Carroll Spinney, ‘Sesame Street’ puppeteer who brought Big Bird to life, dies

December 08, 2019

The famed creator and puppeteer of the beloved ‘Sesame Street’ characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Carroll Spinney, died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 85, Sesame Workshop said in a statement.

“Caroll was an artistic genius whose kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street from its earliest days in 1969 through five decades,” his colleagues said.

“His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to generations of children and countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while.”

Spinney’s death came after a long battle with the neural disorder dystonia.

The timing was bittersweet as Sesame Street celebrates its 50th birthday and prepares on Sunday to receive one of the US’ most prestigious arts awards at the Kennedy Center Honors. The show has already won 200 Emmys, several of which were won by Spinney personally.

At the time of his retirement, Spinney said that Big Bird had “opened my mind and nurtured my soul.”

Spinney was the subject of the critcally-acclaimed 2014 documentary “I am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story.”

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Kermit the Frog and Cookie Monster

A central character of “Sesame Street” and “The Muppet Show,” Kermit the Frog first appeared in 1955 in a local TV series, “Sam and Friends.” The creator of The Muppets, Jim Henson, performed the character himself until his death in 1990. As for Cookie Monster, he had also made his TV debut before “Sesame Street,” in a 1966 ad for crackers.

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Oscar the Grouch

The misanthropic character who lives in a trash can was originally orange when “Sesame Street” was launched in 1969. He was then permanently changed to green for the second season. In 1980, his girlfriend was introduced to the show: Grundgetta calls him Oskie.

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Bert and Ernie

The fun-loving Ernie (right) and rational, impatient Bert first appeared in the show’s test pilot. The two roommates have completely different characters, yet they stick together — like an old couple. Since they share the same bedroom, they were often speculated to be a gay couple. Even a writer of the show said he visualized them that way — but Sesame Workshop officially disputed the claim.

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Grover

Gathered around the piano are Ernie, Oscar, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover. A prototype version of the furry monster with a big nose had already appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on Christmas Eve in 1967, but was greenish-brown. While he was already in the first season of “Sesame Street,” he only obtained his name in 1970.

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Big Bird

At eight feet, two inches tall (249 cm) this is one huge canary. Oscar the Grouch’s neighbor first appeared on TV in episode one of the “Sesame Show,” 50 years ago, on November 10, 1969. In 2000, the US Library of Congress recognized Big Bird as a “Living Legend” for his contributions to American life. He’s shown here inaugurating New York City’s new Sesame Street in May 2019.

Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

Julia

Now in its 49th season, there are many more puppets in “Sesame Street.” Shown above is a character introduced in 2017. Julia is a yellow Muppet who represents a 4-year-old girl on the autistic spectrum. And even Donald Trump was parodied on the show — as Donald Grump.

Author: Elizabeth Grenier