Edited and Approved~Løki
Caroll Spinney, the big-hearted Muppeteer who climbed inside a claustrophobic feathered costume to play the beloved Sesame Street character Big Bird for almost a half-century, died Sunday, Sesame Workshop announced.
…
“Big Bird has always had the biggest heart on Sesame Street, and that’s Caroll’s gift to us,” Jeffrey Dunn, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop, told The New York Times in October 2018. “I think it’s fair to say that Caroll’s view of the world and how we should treat each other has shaped and defined our organization.”
The Henson family honored Spinney after his passing, describing his meeting with the Muppets creator as “a moment of creative destiny.”
In a statement, they wrote: “It was a moment of creative destiny when Caroll Spinney met Jim Henson. The gentle performer who would bring to life two of the most beloved residents of Sesame Street could perfectly convey the humor and heart in our father’s creations. Big Bird was childlike, without being childish. And Oscar the Grouch reflected universal feelings we all share, no matter our age. Those of us privileged to work alongside him and call him friend saw first-hand that he cared so deeply about what these characters represented and how they could truly create change. Caroll’s decades-long commitment to bettering the lives of children all around the world is his true legacy. That he could do this work so brilliantly, responsibly, and with such infectious love and joy, is his gift to us all.”
Survivors include his wife, Debra — they met in 1972 when she was working for Children’s Television Workshop — and his children Jessica, Benjamin and Melissa.
Knight of BAAWA
Article URL : https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/caroll-spinney-dead-big-bird-muppeteer-sesame-street-was-85-1171833