Kathleen Kim

Kathleen Kim is a puppeteer and producer who performs Ji-Young and Elena (Julia's mom), on Sesame Street. She attended a Sesame Workshop puppeteer workshop in 2014 and was hired the next year to be an assistant for Sesame Street, where she worked on since. Kathleen's first character was a yawning cat in a Season 48 episode. Kim got her Elena character in 2019 where she performed her in many resource videos. That same year she performed a Sheinelle Jones AM on a Today appearance honoring Sesame Street's 50th anniversary. Her other puppetry credits include Helpsters, All Hallow's Eve (a musical play by Martin P. Robinson), and on a biopic focusing on Mr. Fred Rogers known as A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Kathleen Kim must have been excited to be selected to perform Ji-Young who was first seen in the special See Us Coming Together, where she also served as consulting producer. Her recent outside work was on an episode of Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens as a cloaked figure. She should be proud to perform Ji-Young, the first Asian-American Muppet on Sesame Street, and I believe she will continue to do that for the near future. Kathleen was given her first on-screen credit during the show's 49th season, along with Haley Jenkins, Spencer Lott, and Tau Bennett. From being assistant puppeteer to be given a main character, Kim has definitely become a star. Perhaps she will influence other Asian puppeteers to be like her as kind, strong, and smart. That's the motto of Sesame Street. Kathleen Kim, Sesame Street has really made you into the person you are today. Keep performing Ji-Young and Elena on that show, because those two are your most well-known characters, as of now. You have also made history performing the 1st Asian-American Muppet on Sesame Street. That's a huge accomplishment to make Kathleen. Keep up the great work Kim!