Matt Vogel

Matt Vogel (b. October 6, 1970) is an accomplished puppeteer in his own right. However, since joining Sesame Street in 1996, he has become most familiar for his work as Caroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird on Sesame Street, including the "Journey To Ernie" segments, several street scenes and other appearances whenever Spinney is unavailable. He has also performed various Anything Muppets and CGI characters on "Elmo's World," and plays Big Bird's infant self, Baby Big Bird. in the Sesame Beginnings DVD series.

Vogel's other Muppet credits include work, assisting or in supporting roles, on Big Bag, Bear in the Big Blue House, Sesame English, and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, as well as various pigeons in the Creature Shop film The Producers. Works outside the Henson fold include "Jack's Big Music Show", The Puzzle Place, the video series MATHmatazz, the HBO drama Oz, Oobi, Blue's Room, and Between the Lions.

In theater, Vogel has acted in regional productions of various plays, including The Foreigner and Six Degrees of Separation, and was involved in the 2003-2004 Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors, helping to manipulate Audrey II and playing various bums and Skid Row residents (alongside Martin P. Robinson and Anthony Asbury).

In addition to puppeteering, Vogel's interest in music is made evident by his non-Sesame role as front man for the band, The Mighty Weaklings (whose performance recently could be heard on Jack's Big Music Show). With Joey Mazzarino, Vogel co-owns Pratfall Productions, which produced the film-noir puppet spoof Murder, He Squeaked and various inserts for Sesame Street videos and Nick Jr.'s Curious Buddies.

Credits

 * Sesame Street: Big Bird, Letter of the Day Announcer, Dwarf (Episode 4114), Baby Bear (assistant), Ernie (assistant) (2000-2003), "Elmo's World" CGI Furniture, Herb, Missing M,
 * Sesame Beginnings: Baby Big Bird
 * Muppet Race Mania: Scooter, Janice (voices)
 * The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
 * Big Bag
 * Bear in the Big Blue House

Non-Henson Credits

 * Oz - Pecky
 * Between the Lions - Rumplestiltskin, Derek Cheetah, Monkey Ad Executive, various characters
 * Jack's Big Music Show - Leonard the Squirrel, MC Turtle, The Squirrels, etc.

Trivia

 * When Matt Vogel was introduced to Spinney at his first audition for the part of Big Bird, the latter remarked, "Vogel is German for Bird. That's a good sign."


 * The protective slippers Vogel wears over Big Bird's feet when he's not on set are labeled, respectively, "Vogel" and "Fusse," meaning "bird" and "feet."


 * In addition to being Big Bird's understudy, he also serves as David Rudman's assistant in manipulating the right hand(s) of his characters Baby Bear and Cookie Monster.


 * In scenes where Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch (both performed by Caroll Spinney) appear, Vogel performs both puppeteering and voice, which Spinney re-loops later.