John Kennedy



John Kennedy is a puppeteer who has performed on various Muppet projects since the early 1990s. He began building puppets as a child in his hometown of Plainfield, Indiana where he performed shows at local libraries. One of his first professional jobs was as a singing, dancing, banjo-playing puppeteer at the Indianapolis Union Station Festival Marketplace.

While working on a bachelors degree in theater at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), John wrote the Jim Henson Company and was invited to several performer workshops in New York City. Around the same time John coincidentally landed a job as a dancer in a Muppet revue for Walt Disney World. He relocated to Orlando, Florida, and in a few weeks found himself working beside Jim Henson himself. John would go on to work with the Jim Henson Company and the Muppets for over sixteen years, a relationship that continues to this day.

In recent years John has developed a career as an author and written two popular puppet making books, Puppet Mania! and Puppet Planet. He also hosts puppet making videos on the internet, builds puppets for various non-Muppet projects in the United States and has taught MFA classes in puppetry at the University of Central Florida.

Credits

 * Disney Cruise Lines: Kermit the Frog
 * Muppet Treasure Island (video game): Dr. Teeth
 * The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: Alvin, the Alien from Malamaroo, Announcer, Armand, the Mayor's Servant, Backup Singer, The Birthday Bird, Celli, Downer Than Down Guy, Flitzpizzle, Hairy, Herbie Tidbiddle, Horace P. Riddley, Horton the Elephant, Irish Setter, Julian Jeremy Jaroo Jalloo, King Lindy of Lime, Little Cat C, Little Wimpy Guy (voice), Man from "Up With Folks", McZuff, Money Whozit, Mr. Dorfman, Mr. Knox, Muckster, Narrator, Nervous Whozit, Norval the Fish, Raffle Ticket Selling Kid, Rock Singer, Sam-I-Am, Singing Lion, Spaceman, Thaddeus, Uncle Docks, Uncle Dutter (assistant), Uncle Norton
 * Aliens in the Family: Bobut (puppeteer only)
 * Dog City (series)
 * Dinosaurs: Baby Sinclair, Spike, Sid Turtlepuss, Bryant, Mindy, Richard (animatronic/radio puppeteer only)
 * Muppets On Location: Dr. Teeth
 * Muppet Sing-A-Long: It's Not Easy Being Green: Additional Puppeteer
 * Happy Healthy Monsters
 * Muppets from Space: Dr. Teeth, Alien Gonzos
 * Lead Away! (1996)
 * Elmopalooza (1998): Additional Puppeteer
 * Brats of the Lost Nebula (1998): Rile (puppetry), Additional Voices
 * A is for Asthma (1998)
 * Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor (1999)
 * CinderElmo (1999)
 * Mastercard Commercial (2002): Animal
 * Kermit's Swamp Years (2002): Arnie the Alligator, Blotch
 * Muppet Party Cruise (2003): Animal, Dr. Teeth
 * Animal Jam (2003): DJ 1
 * A Magical Halloween Adventure (2004): The Amazing Mumford (on-set, Jerry Nelson looped dialog)
 * The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005): Floyd Pepper, Angel Marie
 * Sesame Beginnings: Exploring Together (2006)
 * Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2007)
 * Abby in Wonderland (2008)
 * Coming Home: Military Families Cope with Change (2009)