of ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
* '''Dave Goelz:''' Originally an industrial designer, Goelz joined the Henson organization as a puppet builder before becoming a performer for characters like Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Boober Fraggle, and Uncle Traveling Matt.
* '''Brian Henson:''' Jim's son, he is currently chairman of The Jim Henson Company. One of his first assignments was working on the complicated bicycle scene from ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', and he went on to direct ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' and ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'', as well as episodes of ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', ''Series/MuppetsTonight'', and ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. He also performed Series/TheStoryteller's dog, Sal Monella on ''Muppets Tonight'', and as Scooter and Janice in ''Film/ItsAVeryMerryMuppetChristmasMovie''.

* '''Karen Prell:''' Initially a performer on ''Sesame Street'', she is best known for playing Red Fraggle on ''Fraggle Rock''. She later became a CGI animator on films like ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', as well as the video game ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}''.

* '''Jerry Nelson:''' Known for his vocal range, Nelson is known as the original performer for Count von Count, Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, and Robin the Frog. Though he retired from puppeteering in 2004, he continued to lend his voice to ''Sesame Street'' until his death in 2012.

'''The Muppet Performers''' are a group of people who bring Creator/{{Jim Henson}}'s Muppets to life, on shows like ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', ''Series/FraggleRock'', and many feature films.