Line #40 Creator/MuppetPerformers


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6	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jimhensoncrew.jpg]]
7	[-[[caption-width-right:350:The main crew of performers from ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' era. Left to right: Creator/FrankOz, Creator/JimHenson, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, and Dave Goelz.]]-]
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9	The Muppet performers are a group of people who have brought Creator/{{Jim Henson}}'s various puppet characters (Franchise/TheMuppets and others) to life on shows like ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', and ''Series/FraggleRock'' and in many feature films. They usually do both the puppeteering and the voice of their characters.
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12	* '''Terry Angus:''' Mostly known for performing Storyteller Fraggle and other characters on ''Fraggle Rock''. Outside the Muppets, he created the popular but short-lived ''Blizzard Island'' for Creator/{{CBC}} Television. His specialty is building puppets.
13	* '''Pam Arciero:''' Joining in 1982, her best-known role is Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend Grundgetta, whom she took over from Brian Muehl. Outside the Muppets, she also performed opposite Muehl on ''Series/EureekasCastle''.
14	* '''Billy Barkhurst:''' He performed Ernie on ''Sesame Street'' from 2014 to 2017.
15	* '''Jennifer Barnhart''' : Joining in 2001, she is best known for her work on ''Sesame Street'', being the current performer of Gladys the Cow since 2003, as well as taking over Mama Bear around the same time. She also took over the role of Zoe following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside of the Muppets, she's best known for portraying Cleo on ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.
16	* '''Bill Barretta:''' A performer since 1991, he is known for inheriting some of Jim Henson's deeper-voiced characters, like Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef and Mahna Mahna, as well as performing the body of Earl Sinclair on ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'' and originating the roles of Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, Clueless Morgan, Elmo's father Louie and others. He has also been a writer, director, producer and puppet captain for numerous Muppet projects. Outside the Muppets, Barretta voiced Jackie the Jackal and other minor characters on ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''.
17	* '''Cheryl Blaylock:''' Perhaps best known for a non-Muppet puppetry role - the title character on ''Series/EureekasCastle'' - she performed a number of minor characters on ''Sesame Street'' (most notably Mona Monster, which she also built) and other Muppet productions.
18	* '''Camille Bonora:''' With a background in comedy improv, she was hired in 1985 despite no puppetry experience, but was mentored by Richard Hunt and quickly became a ''Sesame Street'' regular, doing fill-in work, taking over as Clementine (Forgetful Jones' girlfriend), originating the role of Mama Bear, and creating the characters Meryl Sheep and Ruby Monster. She also did a fair amount of work on ''Series/TheJimHensonHour'' and various other projects, and helped recruit Joey Mazzarino to the Muppets. She left the Muppets in 1997 and became an active religious publisher and philanthropist under her married name Camille Kampouris.
19	* '''Fran Brill:''' The first female Muppet performer (after Jane Henson), she joined the troupe in 1970, working primarily on ''Sesame Street''. Her two most famous characters are Prairie Dawn[[note]]Whose name was inspired by Brill seeing a head shot of an actress with the first name Prairie in an agent's office[[/note]] and Zoe[[note]]a character created specifically for Brill, who was actually going to be named [[TheDanza Frannie]] before Brill decided against it, with Zoe being Brill's StealthPun ShoutOut to ''Literature/FrannyAndZooey''[[/note]], whom she played until her retirement in 2014. Beyond that she did numerous one-off characters and small roles. Outside the Muppets, she worked as a voice actress on shows like ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'', and had a steady string of live action TV and film roles (including ''Film/BeingThere'' and the Frank Oz-directed ''Film/WhatAboutBob'').
20	* '''Creator/JulianneBuescher:''' She has performed various background Muppets over the years, including Yolanda Rat, Denise Pig, and Beverly Plume. She is also a voice actress for various non-Henson productions, including being the first English dub voice of Anko Mitarashi in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''.
21	* '''Tyler Bunch:''' Joining in 1993, he got his first big break performing Treelo, Pop and Doc Hogg on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse''. He has performed various minor characters with the Muppets and on ''Sesame Street'', most notably Elmo's father Louie, who he inherited from Bill Barretta. He is also a voice actor for various non-Henson productions under the pseudonym of H.D. Quinn, including a number of Incineroars in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeriesSunAndMoon'' and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
22	* '''Leslie Carrara-Rudolph:''' Joining in 1996, she began her career with the Muppets performing Spamela Hamderson and others on ''Series/MuppetsTonight''. She joined ''Sesame Street'' during its 37th season, becoming best known for performing Abby Cadabby and Tango. She also currently portrays Penny on ''Series/TheMuppetsMayhem''. She is married to ''Muppets Tonight'' and ''Sesame Street'' music coordinator Paul Rudolph.
23	* '''Kevin Clash:''' Joining in the late 1970s, he is best known for playing characters such as Clifford, Polly Lobster, Baby Sinclair, Howard Handupme, Hoots the Owl, Baby Natasha, Kingston Livingston III, Wolfgang the Seal, Benny Rabbit, Dr. Nobel Price and, most famously, Elmo. In addition, he worked as a director, producer and puppet captain for ''Sesame Street'' until 2012, when he resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct. He still works as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company on other projects, including performing Lyle and Mr. Bumblypants in ''Film/TheHappytimeMurders'', [=skekVar=] the General, [=skekMal=] the Hunter and Aughra in ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'', and Uncle Traveling Matt in some episodes of ''Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock'' (voiced by Dave Goelz). The documentary film ''Film/BeingElmoAPuppeteersJourney'' is about his life and his most famous character.
24	* '''Frankie Cordero:''' Joining in 2000, he is best known for performing Abby Cadabby's stepbrother Rudy on ''Sesame Street''. He also voiced Wembley Fraggle in ''Fraggle Rock: Rock On!''. Outside of the Muppets, Frankie plays Purple Panda on ''Series/DonkeyHodie''.
25	* '''Stephanie D'Abruzzo:''' Working for ''Sesame Street'' since 1993, she has performed Curly Bear, Elizabeth, Lulu and others, as well as taking over the role of Prairie Dawn following Fran Brill's retirement. Outside the Muppets, she played Lady Richington on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'', Kessie on ''Series/TheBookOfPooh'', 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, and Duck Duck, Harriett Elizabeth Cow and Mama Panda in ''Series/DonkeyHodie''.
26	* '''Ryan Dillon:''' He began performing on ''Sesame Street'' in 2005 as he was leaving high school and is the current performer of Elmo since 2013.
27	* '''Alice Dinnean:''' She began performing with The Jim Henson Company in 1993 and has since performed various characters in ''Franchise/TheMuppets'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', ''Film/TheHappytimeMurders'' and others.
28	* '''Michael Earl:''' Sometimes credited as Mike Davis (Michael Earl Davis was his full name), he joined at age 19 in 1978 to work on ''The Muppet Movie'' as a utility performer to operate various characters in scenes where an extra set of hands was needed. After that he largely worked on ''Sesame Street'', most notably taking over the front half of Snuffleupagus from Jerry Nelson, and originating Forgetful Jones. Earl stayed on contract until 1981, then freelanced on Muppet projects for the next decade, with Martin P. Robinson essentially filling Earl's slot when he was hired (Robinson even took over several of Earl's characters). Outside of the Muppets, Earl did stage work, worked at Creator/SidAndMartyKrofftProductions and was a major contributor to ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. He died in 2015.
29	* '''Artie Esposito:''' Largely only known for briefly being an [[NeverLiveItDown understudy for Kermit the Frog]], performing as him on a few occasions in the late 2000s. [[invoked]]
30	* '''Faz Fazakas:''' A mainstay of the Muppets from the early 1970s through the early '90s, and reportedly both the namesake for Fozzie Bear and the inspiration for Doc on ''Series/FraggleRock'', Franz "Faz" Fazakas worked as a puppeteer on some of the ''Tales from Muppetland'' specials, but is best known for being the Henson organization's resident special effects wizard and mechanical design maven, allowing the puppets to display a wider range of movements and expressions through radio and cable controls. This brought to life characters such as Rizzo and his fellow rats and the Doozers, and won him a Scientific and Engineering Academy Award (shared with Brian Henson and others). Faz died at age 95 in 2013.
31	* '''Aymee Garcia:''' She took over the roles of Marjory the Trash Heap and Ma Gorg (face and voice), among others, for ''Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock''. Outside the Muppets, she has worked with John Tartaglia on various other projects including ''Theatre/ShrekTheMusical'' and ''WesternAnimation/SplashAndBubbles''.
32	* '''Dave Goelz:''' Originally an industrial designer, Goelz joined the Henson organization in 1973 as a puppet builder before becoming a performer, originating characters like Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot, Beauregard, Boober Fraggle, Uncle Traveling Matt, Philo, Rugby Tiger, Stinky the Skunk and others. He also inherited Waldorf after Jim Henson's death. He is the longest-lasting original Muppet performer, still working with the franchise to date after all the others have left or passed away, although his roles in the 2020s reboots of ''Fraggle Rock'' have been voice-only with the puppeteering handled by others. Outside the Muppets, he voiced Subconscious Guard Frank in ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut'' and is the current voice of Figment in Epcot's [[Ride/JourneyIntoImagination Journey Into Imagination with Figment]] attraction. As a child actor, he had a brief appearance in ''Film/{{The Parent Trap\|1961}}'' in 1961.
33	* '''Louise Gold:''' Known for her singing voice, Gold was hired from England to work on ''The Muppet Show'' from its second season onward. She is best known for performing Annie Sue Pig, a role she reprised in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted''. More recently, she has performed Funella Furchester in ''Series/TheFurchesterHotel'' and she was the only Skeksis performer of ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' to return for ''[[Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance Age of Resistance]]'' (as [=skekAyuk=] the Gourmand). Gold is also notable for being one of the few muppeteers to be left-handed, so her characters are usually right-handed while most Muppets are lefties (because their performers are right-handed).
34	* '''Stacey Gordon:''' She performs Julia, the very first autistic Muppet, on ''Sesame Street''.
35	* '''Tim Gosley:''' The Victoria, BC native performed several minor characters on ''Fraggle Rock'', including Brool the Minstrel, and then scored a major role with Basil the Bear on ''Canadian Sesame Street/Sesame Park''.
36	* '''Brian Henson:''' Jim's son and the current chairman of The Jim Henson Company. One of his first assignments was working on the complicated bicycle scene from ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'' and then went on to direct ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'', ''Film/MuppetTreasureIsland'' and ''Film/TheHappytimeMurders'', as well as episodes of ''Series/{{Dinosaurs}}'', ''Series/MuppetsTonight'' and ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. He also performed Series/TheStoryteller's dog as well as Sal Minella, Dr. Phil van Neuter, Seymour and others. He also played Scooter and Janice from 2002 to 2003.
37	* '''Jane Nebel Henson:''' She met Jim Henson while attending the University of Maryland and became his partner on ''Series/SamAndFriends'' and other projects, the two eventually marrying in 1959. She stopped performing regularly in 1961 to focus on raising their growing family. She succumbed to cancer in 2013 at the age of 78.
38	* '''Creator/JimHenson:''' The creator of the Muppets, he was known for playing Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef, [[JustForFun/StatlerAndWaldorf Waldorf]], Link Hogthrob, the Newsman, Mahna Mahna, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Cantus the Minstrel, Convincing John and many others. He passed away on May 16th, 1990 at the age of 53.
39	* '''John Henson:''' Jim's other son. He performed Sweetums from 1991 to 2005. He died of a heart attack in 2014 at the age of 48.
40	* '''Richard Hunt:''' A PromotedFanboy who was hired to join the Muppets right out of high school in 1970, after building and performing his own puppets for children's birthday parties, he became a mainstay of the troupe, performing much-loved characters like Scooter, Janice, Beaker (his personal favorite), Statler, Sweetums, Wayne, Gladys the Cow, Don Music, Placido Flamingo, Sully, Sonny Friendly, Forgetful Jones, Junior Gorg, Gunge and many others. By TheEighties he would become the Muppets' main talent scout, and the "puppet captain" on ''Sesame Street'', which made him the mentor for the newer generation of performers who joined in that era. His death from AIDS in 1992 at the age of 40 was a big blow to the organization just as it was recovering from the loss of Jim Henson; some of his characters have never been recast, while others took a long time to find new performers. On two occasions - Scooter in ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and Richard's half of the Two-Headed Monster in a ''Sesame Street'' PC game - the replacement performer [[ItRunsInTheFamily was Richard's own brother, Adam]] [[labelnote:*]]who'd previously been one the dozens of puppeteers in the final scene of ''The Muppet Movie''[[/labelnote]]. Outside the Muppets he had small acting roles in ''Film/TradingPlaces'' and ''Oxford Blues'' (the latter as a result of his OddFriendship with the film's star Creator/RobLowe). He's the subject of ''Funny Boy'', a 2024 biography by Jessica Max Stein that details his fascinating life spent at the intersection of LifeOfTheParty and SadClown, with unexpected cameos by the likes of Music/BobDylan and Music/TheSexPistols, among others.[[note]]Before he started working with the Muppets full-time, Hunt took his puppets to Dylan's Greenwich Village flat to be the entertainment at young [[Music/TheWallflowers Jakob Dylan's]] birthday party, while he had a rather awkward chance meeting with the Pistols when he first went to London to work on ''The Muppet Show'', with neither party knowing what exactly to make of one another.[[/note]]
41	* '''Eric Jacobson:''' Joining in 1994, he is known for inheriting many of Frank Oz's roles, including Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Marvin Suggs, Bert and Grover. He has also taken over some of Jim Henson's characters such as Guy Smiley and the Newsman. He also became Carroll Spinney's understudy for Oscar the Grouch in 2015, officially inheriting that role following Spinney's retirement in 2018.
42	* '''Haley Jenkins:''' Plays Karli on ''Series/SesameStreet'', mainly in resource videos. Outside of ''Sesame Street'', she plays the titular character of ''Donkey Hodie''.
43	* '''Jerry Juhl:''' Best known for being Jim Henson's top writer, he joined in 1961, becoming the first employee of Muppets, Inc. when he was hired to replace Jane Henson on ''Series/SamAndFriends'', regularly performing until the early 1970s. The character he is most famous for performing is Taminella Grinderfall in ''Tales of the Tinkerdee'' and ''[[Film/TalesFromMuppetlandTheFrogPrince The Frog Prince]]''. He also served as creative producer and head writer on ''Fraggle Rock''. He succumbed to cancer in 2005 at the age of 67.
44	* '''Donna Kimball:''' She inherited the roles of Mokey Fraggle and Cotterpin Doozer from Kathryn Mullen, and voiced Aughra in ''Series/TheDarkCrystalAgeOfResistance'' (puppeteered by Kevin Clash). Her non-Henson credits include ''Series/GregTheBunny'', ''Series/SigmundAndTheSeaMonsters'', and ''Series/CrankYankers'' among others.
45	* '''Peter Linz:''' Joining in 1991, he started out performing background characters on ''Sesame Street'' before taking on major roles like Tutter and Pip on ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', Walter, Joe the Legal Weasel and others. Since 2017, he has been the performer of Ernie, Herry Monster, Statler, Robin the Frog, Link Hogthrob and Lips. Outside the Muppets, he performed Theo Lion on ''Series/BetweenTheLions'', Polka Dots on ''Series/BluesRoom'' and Clyde the Cloud on ''Donkey Hodie''.
46	* '''Jordan Lockhart:''' Known primarily as the title character in the Jim Henson Company's ''Hi Opie!'' and ''Opie's Home'', the Ottawa native performs Wembley Fraggle (taking over from Frankie Cordero, who was unable to participate due to his work on ''Donkey Hodie'') and Murray the Troubador (both characters originated by Steve Whitmire) in ''Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock''.
47	* '''John Lovelady:''' Starting in 1970, he worked on-and-off on various Muppet projects for the next decade, as a performer and a puppet designer. He helped out on ''Series/SesameStreet'' (often filling in when Jerry Nelson wasn't available) and was a cast member for season 1 of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', originating the role of Crazy Harry. He later worked on other puppet-heavy shows like ''Series/TheGreatSpaceCoaster'' and ''Series/DCFollies''. Trivia note: Lovelady attended the same Mississippi elementary school as Jim Henson (but Lovelady was five years older, so they didn't know each other).
48	* '''Drew Massey:''' Originally a background puppeteer, he became a main performer for the webseries ''From the Balcony'', where he performed Statler, Pepe the King Prawn, Animal, Sam the Eagle and many others.
49	* '''Joey Mazzarino:''' Joining in 1989, he performed primarily on ''Sesame Street'', where he played Murray Monster, Colambo, Joey Monkey, Papa Bear, Stinky the Stinkweed and Horatio the Elephant, among others. He also served as a writer and director on ''Sesame Street'', as well as co-writing the screenplays for ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and ''Film/TheAdventuresOfElmoInGrouchland''. He resigned from ''Sesame Street'' in 2015. Outside the Muppets, he was a voice actor on ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'' and played Sprinkles, Roary, and Boogie Woogie on ''Series/BluesRoom''. He would later go on to play Game Show Gator, among others in ''Series/DonkeyHodie''.
50	* '''Creator/FrankMeschkuleit:''' Also known as a mime, voice actor and comedian, the multi-talented Toronto native took over from Rob Mills as the body of Junior Gorg during the final season of ''Fraggle Rock'', and puppeteers Boober Fraggle and occasionally Traveling Matt (both still voiced by Dave Goelz) in the [[Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock 2022 reboot]] in addition to serving as puppet co-captain. He also performed in ''Film/SesameStreetPresentsFollowThatBird'' and in the Canadian ''Sesame Street'' special ''Basil Hears a Noise''. His non-Muppet credits include ''WesternAnimation/ToopyAndBinoo'' (as Toopy), ''Series/IrisTheHappyProfessor'', ''Series/TheNoddyShop'', and ''Series/DontEatTheNeighbours''.
51	* '''Rob Mills:''' In addition to performing Mokey Fraggle's pet plant Lanford and other minor characters on ''Fraggle Rock'', he performed the bodily movements for Junior Gorg. He went on to perform Dodi on ''Canadian Sesame Street/Sesame Park'', but is probably best known for a non-Muppet role: Wuzzy on ''Series/TheBigComfyCouch''.
52	* '''Brian Muehl[=/=]Meehl'''[[note]]Muehl is his birth name, but he's since changed the spelling to Meehl to better match its pronunciation[[/note]]: Originally trained as a mime, he joined in 1979 and focused most of his work on ''Series/SesameStreet'', performing Telly Monster, Grundgetta, Dr. Nobel Price and others, as well as being the first full-time performer of Elmo. Burned out with performing, he left in 1984 to focus on writing, but has made a few occasional return appearances in Muppet productions and worked with several other ''Sesame'' alumni (including Pam Arciero, who had taken over the role of Grundgetta after his departure) in ''Series/EureekasCastle''. More recently, Meehl has gained notice writing YoungAdultLiterature.
53	* '''Kathryn Mullen:''' Joining in 1978, she was originally hired for ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' and performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' and ''Sesame Street'' before becoming known for performing Mokey Fraggle and Cotterpin Doozer on ''Fraggle Rock''. She also operated Kira in ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'' and assisted Frank Oz with Yoda in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Outside the Muppets, she played Allegra on ''Series/AllegrasWindow''. After having played Leona Lion in the first two seasons of ''Series/BetweenTheLions'', which she co-created with her husband Michael Frith (Jim's former head designer), [[ReclusiveArtist she has hardly, if ever, done any puppeteering and not much has been said of her]].
54	* '''Jerry Nelson:''' A member of the Muppet team starting in 1965, after stints as an onscreen actor and a member of Bil Baird's Marionettes (the most famous pre-Muppet puppet troupe), Nelson worked on-and-off with the Muppets before joining the Henson organization full-time in 1970. Known for his [[ManOfAThousandVoices vocal range]] and for his musical talent, Nelson performed more characters than any other Muppet performer, including Count von Count, Herry Monster, Mr. Johnson, The Amazing Mumford, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Frazzle, Sherlock Hemlock, Simon Soundman, Farley, Biff, Sam the Robot, Little Jerry, Herbert Birdsfoot, Poco Loco, Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Robin the Frog, Uncle Deadly, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Louis Kazagger, Slim Wilson, Pops, Thog, Statler, Gobo Fraggle, Pa Gorg, Marjory the Trash Heap, Architect Doozer, Featherstone, T.R. the Rooster, Emmett Otter, Blind Pew, Mad Monty, the Ghost of Christmas Present and many others. He made a number of live-action appearances on ''Sesame Street'' and other Henson works, even appearing alongside his daughter, Christine, in ''Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper'', before she sadly succumbed to cystic fibrosis at age 22. Outside the Muppets, he acted on TV series such as ''Naked City'' and ''The Defenders'' and in Jim Henson's experimental TV special ''The Cube'', voiced General Public in ''WesternAnimation/SheepInTheBigCity'', and, as a singer, released occasional recordings of his own, including an album, ''Truro Daydreams'', in 2009. Though he retired from puppeteering in 2004 due to poor health, he continued to lend his voice to ''Sesame Street'' and other Muppet projects until he died in 2012 at the age of 78.
55	* '''Carmen Osbahr:''' A Mexico City native, she emigrated to the United States and joined the Muppets in 1989, debuting her best-known character, the bilingual, Mexican-born Rosita on ''Sesame Street'', two years later. Other credits include ''Series/BearInTheBigBlueHouse'', ''Series/JohnnyAndTheSprites'' and ''Series/BetweenTheLions''.
56	* '''Creator/FrankOz:''' An associate of Jim Henson since 1963 and the son of [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Holocaust]] refugees, he is known for originating the roles of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Marvin Suggs, George the Janitor, Bert, Grover, Cookie Monster, Harvey Kneeslapper, Lefty the Salesman, Professor Hastings and many others. He retired from regular puppeteering duties around 2000 to focus on his career as a movie director, with credits including ''Film/LittleShopOfHorrors'' and ''Film/DirtyRottenScoundrels''. Outside of the Muppets, he is known for performing and voicing Yoda in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise and for voicing Fungus in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' and Subconscious Guard Dave in ''WesternAnimation/InsideOut''.
57	* '''Eren Ozker:''' The only regular female performer during the first season of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', she played most of the female characters, including Hilda, Janice and Wanda. She left after that season, but did some occasional Muppet work afterwards, along with a busy stage acting career and other puppeteering work. She was instrumental in creating the Puppeteers Committee of SAG-AFTRA, giving them an equal voice in the guild. Ozker succumbed to cancer in 1993 at the age of 44.
58	* '''Pier Paquette:''' Himself French-Canadian, he performed the bilingual otter Louis on ''Canadian Sesame Street'' and ''Sesame Park''. Non-Muppet credits include ''Series/IrisTheHappyProfessor'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Caillou}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTeddyRuxpin''.
59	* '''Karen Prell:''' Joining in 1979, she initially performed minor characters on ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'' before becoming best known for playing Red Fraggle on ''Fraggle Rock'', a role she is still performing four decades later. She is also an illustrator and CG animator, working first for Creator/{{Pixar}} on ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' and ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' and more recently for Creator/{{Valve\|Corporation}} on ''VideoGame/{{Portal 2}}'' and ''VideoGame/HalfLifeAlyx''. She has done illustrations for several Muppet publications as well.
60	* '''Martin P. Robinson:''' Joining in 1981, he is mainly associated with ''Sesame Street'', where he is known for playing Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Slimey and others. He also played Literature/TheCatInTheHat in the second season of ''Series/TheWubbulousWorldOfDrSeuss''. Outside the Muppets, he was a puppeteer on the original run of ''Series/SpittingImage'' and performed the live-action Optimus Prime (still voiced by Creator/PeterCullen) in the Tommy Kennedy segments of reruns of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers''.
61	* '''Matt Robinson:''' Best known for playing human character Gordon in the first three seasons of ''Sesame Street'', Matt created and voiced the character Roosevelt Franklin. He died in 2002 at the age of 65.
62	* '''David Rudman:''' Joining in 1981, he is largely associated with ''Sesame Street'', where he has performed Baby Bear, Chicago the Lion, Davey Monkey, Humphrey and others as well as being the current performer of Cookie Monster since 2001. He has also inherited many of Richard Hunt's characters, including Scooter, Janice, Beaker, Wayne, Sully and Sonny Friendly. He, along with his brother Adam, co-created various preschool shows, including ''Series/JacksBigMusicShow'', ''Bunnytown'', ''WesternAnimation/NatureCat'' and ''Series/DonkeyHodie''.
63	* '''Creator/CarollSpinney:''' Joining in 1969, he played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street'' almost exclusively since the very first episode. In 2018, shortly after filming wrapped up on the show's 50th season, Spinney announced his retirement. He passed away from dystonia on December 8, 2019 at the age of 85. He penned a memoir, ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)'', in 2003, and is the subject of the documentary film ''Film/IAmBigBird''.
64	* '''Bob Stutt:''' After performing supporting characters on ''Fraggle Rock'' such as Wander [=McMooch=] and Felix the Fearless, he took over the role of Basil on ''Sesame Park'' from fellow ''Fraggle'' alumnus Tim Gosley in 1996. He also performed in ''Film/FollowThatBird'' and ''The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show''. Outside the Muppets, he is known for performing Iggy Iguana in ''Series/UnderTheUmbrellaTree''.
65	* '''John Tartaglia:''' Like Richard Hunt before him, Tartaglia is a PromotedFanboy, becoming a performer on ''Sesame Street'' at age 16, and taking over the role of Ernie from Steve Whitmire for the second season of ''Play with Me Sesame''. A lifelong ''Fraggle Rock'' fan, he has performed Gobo since 2013 (taking over from the late Jerry Nelson) and helped develop the 2020s reboot series for Creator/AppleTVPlus, ''Rock On!'' and ''[[Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock Back to the Rock]]''. For the latter, he added several additional characters to his resume, including Sprocket, Gunge, and Architect Doozer. Outside the Henson organization, he is a Tony Award nominee for ''Theatre/AvenueQ'', in which he originated the roles of Princeton and Rod, and also created ''Series/JohnnyAndTheSprites'' for Creator/DisneyChannel and ''Splash and Bubbles'' for Creator/{{PBS}} Kids.
66	* '''Matt Vogel:''' Joining in 1994, he is known for inheriting many roles originated by Jerry Nelson, including Count von Count, Mr. Johnson, Biff, Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Robin the Frog, Crazy Harry, Uncle Deadly, Lew Zealand, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Pops and others. He also played 80s Robot in [[Film/TheMuppets2011 the 2011 Muppets film]], Constantine in ''Film/MuppetsMostWanted'' and has performed Sweetums since 2009. On ''Sesame Street'', Matt also works as a writer, director and puppet captain, as well as being Caroll Spinney's understudy and eventual successor for Big Bird. In 2017, he took over the role of Kermit the Frog following Steve Whitmire's ousting. Outside the Muppets, he played Wilkins in ''Film/AliceThroughTheLookingGlass''.
67	* '''Steve Whitmire:''' Joining in 1978, he initially performed background characters on ''The Muppet Show'' before rising to perform major roles like Rizzo the Rat, Foo Foo, Lips, Bean Bunny, Waldo C. Graphic, Wembley Fraggle, Sprocket, Murray the Minstrel, Jake the Polar Bear and others. After Jim Henson's death, Steve took over several of his roles, including Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Link Hogthrob and the Newsman, and also took over Beaker and Statler after Richard Hunt's death and Jerry Nelson's retirement respectively. Whitmire is also an accomplished musician and composed some music for the ''Fraggle Rock'' holiday episode. He was let go from the Muppets in 2016 due to various issues, but continues to perform as a puppeteer with his own original character, Weldon the I.T. Guy, and is active on social media.
68	* '''Victor Yerrid:''' Best-known for ''From the Balcony'', where he performed Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef, Sweetums and many others. Incidentally, he voiced Kermit in various ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketches.
69	* '''Bryant Young:''' A trained dancer who has performed the back end of Mr. Snuffleupagus on ''Sesame Street'' since 1979. He also works as a choreographer on the show.
70	----
71
72	!!The Muppet Performers and their works provide examples of:
73	* AuthorAvatar:
74	** Most Muppets are based on a personality trait or flaw of their performer. For example, Richard Hunt based Scooter on his young self. Floyd Pepper was something of this for Jerry Nelson as well.
75	** On a physical level, [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/The_Country_Trio The Country Trio]], who appeared on some variety and talk shows in TheSeventies, as well as singing some songs on ''The Muppet Show'', were caricatures of Henson, Oz and Nelson, and officially named Jim, Frank and Jerry. Nelson was Muppetized a second time as "Mr. Jerry" on a ''Sesame Street'' TV special in 2009 (although this time Jerry only voiced him, with David Stephens performing the puppet). Lips of the Electric Mayhem also bears a strong physical resemblance to Steve Whitmire circa 1980.
76	** Amusingly subverted with [[https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Dave_the_Human Dave the Human]] on ''The Animal Show'', who's a puppet version of Dave Goelz, but since Goelz was already in the scene playing Stinky, Bill Barretta played the role (though the home movie Dave shows ''is'' the real Goelz and his family).
77	* InsistentTerminology: Jim Henson reportedly disliked the term "Muppeteers," thinking it sounded gimmicky. Frank Oz hates it as well, and has been known to halt interviews to correct reporters who use the word.
78	-->'''Oz:''' ''[in a 2021 interview with "The Guardian"]'' That makes us sound like Santa's elves! "Performers" is fine.
79	* LargeHam: While Muppet productions are often a WorldOfHam, certain performers have specialized in playing loud, over-the-top characters (Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Kevin Clash).
80	* 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.
81	* PassingTheTorch: In cases when an older performer is in poor health or retiring, an effort is generally made to allow them to pick successors for their roles and let them gradually ease into them. Eric Jacobson has taken on most of Frank Oz's key roles, while Matt Vogel was selected personally to take over for Jerry Nelson and also understudied Big Bird with Carroll Spinney before fully inheriting that role. Averted in the cases of sudden deaths (Henson, Hunt), resignations (Clash, Mazzarino) and firings (Whitmire).
82	* ProductionPosse: A lot of Muppet productions centered on a core group of performers who worked together frequently in a variety of roles and almost functioned as a troupe within the Muppet organization. ''The Muppet Show'' had the so-called "Original Five" (Henson, Oz, Nelson, Hunt, Goelz), while ''Sesame Street'' toward the end of The80s had the tight core of Hunt, Clash, Robinson, Rudman and Bonora.
83	* ScullyBox: Fran Brill was much shorter than her male colleagues, so she wore huge-heeled platform boots in her performances.
84	* ThoseTwoActors: Over the years there have been several specific performer duos who worked together as a team, constantly performing paired-up characters across different projects because of their comedic chemistry and complementary performing styles. Jim Henson and Frank Oz (Ernie and Bert, Kermit and Fozzie, Kermit and Piggy) are the most legendary, but there was also Jerry Nelson and Richard Hunt (Biff and Sully, the Two-Headed Monster, Robin and Sweetums, Gobo and Junior Gorg), plus Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire (Gonzo and Rizzo, Boober and Wembley).

Context Creator / MuppetPerformers