Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey 2011 | Maturity rating: G | 1h 16m | Documentaries Whoopi Goldberg narrates Elmo creator Kevin Clash's remarkable journey from a working-class Baltimore neighborhood to Jim Henson's "Sesame Street." Starring: Kevin Clash,Whoopi Goldberg Watch all you want. Muppets Tackle Diversity, Come Under Fire for Racial Stereotypes: Muppets, they're just like usthey fight for equal-opportunity representation! (CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Sesame Street's beloved Elmo character, is taking a leave of absence from the popular kids' show after allegations surfaced that he had a. Clash worked in various productions with The Jim Henson Company and occasionally on other projects. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey: Directed by Constance Marks, Philip Shane. Like Jim Henson with 'Hi-ho, Kermit the frog here' or Fozzie saying, 'Wokka wokka' or Miss Piggy saying, 'Moi.' Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Kevin Clash has helped us achieve that mission for 28 years, and none of us, especially Kevin, want anything to divert our attention from our focus on serving as a leading educational organization. His life and career have been documented in the widely acclaimed 2014 film, I Am Big Bird. Elmo Death Fact Check, Birthday & Age | Dead or Kicking Baltimore Sun It's interesting. TMZ was at the White House Easter Egg Roll today where the new person doing the voice of Elmo was there to entertain the children . A clip of the puppet got passed around online, during which he loses his cool on Rocco, a . [9] John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, and Jim Martin have all been secondary performers for the character, providing movement for Elmo's arms and legs, particularly in green-screen shots. [57], Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series, "Tickled Red to Be Elmo in a Rainbow World", "Turtles Clean Up Their Act But Still Try the Patience", "Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash accused of relationship with boy, 16, taking leave from 'Sesame Street', "Kevin Clash shines in new documentary 'Being Elmo', "Melissa McCarthy on Getting R-Rated with Puppets in 'The Happytime Murders', "Netflix The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Review: The Muppets Meet 'Game of Thrones', "Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Quits Sesame Street", "Elmo Puppeteer Resigns After Fresh Allegation", "Voice of Elmo quits after underage sex lawsuit filed", "Kevin Clash: Elmo left behind on 'Sesame Street' as actor exits", "Ex-Elmo puppeteer says he's pleased that 3 NYC lawsuits against him were dismissed", "Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Cleared of Sex Abuse Charges", "Elmo Puppeteer Kevin Clash Cleared of Sexual Abuse Charges", "Final Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Elmo Puppeteer Dismissed", "Scandal-plagued Elmo puppeteer picks up Daytime Emmys", "Elmo actor resigns amid underage-sex allegations", "Commencement Ceremony Celebrates Washington & Jefferson College's Class of 2012", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_Clash&oldid=1148195270, Elmo, Baby Fats Domino, Benny Rabbit, Billy Idle, Chip Cat, Clementine, Hoots the Owl, Kingston Livingston III, Mario, Paul Pencil, Warren Wolf, Watson, Wolfgang the Seal, Natasha, Mel, Counting Crows Lead Singer, Additional Muppets, Luncheon Counter Monster, Franklin, Bob, additional Muppets, Be-Bop Bunny, Father Bunny, additional Muppets, P.J., Artie, Be-Bop Bunny, Luncheon Counter Monster, additional Muppets, Leon, Clifford, Bob, Blue-Green Extreme, Codzilla, Himself, additional Muppets, Elmo, Chip Cat, Watson the Dog and Warren Wolf, Baby Sinclair, Howard Handupme, Howlin' Jay, additional characters, Ace Yu (special), Eliot Shag (series), additional Muppets, Billy Bunny, Clifford, Bad Polly, Black Dog, Spa'am, additional Muppets, Fozzie Bear (puppetry only), Miss Piggy (puppetry only), Sam Eagle (puppetry only), Animal (puppetry only), Bad Polly, Black Dog, Spa'am, additional Muppets, Clifford, Mulch, Bad Polly, Carter, Craniac, Bart, Waldorf, Animal, additional Muppets, Elmo, Baby Natasha, Benny Rabbit, Wolfgang the Seal, Elmo, Pestie, Grouch Cab Driver, Grouch Jailer, Elmo, Hoots, Billy Bunny, Mel, Mouse King, Wolfgang the Seal, Aughra, Skeksis skekVar/The General, skekMal/The Hunter, The Gelfling Librarian, Gruenak #1, additional voices, He was the first recipient of the 'Miss Jean' Worthley Award for Service to Families and Children given by, On May 19, 2012, Clash was presented with an honorary degree from. Clash developed an interest in puppetry at an early age and, in his teen years, performed for local television children's shows in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. He joined the cast of Captain Kangaroo in the early 1980s and began performing on Sesame Street in 1984. In 2007, he was promoted to senior creative adviser for the Sesame Workshop. ", Twitter user @TheDillonOne took a screenshot from the video and captioned it: "But what if Elmo is just singing along to Elmo's favorite song? All four characters are in separate fantasies of J.D. what reptiles can live in a 5 gallon tank Pufnstuf. Elmo became a named and recurring character on Sesame Street (during the street storylines) sometime later that season, although he still appeared as a supporting character in segments in later episodes of the show at the time. However, it was Elmo who became his main character; once Clash assumed the part from previous puppeteers Brian Muehl and Richard Hunt, and placed his own imprint on the red monster. He was most often puppeteered by Kevin Clash, but since his resignation in late 2012, he has been puppeteered by Ryan Dillon. At six years old (in goldfish years), [1] she is a good friend to Elmo, who can understand what she's saying through her goldfish bowl. The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. "I grew up listening to Motown and watching commercials, so the live shows that I was doing [as a teenager], I really used all of that," he says. Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer known for puppeteering Elmo on Sesame Street from 1984 to 2012. ", Elmo and Clash, on the Sesame Street set in 2006. [44] Stephens later recanted his accusation, but two weeks later, another accuser, Cecil Singleton, accused Clash of sexually abusing him when he was 15 years old, and lawsuits were filed by attorney Jeffrey Herman against Clash. Kevin Clash on the set of The Happytime Murders. Bert's Osama Bin Laden Connection: Poor, Bert: When he's not skirting gay rumors, he's being labeled a terrorist. His company, Clash Puppets, created the sets for a 1986 video Wrinkles: In Need of Cuddles and the puppets for 1990s series The Puzzle Place; he was a puppeteer for both productions. He performed characters and worked behind the scenes on the sitcom Dinosaurs. Elmo -- Replaced By New Voice Actor (or Actress?) - TMZ Clash, 53, was accused by multiple men of sexually abusing them over 10 years ago when they were minors. The character's popularity led to his own segments on Sesame Street beginning with " Elmo's World ." Character background Elmo with his mom and dad. Caroll Spinney, Original Big Bird on Sesame Street, Dies And what we've found is that they really don't care about us, about the puppeteers. Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street, Learn how and when to remove this template message, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, "Sesame Street: Lupita Nyong'o Loves Her Skin", "Elmo wants to thank everyone who wished Elmo a happy birthday! Elmo was a puppeteer by Kevin Clash. He would also perform Eliot Shag on Dog City, various characters in Muppet Time interstitials. "[And then I'd say], 'Give Elmo a hug and let's sing,' " he says. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', Explosion derails train in Russian border region, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool. [39][40] He performed in several productions with Jim Henson Productions, including as the Muppet Clifford in The Jim Henson Hour (1989),[note 1] and performing the puppetry for Frank Oz's characters (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, and Animal) in Muppet Treasure Island (1996). "He is just a genuine young kid who loves playing and being with kids, and they know he is just honest. No doubt, traumatized fans were still googly-eyed from the whole debacle. saying "Elmo wants this" instead of "I want this"). Ex-Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash owes $100K to Citibank: lawsuit [54] Lawyers for the plaintiffs appealed the ruling, alleging that the psychological effects of the abuse were not fully realized until 2012. It's very hard for me, because I don't know what to say to them. [17][18][19], Captain Kangaroo was canceled in 1984 after 29 seasons, and Great Space Coaster ended, freeing up Clash to work on projects with Henson such as the film Labyrinth and Sesame Street. In high school, he was voted "Most Likely to be a Millionaire.". USA news headlines This article contains content provided by Twitter. Clash, 53, was accused by multiple men. ", He says parents are sometimes a bit mystified that their children are so taken with the character especially when their kids say "Elmo" before they say "Mom. [8][9][10] When he was 17, he contacted and met puppeteer Kermit Love, who became Clash's mentor, after seeing Love featured in an episode of the children's educational television series Call It Macaroni. "Elmo is a legacy character, so a lot of his characteristics are built in already. In a statement regarding Clash's departure, Sesame Workshop stated: "Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of Sesame Street to engage, educate and inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 years. Over the past 25 years, Clash has transformed Elmo into one of the most recognizable characters on Sesame Street. Voice of 'Elmo' Kevin Clash hit with new underage sex suit Sheldon Stephens, the first man to claim an underage sexual relationship with Sesame Street puppeteer Kevin Clash, filed a lawsuit.