NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Kevin Clash

Kevin Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an accomplished puppeteer whose characters include Elmo, Clifford, and Hoots the Owl. He currently serves as Sesame Street Muppet Captain and co-executive producer. Image File history File links Performer. ... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate objectâ€”a puppetâ€” in real time to create the illusion of life. ... Elmo Elmo is a Muppet on the childrens television show Sesame Street. ... Clifford is a Muppet character performed by Kevin Clash. ... Hoots the Owl is a character on the childrens television program, Sesame Street, performed by Kevin Clash. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ...

In the fall of 2006, Kevin Clash released an autobiography titled My Life as a Furry Red Monster. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Life and career

Early years

Clash was born and raised in Turner's Station, a predominantly black suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. Image File history File links Kevin_Clash_in_The_News_American. ... Image File history File links Kevin_Clash_in_The_News_American. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area Ranked 42nd - Total 12,417 sq mi (32,160 kmÂ²) - Width 90 miles (145 km) - Length 249 miles (400 km) - % water 21 - Latitude 37Â°53N to 39Â°43N - Longitude 75Â°4W to 79Â°33...

Clash grew up with parents George and Gladys, older siblings George Jr. ("Georgie") and Anita ("NeNe"), and little sister Pam. His father works as a flash welder operator at Raymond Metals and a neighborhood handyman, and his mother ran a daycare.^[1]

Clash began building puppets at the age of ten. Clash's parents were supportive of his interest in puppetry, driving him to puppet shows, allowing for his love of television and craft, and not urging him to attend college when he announced he was pursuing puppetry professionally. Among his television viewing was Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop, Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, and H.R. Pufnstuf. Clash has admitted he watched television inches away from the screen, with no permanent eye damage.^[1] His parents were supposedly more amused than angered when he cut apart his father's good overcoat to create a monkey puppet with the fuzzy black lining.^[1] As a tribute, Elmo's parents were named George and Gladys in an Elmo's World segment; their names have since changed. Shari Lewis (born Sonia Hurwitz; January 17, 1933 - August 2, 1998) was a ventriloquist, puppeteer, and childrens television show host, most popular during the 1960s. ... Lamb chop has several meanings: A single-serving cut of sheep meat (see lamb (food)) Lambchop (band), an alternative-country music group Lambchops, the short film LambChop, the chess engine created by Peter McKenzies Lamb Chop (puppet), a puppet character in Lamb Chops Play-Along Lamb Chop, a... Elmos World DVD cover Elmo in Elmos World. ...

Television appearances

His first television work was for a CBS affiliate in Baltimore. He also performed a pelican character for Zep, a local Washington, D.C. show airing on WTOP. CBS is derived from an abbreviation of Columbia Broadcasting System, the former legal name of a company Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired in 1995. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans...

In the early '80s, he performed regularly, with Jim Martin, on Bob Keeshan's Wake Up with the Captain series, as well as building puppets and occasionally appearing on-camera. There have been several people named Jim Martin: James G. Martin, a Republican governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina Jim Martin, a Muppeteer who worked on Sesame Street Big Jim Martin, the lead guitarist of Faith No More. ... Robert James Keeshan (June 27, 1927 â€“ January 23, 2004) was an actor who was the original Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody television program, but who is most famous as the star and title character of the childrens show Captain Kangaroo. ...

From 1981 to 1986, he appeared in The Great Space Coaster, as Goriddle Gorilla, Rory and Huggle Scuffy. On that show, he attracted the attention of Muppet designer Kermit Love, who invited him to work on various Henson projects. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... From the Opening of The Great Space Coaster The Great Space Coaster was a childrens television show that ran from 1981 through 1986. ... Kermit Love (born 5 August 1916) is a puppet maker best known for his work on The Muppets. ...

Image File history File links KC-GreatSpaceCoaster. ... Image File history File links KC-GreatSpaceCoaster. ...

Coming to the Muppets

Kevin Clash first met puppet builder Kermit Love in the 1970s. Kermit Love was occasionally able to arrange for Kevin Clash to visit the set of Sesame Street. In 1979, the main Muppet performers were performing in a Muppet Movie float in the 1979 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and extra puppeteers were needed for the Sesame Street float, so Kevin Clash got to perform Cookie Monster in the parade.^[1] Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... The Muppet Movie DVD cover The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... For the Smashing Pumpkins song, see 1979 (song). ... Macys Day Parade redirects here. ... Cookie Monster (right) and his mother in a season 33 Letter of the Day segment, 2002. ...

Later, in 1983, he was officially hired to perform in ten episodes of Sesame Street. However, at the time he was performing full-time on two other shows, and the producers of both shows refused to work around Kevin Clash's schedule, so Clash was forced to tear up his contract to appear on Sesame Street.^[1]

Kevin Clash was also given the opportunity to perform in The Dark Crystal, but Kermit Love talked him out of being involved in the movie, saying that he should concentrate on his work in the series that he was currently involved with. The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. ...

Kevin Clash officially became a puppeteer on Sesame Street in 1984. Some of his earliest characters included Hoots the Owl, Baby Natasha, and Dr. Nobel Price, but it was Elmo who became his main character. Clash has also sung in voice-over in a variety of film and animation songs on Sesame Street, including "In My Animal Book" and "Take Care of That Smile". Hoots the Owl is a character on the childrens television program, Sesame Street, performed by Kevin Clash. ... Elmo Elmo is a Muppet on the childrens television show Sesame Street. ...

During the late 1980s, Clash was involved with a variety of Henson productions. He performed P.J. in the Play-Along videos, and Father Bunny and Be-Bop in Tale of the Bunny Picnic. He would also perform Eliott Shag on Dog City, various characters in Muppet Time insertials, and he performed a number of characters, most notably Baby Sinclair, but also Howard Handupme, on Dinosaurs. He also performed the title character in the Muppet Sing-Along video Billy Bunny's Animal Songs. Baby enjoys hitting Earl in the head. ... Orders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ...

The Jim Henson Hour

He became one of the main Muppet performers on The Jim Henson Hour. His two main characters on that show was the lizard-like Leon and the bass player Clifford. Out of these two, only Clifford has remained a major character, having also appeared in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, the albums Muppet Beach Party and Kermit Unpigged, and the feature films Muppets From Space and The Muppets Wizard of Oz. However, Clifford became a star when he hosted the short-lived Muppets Tonight. On that show, Clash also performed Mulch and Craniac. The Jim Henson Hour was a television show that aired on NBC in 1989. ... Leon or LÃ©on or LeÃ³n may refer to: // LÃ©on, Landes, a commune of the Landes dÃ©partement, France LÃ©on (viscounty), Brittany, France LÃ©on (diocese), Brittany, France LeÃ³n, Guanajuato LeÃ³n, Nicaragua LeÃ³n Department Leon, Iloilo LeÃ³n, Spain, city and capital of the... Clifford is both a given name and a surname that applies to a number of individuals or places. ... The Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Hensons Muppets at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... The Arsenio Hall Show was a talk show, which aired on late night in syndication from 1989 to 1994. ... Kermit Unpigged was a music and comedy record released by The Jim Henson Company through BMG Kidz in 1995, and is the last album released by Jim Henson Records. ... DVD cover Muppets From Space was the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. ... Muppets Tonight was a television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring the Muppets. ... In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Film credits

Clash's film credits include Jim Henson's fantasy films Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze; The Muppet movies Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and The Muppets Wizard of Oz; and the Sesame Street films Follow That Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. For the company founded by Henson, see The Jim Henson Company. ... Labyrinth is a 1986 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and designed through the art of Brian Froud and Henson, with screenwriting by Henson, childrens author Dennis Lee, and Monty Python alum Terry Jones. ... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the 1990 live-action film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. ... DVD cover Muppet Treasure Island was the fifth feature film to star The Muppets, and the second produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. ... DVD cover Muppets From Space was the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. ... Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is an NBC television movie produced by Jim Henson Television in 2002, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird. ... The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland was the second movie based on the characters of the childrens television series Sesame Street (after 1985s Follow That Bird). ...

Additional work

Clash was co-executive producer for Elmopalooza, co-producer for The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and co-executive producer for CinderElmo and "Elmo's World". He has also served as either puppet coordinator, assistant puppet coordinator, or puppet captain on many productions, including Labyrinth, Muppet Treasure Island, and Dog City. Elmopalooza aired on ABC on February 20, 1998. ... Cinderelmo is a Cinderella story featuring Sesame Streets Elmo and Keri Russell. ... Elmos World DVD cover Elmo in Elmos World. ...

Puppeteer credits

Image File history File links Kevinclashelmo. ... A black dog may refer to any dark-hued canine. ... // Carter is a common English name and can be a given name or surname. ... Clifford is both a given name and a surname that applies to a number of individuals or places. ... Leon or LÃ©on or LeÃ³n may refer to: // LÃ©on, Landes, a commune of the Landes dÃ©partement, France LÃ©on (viscounty), Brittany, France LÃ©on (diocese), Brittany, France LeÃ³n, Guanajuato LeÃ³n, Nicaragua LeÃ³n Department Leon, Iloilo LeÃ³n, Spain, city and capital of the... In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is an NBC television movie produced by Jim Henson Television in 2002, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Elmo Elmo is a Muppet on the childrens television show Sesame Street. ... Benny Rabbit is the perpetually irritated bell-hop for The Furry Arms, a hotel located on Sesame Street, on the television series Sesame Street. ... Hoots the Owl is a character on the childrens television program, Sesame Street, performed by Kevin Clash. ... Mel can be the abbreviated version of the given names: Melvin, Melanie, Melissa or Melville. ... Natasha is a Russian female given name, originally a pet name variant of Natalia. ... The Big Bad Wolf (sometimes called the Big Ol Wolf) is a fictional character who first appeared in the Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood, folk tales that can be traced to the literary salons of the 17th and 18th centuries. ... The Sesame Street News Flash segments were a regular part of the childrens TV show Sesame Street from 1971 up until 2001. ... Sesame Beginnings cast, including Elmo and his dad, Cookie and his mommy, Prairie Dawn and her mommy, and Big Bird and his aunt. ... Elmo in Elmos World. ... Dinosaurs was an American television sitcom on ABC, produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Productions in association with Walt Disney Television and Sunbow Productions about a family of talking dinosaurs that ran for 65 episodes from April 1991 to July 1994. ... Baby enjoys hitting Earl in the head. ... Ethyl is a two-carbon substituent in organic chemistry. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A Roman mosaic picturing Theseus and the Minotaur. ... Ambrosius might refer to: Saint Ambrose Ambrosius Aurelianus, mythical king of Britain Ambrosius, Metropolitan of Moscow Ambrosius Stub, poet Ambrosius (Hussite), priest, leader of Hussite peasants This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the 1990 live-action film based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. ... The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland was the second movie based on the characters of the childrens television series Sesame Street (after 1985s Follow That Bird). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird. ...

Trivia

Richard Hunt (August 16, 1951 - January 7, 1992) was an American puppeteer best known for his association with The Muppets. ... Elmo Elmo is a Muppet on the childrens television show Sesame Street. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a fictional character, originally created by Jim Henson as a member of The Muppets. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Spike Jonze (born Adam Spiegel on October 22, 1969), is an American director of offbeat music videos and commercials, and an Academy Award-nominated director and producer in film and television, most notably the 1999 black comedy film Being John Malkovich and the 2002 film Adaptation. ... Post boxes in Australia The yellow box is for express mail. ... BjÃ¶rk GuÃ°mundsdÃ³ttir ( ) (born November 21, 1965 in ReykjavÃk, Iceland) is a Brit Award-winning Icelandic singer/songwriter and composer (formerly the lead singer of alternative rock band The Sugarcubes). ...

Awards & honors

The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York- based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

References and footnotes

External links

Categories: 1960 births | Sesame Street Muppeteers | Muppet performers | American puppeteers | African-American actors | Daytime Emmy Award winners | The West Wing actors | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actors | Living people | People from Baltimore Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about motion pictures, actors, movie stars, TV shows, TV stars, production crew personnel, as well as video games. ...

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