All About Muppets

John Tartaglia is a puppeteer, actor, and filmmaker whose career has started on Sesame Street for a 25th anniversary special, before rejoining in Season 28. He performed background characters and assisted when he was only 18. As the years went by, John has continued to perform regularly on Sesame Street until 2004 but occasionally returns to work on different projects. Tartaglia has also performed Ernie on season 2 of Play with Me Sesame and various characters on Elmo's World and Elmo the Musical. Other Henson Company shows he performed on include The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, Animal Jam, and Splash and Bubbles (also wrote and directed). But his early children work soon led to Broadway fame starting with the musical Avenue Q. John Tartaglia served as one of the original performers on the adult musical in Broadway and Las Vegas. He has an incredible talent for performing in front of millions of people. His other shows have included Johnny and the Sprites (creator/actor/puppetee...

James Kroupa is a puppeteer, puppet builder, and writer who is known for working on several Muppet productions. He performed various one-time characters on Sesame Street from Seasons 15-36, though he was never credited on the show. James has also performed with the Muppets on The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Muppet Monsters (as Nicky Napoleon), and Muppets from Space, to name a few. I read that Kroupa also rebuilt characters for many projects like Wow, You're a Cartoonist. Perhaps his best show was on Bear in the Big Blue House where he played various characters such as Otto Otter and Jeremiah Tortoise. He also puppeteered on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. Outside of Sesame Street and Bear, James Kroupa is the co-owner of 3/Design Studios, a company known for building puppets and costumes for years. He built and performed puppets for Eureeka's Castle, Gullah Gullah Island, Between the Lions, and Johnny and the Sprites, to name a few. The company also made puppets for Wimz...

Vicki Kenderes-Eibner is a puppeteer and producer who is best known for performing on Bear in the Big Blue House. On that show, she performed exactly ten characters, including Ojo, Grandma Flutter, Lois, and Etta Otter. Vicki has also served as a producer for the "What Do You Think?" segments on the show and on their Sing Along Video. Kenderes-Eibner has also performed background characters on a Sesame Street policy trailer and on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. How come she didn't perform with the Muppets or on any other Sesame Street project? She could have become an even more famous puppeteer than she was. Outside of Bear, Vicki Kenderes-Eibner had puppeteered on The Book of Pooh, The Jewish Heritage Video series, Nickelodeon, and the Discovery Channel. I didn't know this, but I've read that she has been a long-time advocate of children's safety. She even has a puppet named Suzie in which she performed in many New Orleans shelters and the Children's ...

Pam Arciero is a puppeteer, voice actress, puppet designer, and director who is best known for playing the current Grundgetta on Sesame Street. She also performed various one-time characters and assisted her friends since 1984. Pam has also worked with the Muppets three times, on Little Muppet Monsters, The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, and A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa. Arciero even worked on the Henson Company show The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. I've read that she has directed lots of live shows at Sesame Place and at El Capitan Theater. Outside of Sesame Street, she performed on numerous shows like Eureeka's Castle, Allegra's Window, and Between the Lions (replacing Kathryn Mullen), to name a few. Pam Arciero also designed puppets on Blue's Room and directed on Oobi in addition to performing on them both. She got to work alongside puppeteers like Caroll Spinney, Brian Muehl, Martin P. Robinson, and Peter Linz, just to name a few. It seems to be that she is...

Nikki Tilroe was a puppeteer, suit performer, actress, and director who was known for performing in both the US and Canada. When she worked with the Henson Company, her most well known show was on Fraggle Rock where operated Fraggles in the background and performed two guest characters. Nikki had also performed on the special The Christmas Toy as a phone named Ding-a-Ling. Tilroe has even done the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird as one of the Board of Birds. Her last known Henson project was on an episode of The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. Outside of her work with Henson, she was known for Today's Special (as Mime Lady) while other shows include The Charlie Horse Music Pizza, Gerbert, Whirligig, and Funnybones. I read Nikki Tilroe was even one of the few puppeteers to operate Snuggle Bear in fabric softener commercials. I've also read that Muppet designer, Kermit Love, has been her professional partner. She has also served as a director for Frog Print Theater which she d...

Mike Quinn is a British puppeteer, puppet builder, animator, and filmmaker who performed in many Henson and Muppet productions. His very first work with the Muppets is on The Great Muppet Caper, assisting and doubling. For The Dark Crystal, Mike has built creatures and operated a Skeksis. Quinn's Henson Company shows include The Ghost of Faffner Hall, Mother Goose Stories, and The Secret Life of Toys. Outside of Henson and the Muppets, he served as an animator of Pixar movies and played Nien Nunb in the Star Wars franchise. He also created Ultimate Animates Productions with David Barclay in which he performed on The Slow Norris and The Great Bong (also director and producer). Mike Quinn also temporarily married Muppet performer Karen Prell from 1987-2004. I never knew he had a lot of talent within himself. He has also animated at Industrial Light and Magic where he animated in many films such as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. Mike is still performing with the Muppets today as se...

Gordon Robertson is a Canadian puppeteer who has performed on and off with the Muppets for many years. His most notable work with them was on Fraggle Rock as the body of Pa Gorg and various other characters on the series. Gordon has also performed with the Muppets on The Jim Henson Hour, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, The Muppets Wizard of Oz, and more. Robertson even performed on the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird and it's Canadian co-production Sesame Park. His Creature Shop work has placed him on TNMT II, The Neverending Story, and Cats & Dogs. Outside of his work with the Muppets, he performed with Shari Lewis on Lamb Chop's Play-Along and The Charlie Horse Music Pizza. Apart from her, Gordon Robertson did various other shows, his most notable ones were Zoboomafoo and Groundling Marsh. He got to work alongside many performers such as Robert Mills, Trish Leeper, Stephen Brathwaite, and Wende Welch, to name a few. Perhaps his best known characters were Zobo...

Robert Mills is a Canadian puppeteer, filmmaker, and the founder of three production companies who did various projects with the Muppets. His most notable show was Fraggle Rock as the body of Junior Gorg and various other characters. Robert has also performed with the Muppets on The Jim Henson Hour, The Christmas Toy, a Just for Laughs appearance, and more. Mills even worked on the Sesame Street film Follow That Bird and it's Canadian co-production Sesame Park (before Noreen Young took over his main character in 1996). His Creature Shop projects have placed him in Labyrinth, Dinosaurs (filling in for Steve Whitmire on certain episodes), and TMNT II. Outside of the Muppets, I've read that he founded Radical Sheep Productions, Hunky Dorey Entertainment, and Kids CBC. During his time at Radical Sheep Productions, Robert Mills wrote, produced, directed, and puppeteered on The Big Comfy Couch, Ruffus the Dog, Panda Bear Daycare, and more. His freelance projects have included Under ...

Trish Leeper is a Canadian puppeteer, suit performer and puppet maker whose most notable work with the Muppets is on Fraggle Rock. On the series, she performed the body of Ma Gorg and played other Fraggles and assisted the main characters. Trish has also performed on the Sesame Street Canadian co-production, Sesame Park as Katie and Barbara Plum. Leeper has also performed in Follow That Bird, The Jim Henson Hour, and Brats of the Lost Nebula, which was probably her last Henson one. Outside of Fraggle Rock, she has puppeteered on many shows like Groundling Marsh (replacing Wende Welch), Bookmice, and Mustard Pancakes (also building puppets), to name a few. She also designed and built puppets for Treehouse TV, Four Square, and other shows. I wonder what Trish Leeper is doing right now. I just wish that she would have built in the Muppet Workshop during her time with Fraggle Rock and Sesame Park. She was often paired with puppeteers like Robert Mills, Gordon Robertson, & Frank Meschk...

Carmen Osbahr is a Mexican-American puppeteer who is best known for performing both Rosita and Ovejita on Sesame Street, as well as other characters. I read that she wasn't planning to be a puppeteer in the beginning. I read that Carmen entered puppetry when she started working on television shows that features puppets in Mexico City. Osbahr has then been asked by Kermit Love to work on Sesame Street's Mexican co-production, Plaza Sesamo not only as a puppeteer, but also a trainer. From there, she met Jim Henson, visited the Sesame Street set in the mid-1980s, and became an official Muppet performer in 1989. She started doing minor characters in Season 22 before getting Rosita the following season. Carmen Osbahr has also occasionally worked with the Muppets in projects like The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, a Muppet Direct-to-Video, and a Mastercard commercial. Her Henson Company shows placed her on Bear in the Big Blue House (the voice of Ursa), Dog City, and CityKids. Outsid...

Eren Ozker was a Turkish-born puppeteer and stage actress whose best known work with the Muppets was on the 1st season of The Muppet Show. Her most notable characters were Hilda, Wanda, and did Janice which Fran Brill originally did (the role was soon passed on to Richard Hunt). Eren also played supporting characters on the special Emmett Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Ozker left the Muppets after assisting in The Muppet Movie, which I don't know why. She along with John Lovelady have worked with Muppets for a short time for they both puppeteered on only one season. Outside of the Muppets she puppeteered on Miss Peach of the Kelly School, The Warrior Ant, and Felix the Cat: The Movie, to name a few. I read that Eren Ozker founded the SAG/AFTRA puppeteers' caucus and served as the first chairwoman to fight for more vocal participation. I also read that she played Sud-Z-Lemon in series of commericials for Joy dishwashing liquid. For theater, she has toured within the National...

John Lovelady is a puppeteer and puppet builder who worked with the Muppets during the 1970's. His most notable work was performing in both pilots and season one of The Muppet Show. John remained as a puppet builder for the Muppets until The Muppet Movie. Lovelady also designed and built puppets on Sesame Street and occasionally puppeteered. Why did he leave the Muppets when he could become a famous Muppet performer? In addition to TV shows, he also designed, built, and performed Muppets in specials. Outside of the Muppets, John puppeteered on various shows like The Great Space Coaster, ALF, Dumbo's Circus, and Adventures in Wonderland. Lovelady has worked alongside other puppeteers like Eren Ozker, Lisa Buckley, and Paul Fusco (a non-Muppet performer). I don't really know where he is working right now. But whatever he's doing, I hope it will make him famous like all the other Muppet performers. I've read that he is married to Nancy McGeorge, who was a background p...

Martin P. Robinson is a puppeteer, puppet builder, and director who is best known for performing various characters on Sesame Street. His most notable characters are the current Telly, Slimey, and Mr. Snuffleupagus whom he inherited from Brian Muehl and Michael Earl. Martin has also performed with the Muppets various times as shown in The Muppets Take Manhattan, Little Muppet Monsters, and A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa, to name a few. Robinson also performed on Henson projects like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dog City, and The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (as a Season 1 guest and replacing Bruce Lanoil as The Cat in the Hat for Season 2). Outside of Sesame Street and Muppets, he puppeteered on Allegra's Window (also built puppets), Spitting Image, and an episode of Between the Lions. I heard that he formed his own puppet company alongside Tim Lagasse called Hairy Edge Productions which was responsible for the puppets for Oobi and Blue's Room, as well as the guest pupp...

Ryan Dillon is a puppeteer and puppet builder who is best known for being the current Elmo on Sesame Street after Kevin Clash resigned. He started out puppeteering on the series when he was only 17 years old, mainly assisting and playing many minor characters before 2013. Ryan also got some recurring characters for Kinect Sesame Street TV video games, Paul Ball and Cooper Monster. Dillon has even assisted the Muppets on their 2014 Late Night appearance, at the Hollywood Bowl in 2017, and at the O2 Arena in 2018. His only Henson Company show so far was Julie's Greenroom but I'm sure he'll do more soon. Outside of the Muppets and Sesame Street, he has mainly co-produced puppet web videos with Mark Gale under the name The DillonGale Idiots. Ryan Dillon also built and performed puppets for Ask Sylvia, Waverly Films, and John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean. I'll bet he feels like a star now that he is performing Elmo for television and live shows. For Sesame Street's 50th ...

Jane Henson was a puppeteer and the wife/widow of famous puppeteer Jim Henson. As a puppeteer, she was Jim Henson's first puppeteering partner. She puppeteered with Jim on the show Sam & Friends and they eventually married. Jane also served as a background/occasional puppeteer for both Sesame Street and the Muppets. I don't understand why Henson never supplied voices to her characters. The exception was in a Sesame Street song called "Women Can Be". I've read that her last known puppetry work was on the 3rd episode of The Muppet Show. She must have spent all her time taking care of her kids before Jim passed away. Ever since her husband's death, Jane Henson served as the founder of the Jim Henson Legacy and president of The Jane Henson Foundation. She also created a Nativity Story which featured other puppeteers even I don't know. Sadly Jane died in April 2013 and the film Muppets Most Wanted was dedicated to her and Jerry Nelson. I'll bet Henson...