Leif Tilden

Leif Tilden is a puppeteer, suit performer, choreographer, and director who's performed suit roles for several Creature Shop projects. His first work with the Jim Henson Company was playing Donatello in the first two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. Tilden soon did the body of Robbie Sinclair and others on Dinosaurs and received credit (with Bill Barretta) for choreographing the dance sequence in an episode. The only time Leif actually performed a puppet was on Muppets Tonight where he was an additional Muppet performer for one episode. His last two Creature Shop projects was performing the title character for Buddy and a Gorilla for George of the Jungle. What's a coincidence is that those 2 films had him wearing gorilla suits. I wonder if Leif Tilden was happier at puppeteering or doing suit roles. Either way he still did a great job working with the Muppets on a project. His outside work has included gorilla portrayals in Born to Be Wild and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, the titular alien in The Invader, and the cyclops in MonkeyBone. He soon tried directing in 2001, with the short film BigLove (which he also wrote) and helming the films Reunion and 1 Mile to You. I've read that Leif shifted from performing to working as location manager in many films such as Eagle Eye, Without a Trace, House of Sand and Fog and Ugly, and many more. He was also location manager for the series Law & Order: LA. I don't know why Tilden switched from directing to becoming a location manager because being a director means you get to be the leader of television and film. I've also read that after he graduated from university, he performed on stage, mostly in minor productions a the one-act play Bikini Snow, before he met the Jim Henson Company. I wonder if he's ever considered trying Caroll Spinney's invention of operating a puppet from within a character costume. Maybe Leif will when he decides to work with the Creature Shop or the Muppets again. Leif Tilden, you're a very flexible man and an excellent location manager. I hope you keep working as director or location manager and keep thinking about how much you enjoyed working with the Creature Shop. Maybe think about returning to performing and join up with the Muppets again. Excellent directing/performing skills Leif Tilden!