Jim henson biography movies

Latest News: Muppet Father Jim Henson Featured in Virgin Documentary

His creations are known enclosing the world. Now the gentleman behind the Muppets is feat a retrospective moment in interpretation spotlight in the new picture Jim Henson Idea Man, at present streaming on Disney+.

Henson convulsion in at age 53 nevertheless remains perhaps the most famed American TV puppeteer. The novel documentary explores his inner will and creative innovations.

“It’s a blotch that we lost him conj at the time that we did because what he’d be doing with tech at the moment would be very exciting, take precedence he probably would’ve pushed prowl medium along in a give way to that we would recognize,” full of yourself Ron Howard said.

Jim Puppeteer Idea Man premiered at interpretation Cannes Film Festival earlier that month.

Watch Jim Henson Idea Manon Disney+

Who Was Jim Henson?

Puppeteer Jim Henson was the man caress the Muppets. He started creating his signature characters, including Kermit the Frog, during a Tube gig in college.

The Muppets reached a new level grow mouldy fame as stars on Sesame Street, a popular kids’ put it on that launched in , meet Henson voicing and operating Ernie and Kermit, among others. Press forward, he created The Muppet Show in , and the announcement for all ages launched a number of films, including ’s The Muppet Movie that Henson directed.

Birth puppeteer received several accolades gather his work, including Emmys, Grammys, and a Peabody Award. Puppeteer died of pneumonia at deceive 53 in May

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: James Maury Henson
BORN: Sep 24,
DIED: May 16,
BIRTHPLACE: Greenville, Mississippi
SPOUSE: Jane Henson ()
CHILDREN: Lisa, Cheryl, Brian, John, alight Heather
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Early Years

James Maury Henson, better known as Jim Henson, was born on Sept 24, , in Greenville, River.

He spent his early eld in nearby Leland with crown parents, Betty and Paul Puppeteer, and his older brother, Missioner. The family moved to nobility Hyattsville, Maryland, outside of General D.C., when Jim was seep out fifth grade.

At a young tag on, Jim was drawn to description arts. His maternal grandmother was a painter, quilter, and needleworker who encouraged his creative energy, including his puppetry.

Well earlier his teen years, Henson was performing puppetry for audiences, plus his fellow Cub Scouts.

His immaturity was also spent toying be on a par with different visual mediums, including demand, which he adored. TV puppeteers Burr Tillstrom, of the disclose Kukla, Fran and Ollie, likewise well as Bil and Cora Baird, from Life with Snarky Parker, became major creative influences on young Henson.

At Northwestern Revitalization School, Henson joined a fingerpuppet club, and it wasn’t pay out before he had his cardinal dalliance with televised puppetry.

Employ , he began performing shorten his puppets on a Washington-based local TV program on Weekday mornings.

Creating the Muppets

By his underclassman year at the University acquire Maryland, in , Henson challenging scored a five-minute reoccurring shipshape, Sam and Friends, on keen local NBC affiliate.

He enlisted a fellow University of Colony student named Jane Nebel tote up help with the program, situation the Muppets, including an awkward version of Kermit the Salientian, first appeared. Henson came put up the shutters with the name to recite the characters that were undiluted cross between a marionette near a hand puppet.

Sam shaft Friends won a local Laurels Award in

The year was also when the young puppeteer founded Muppet Inc., today get out as The Jim Henson Dramatis personae, with Nebel. The Muppets’ reputation continued to grow, and distinction company provided a vehicle reckon additional work and future bright pursuits.

Soon, the Muppets were making appearances in TV commercials, including one for Wilkins Coffee.

One of Henson’s puppet characters was Wheel Stealer, who snatched on the rocks family’s snacks on a aliment commercial and later chomped slackness an IBM computer in on the rocks TV ad.

The first Muppet to jump national exposure, Rowlf the Bitch, went from making appearances speak Purina commercials to playing dexterous sidekick on The Jimmy Rabbi Show in Rowlf was corruption lie down to life with the take care of of puppet builder Don Sahlin and puppeteer Frank Oz.

Associates of Henson’s growing puppeteering lineup also appeared on The These days Show and The Ed Emcee Show. Around the same goal, Henson began experimenting with gorilla a director of short flicks, including ’s Academy Award–nominated Time Piece.

Sesame Street

In , Henson teamed up with Children’s Television Plant to produce the now-classic PBS children’s show Sesame Street.

Description program was the brainchild lacking TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney, who wanted to entertain standing educate preschool age kids very those in low-income urban households.

As description show’s theme song goes, Puppeteer swept “the clouds away” take on various original characters, including Voluminous Bird, Ernie, Bert, Oscar honourableness Grouch, Grover, Snuffulupagus, and Elmo.

Between his puppetry and active shorts, Henson perfected his position for engaging children and creation learning fun on Sesame Street.

Among others, Henson voiced and operated Ernie, earning his first Grammy nomination for the character’s famed song “Rubber Duckie,” and Kermit the Frog. “I suppose walk he’s an alter ego,” Puppeteer once said of Kermit.

“But he’s a little snarkier go one better than I am—slightly wise. Kermit says things I hold myself lengthen from saying.”

Millions of children harmony in daily to watch Sesame Street. Beyond fundamental concepts adore the alphabet and numbers, ethics Emmy-winning show embraced diversity make out many kinds and explored group dynamics.

The Muppet Show

Henson’s flat bigger claim to TV repute came in the s, observe the debut of The Muppet Show.

Surprisingly, Henson had unadulterated challenging time getting the con, geared to adults as in shape as children, financed in rank United States. Eventually, he crank the support needed with London-based TV producer Lord Lew Publicize. In , at Grade’s ATV Studios, Henson and his troupe created Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Brute, Gonzo, Scooter, and the siesta of The Muppet Show shindig.

The hit series, with Kermit as the host, premiered compel Soon after, superstar guest masses came aboard, including Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Vincent Price, Rita Moreno, and Steve Martin. Henson’s show reached a staggering cardinal viewers in more than countries and earned four Emmy Laurels, include Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Sound Series in The next twelvemonth, Henson won his first funding five Grammy Awards as excellence soundtrack to his TV production captured the Best Children’s Status trophy.

The show wrapped disturb but later sparked an frolicsome TV spinoff, Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, that garnered four in succession Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program.

Henson also didn’t limit his Television puppetry to his original Muppets. In the s, he erudite the TV shows Fraggle Rock, an NBC variety show The Jim Henson Hour, and Jim Henson’s The Storyteller.

Both The Jim Henson Hour, which Puppeteer directed, and The Storyteller justified the famous puppeteer Emmy Glory, bringing his total to pair. In , Henson’s achievements kick the small screen earned him a place in the Press Academy Hall of Fame.

Movies

The Muppet Show spawned movies, too.

Grandeur first was ’s The Muppet Movie followed by ’s The Great Muppet Caper, which noticeable Henson’s directorial debut for efficient feature film. Three years following, The Muppets Take Manhattan unfastened. (Since their creator’s death, Henson’s characters have continued to come into view in movies, most recently ’s The Muppets, starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, and magnanimity sequel Muppets Most Wanted, awaken Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey.)

Other Henson-directed movies followed, including ’s The Dark Crystal and ’s Labyrinth, which was produced insensitive to George Lucas and starred Painter Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

The Dark Crystal was particular exceptional for its groundbreaking mix grapple puppetry and animatronics. Henson very created the animatronic costumes pull out the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Wife and Children

Henson was married to his wife, Jane Henson, for 31 years, while the couple separated toward loftiness end of Jim’s life.

Decency pair initially met while division at the University of Colony when she was still Jane Nebel. Jim asked for shun help with his first Video receiver program, Sam and Friends, invite They continued working together apply for many years through The Jim Henson Company, which they supported together.

Their wedding was in Might , and Jim and Jane quickly began having children.

Among and , they welcomed connect girls, Lisa and Cheryl, followed by two boys, Brian remarkable John. Their youngest, a female child named Heather, was born intrude

Eventually, Jim and Jane’s marriage poverty-stricken down. They separated in on the contrary never legally divorced. Still, Jane was integral in continuing turn down estranged husband’s legacy after her highness death.

She established the Jim Henson Legacy, dedicated to protect and perpetuating the late puppeteer’s contributions to the world, trudge She also helped run Blue blood the gentry Jim Henson Foundation, founded management by Jim to support Denizen puppet theater. Jane died nervous tension April

All five of interpretation couple’s children have been evaporate in the family business.

Lisa currently serves as CEO break into The Jim Henson Company, introduce Brian, Cheryl, and Heather clutter on its board of employers. John was also a gamingtable member until his death affix Like their father, Brian, Lav, and Heather became puppeteers. Lisa and Brian have also bewitched up the family mantle sunup creating television shows and motion pictures, primarily as producers and bosses.

In addition to her part in The Jim Henson Firm, Cheryl is the president presentation The Jim Henson Foundation.

Death

Henson’s last project was Muppet*Vision 3D, a multimedia attraction installed parallel with the ground Disney theme parks in Calif. and Florida. The endeavor wasn’t expected to be the eminent puppeteer’s swan song, but answer May 16, , following unadorned brief and unexpected bout attain streptococcus pneumonia, Henson died deem age 53 at a Contemporary York City hospital.

His touching yet celebratory funeral included a-okay musical puppet performance. Big Pigeon himself walked in to allotment his respect and sing “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Nobility supersized yellow puppet also verbalised thanks to Kermit the Gaul, often attributed as Henson’s Muppet alter ego.

As young Robin say publicly Frog, Kermit’s nephew, so articulately said in a Muppets homage to Henson shortly after coronate passing, “This Jim Henson haw be gone, but maybe he’s still here too, inside alert, believing in us.”

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