Guy Smiley



Guy Smiley is, by his own account, America's Favorite Game Show Host. He has hosted such Sesame Street game shows as Beat The Time, Here is Your Life, What's My Part?, and others. He approaches every hosting gig with a near-frantic level of excitement and enthusiasm.

During the first season, he was called Sonny Friendly (which would later become the name of another Sesame Street game show host).

Guy Smiley has occasionally demonstrated his musical talent on Sesame Street. His song performances include "Air" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me" (with Cookie Monster). His singing voice at times can go very low, very similar to Link Hogthrob's, as in "I'll Love You in Springtime" and his tribute to the winner in "The Letter of the Day Pageant."

Trivia
Guy Smiley's loud voice was so hard on Jim Henson's throat that all of the dialogue for his segments was pre-recorded. That way, multiple takes could be used without straining Jim's throat.

Guy Smiley was unofficially retired after Jim Henson's death in 1990, although Steve Whitmire handled the puppet as a background extra in 1998. Then, in the CD-ROM game Let's Make a Word, an animated Guy Smiley was performed by Don Reardon, and in 2005 Eric Jacobson performed the character in video inserts for the touring exhibit Sesame Street Presents The Body.

Guy's real name: When Count von Count introduced himself in one game show sketch in his traditional way, "They call me the Count because I love to count things," Guy responded with, "They call me Guy Smiley because I changed my name from Bernie Liedekrantz."

Book Appearances

 * The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook (1973)
 * Grover and the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum (1974)
 * The Sesame Street ABC Storybook (1974)
 * Big Bird's Busy Book (1975)
 * The Sesame Street Bedtime Storybook (1978)
 * The Sesame Street Dictionary (1980)
 * Brought to You by the Letter B (2000)