All About Muppets

Todd Duffey is an actor, puppeteer, and voice actor who is perhaps known for acting in many television shows and films. His notable projects include Across Five Aprils, Office Space, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Todd also performed Scooter McNutty on Barney & Friends from 1997 to 2001. Duffey got to work alongside Brice Armstrong and Earl Fisher within the series, but, like Armstrong, he probably had difficulties performing a puppet as he had no experience. The puppets on Barney & Friends were built by 3/Design Studio and he was also trained by James Kroupa to perform a puppet. I bet he likes acting more than doing puppetry because he had to crouch or lie down to puppeteer. At least Todd Duffey had a chance to work with a Muppet performer before he went back to acting on television and film. So far he has only voice acted in two series, Astrid Strudelman: The Unicorn Whisperer and Prank Boy (as the title character). I don't know why the puppeteers on Barney & Friends d...

Brice Armstrong was a voice actor and puppeteer who was best known for dubbing English on various anime shows under FUNimation Entertainment. His most famous voiceover roles were in the Dragon Ball franchise as Captain Ginyu and others. Brice also dubbed for Fruits Basket, Case Closed, and Blue Gender to name a few. Armstrong also performed Miss Etta Kette on Barney & Friends from 1997 to 2001. That was his only puppeteer work as he seemed more interested in anime. The puppets on Barney and Friends were made by 3/Design Studio and he was trained by James Kroupa to perform a puppet, at least I think he was. Even though Brice Armstrong only did it for 4 years, he still got to meet a Muppet performer. At least he wasn't the only one with no experience on performing a puppet. Todd Duffey and Earl Fisher did puppet characters on Barney too, and I'll bet they weren't experienced either. Ever since 2009, he retired from voice acting and his former roles were recast. Things got...

Verenice Callejo is a Mexican puppeteer, actress, and singer who has performed on Plaza Sesamo since 2010 as the Muppet character Gaby. I wonder why she hasn't performed any occasional guest characters within the show besides that one young character. Maybe Verenice did not have enough confidence to perform minor others on Plaza Sesamo like she does outside of the show. Callejo got to perform with Rocio Lara, Alfonso Soto, and Eugenio Bartilotti to name a couple. Outside, she performs on stage in Mexico, such as a stage show in 1999 featuring comedian Mara Escalante and a 2015 production of La leyenda da la Llorona. I have read that Verenice Callejo also puppeteered on a satirical TVAzteca series entitled Hechos de Peluche as many characters. It would seem that she was written to perform various characters outside of Plaza Sesamo than on the series itself. From 1993 to 1994, she appeared within a telenovela El peñón del amaranto as Jovita. There's one thing about Verenice that...

Babita Kurdiya Rachoya is an Indian puppeteer and actress who does Mae, Baba the Sheep, and others on the Indian co-production of Sesame Street, Gali Gali Sim Sim. She got to puppeteer alongside many Indian puppeteers on the series like Sangya Ojha, Ghazal Javed, and more. Babita is assumed more well known on the show than outside of the show to be exact. Rachoya also has a Facebook account entitled Puppet pur which she posts herself performing puppets for many appearances across India. If only she was interviewed by a podcast in America, than maybe she could explain what other performances have included her. It might not happen yet, but someday a podcast like Puppet Tears might interview her and with help from a trainer like Martin P. Robinson, she'll be able share. I think Babita Kurdiya Rachoya is one of those Indian puppeteers who has what it takes to guest on the regular Sesame Street or maybe get lessons on how to speak English. I'll bet that she never worked with others ...

Odin Dupeyron is a Mexican puppeteer and director who has performed Pancho Contreras and Federico Pellini on the Mexican co-production of Sesame Street, Plaza Sesamo. Not only did he perform on the series since 1993, but he has also directed episodes. Odin did a great job as a performer and director on the show until his departure from the show for season 13. Luckily, Dupeyron was replaced by Alfonso Soto to keep Pancho going. Outside of Plaza Sesamo, he made appearances on Sabado Gigante and also puppeteered Furcio, a CGI puppet for Mexican TV bloopers show (although it would have been great if Furcio was a hand puppet which would be easier). It would seem that Odin Dupeyron has got the touch to be both an entertaining and educating puppeteer for people all across Mexico. Some other puppeteers he has worked with include Rocio Lara, Eugenio Bartilotti, Itzel Tapia, and many more. I wonder why he left Plaza Sesamo when season 13 began. Odin probably had much bigger dreams becoming a gre...

Todd Doldersum is a Canadian puppeteer, comedian, and builder who is yet another person who has not done any Henson Company projects but should. He is perhaps best known for working with The Grogs on various projects, most notably Nanalan, Mr. Meaty, and Big and Small. However, Todd puppeteered in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium which featured a cameo from Kermit the Frog, so technically, he did work with a Muppet. I think Doldersum would have been great for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock alongside other performers like Ali J. Eisner and Kira Hall. His latest projects have included The Studio K Show and most recently Gary's Magic Fort as both a puppeteer and set builder. Sometimes his puppet characters have a tough accent like on Mr. Meaty. Todd Doldersum seems to have performed in many genres of television; children and satire. I've read that he also wrote, directed, and edited a video short entitled Living with Lovecraft which I'm sure nobody knows about. He should mee...

Jamie Shannon is a puppeteer, showrunner, and puppet builder who is best known for creating over 900 hours of Broadcast Children's television. He also co-founded the puppet company The Grogs alongside his partner Jason Hopley. I read that Jamie got inspiration from Jim Henson to create his own troupe of puppets which ended up on their home Canadian channel YTV. Shannon created, ran, and performed on a variety of projects such as Nanalan, Mr. Meaty, Big and Small, and more (with Hopley). He has also brought to life over hundreds of unique characters for almost endless projects. It would seem that Jamie Shannon did admire Henson in his early days and if it wasn't for Henson's inspiration, he wouldn't have made several of those shows that ended up being popular today. Some of his puppet designing projects included Goosebumps, Duck for Mayor, and Odd Squad. In addition to Hopley, he worked alongside a bunch of puppeteers like Todd Doldersum, Ali J. Eisner, and Marty Stelnic...

Jason Hopley is a puppeteer, actor, filmmaker, and designer who only worked with the Creature Shop on Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow. I don't know why he has not performed in any other Henson Company stuff that were filmed in Canada where he lives. Jason was probably more comfortable outside as both a freelance performer and show runner for many years. At least Hopley got to work with three performers of the Muppets; Alice Dinnean, Robert Mills, and Gordon Robertson. Outside, he is perhaps best known for co-founding the puppet company, The Grogs, alongside his performing partner Jamie Shannon. The Grogs were responsible for making and performing in shows such as Nanalan, Mr. Meaty, and Big and Small, to name a few. Jason Hopley has also done freelance puppet work on shows like You & Me, The Doodlebops, and The Studio K Show. In addition to Shannon, he got to work alongside many Canadian puppeteers over the years of his job like Ali J. Eisner, Marty Stelnick, Kira Hall, Todd Dol...

Sabine Falkenberg is a German puppeteer and voice actress who performed Tiffy on Sesamstrasse until the character was retired in 2005. She also dubbed the voice of Elmo from 2000-2012 (she also voiced him in 1993). Sabine has inherited the role from two German puppeteers, Kerstin Siebmann-Roders and Marita Stolze, respectively and performed her for five years. I wonder why the character was dropped in 2005 because Falkenberg was doing a great job inheriting the role from Stolze. I'm going to assume that she was more interested in voice acting rather than in puppetry. Outside of Sesamstrasse, Sabine Falkenberg has lent her voice for several projects such as narrating German audio books and assorted film dubbing work like Lost. I've read that after her puppetry departure, she is increasingly active as an on-camera performer doing guest parts on many German TV shows (like Tatort). It would seem that her only puppetry work was on Sesamstrasse. I don't know why Sabine hasn't...