Michael Earl

Michael Earl Davis (known as Michael Earl) is a puppeteer who has performed in many Muppet and non-Muppet productions.

Muppeteer Credits

 * Sesame Street - Puppeteer and voice of Mr. Snuffleupagus, Forgetful Jones, Poco Loco, and many other Anything Muppets. Also puppeteered Slimey the Worm, Honkers, Polly Darton for three seasons (1978-80) credited as Mike Davis.
 * The Muppet Movie - Additional Muppet Performer, operating Fozzie Bear in the "High Noon" ghost town scene, Dr. Teeth in the 2-D moving bus set piece during The Magic Store song, Scooter on the Muppet bus at the beginning of the ghost town scene, Animal and Zoot during The Magic Store song, Janice, Beaker and others when a lead muppeteer was performing another one of their characters in the same scene, or as assigned by Frank Oz or Jim Henson. Kermit Love threatened not to send Big Bird for the film's finale unless Mike Davis performed him...causing quite a stir with the studio and Henson executives. In the end, Mike did perform the Bird in the finale.
 * John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together - Muppet Performer
 * The Dark Crystal - Additional Muppet Performer (Puppet Test and development puppeteer)
 * Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly - Various Muppets
 * Sesame Songs: Rock & Roll - Various Muppets
 * Sesame Street: Learning About Numbers - Various Muppets
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years - Muppet Performer
 * The Jim Henson Hour - (Pilot) Additional Muppet Performer
 * Muppet Wildlife PSA’s - Muppet Penguin
 * Little Muppet Monsters - Muppet Penguin
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan - Additional Muppet Performer
 * Muppet Target Commercial - Additional Muppet Performer
 * Eton's Santa Claus Parade - Sesame Street Muppets Float, Toronto, Canada
 * Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - Sesame Street Muppets Float, NYC
 * Mr. Mom - Mr. Snuffleupagus (Archive footage on Michael Keaton's television)

Other Puppetry Credits

 * Team America: World Police - Various Lead Characters
 * Men in Black II - Puppet Alien
 * The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth - Ms. Flossy, and others
 * Geo Kids - Remote Control Puppeteer, National Geographic Television
 * Dinosaurs - Two Episodes, "When Food Goes Bad"; "Family Challenge"
 * The Rory Story - Buster Chops (Assisted by Drew Massey on right hand and cable control operated eye brows, Drew's first puppeteering job. Kevin Clash co-producer. Home Video project aired on The Disney Channel.)
 * The Morning Scramble - Lead Puppeteer, Writer, Saban Entertainment, Fox Family Bumpers
 * Pat the Bunny - Lead Puppeteer
 * Ticktock Minutes[] - Dr. Ticktock, Mississippi Educational television, PBS, 12 Emmy Awards
 * Funnybones - Dr. Ticktock, Assisted by Nikki Tilroe
 * GeoScout - Dr. Ticktock
 * Wee Sing: Wee-Singdom - Head Puppeteer, Puppetry Consultant, MCA/Universal
 * Barnyard Place - Lead Puppeteer, Puppetry Consultant
 * Theodore Rex - The Reverend, opposite Whoopi Goldberg
 * Rock-A-long with Bo Peep - Fleeter the Mouse, Puppet Designer/Builder, Puppetry Consultant
 * Media Mania - Mortimer Monster
 * Grandpa's Place - Lead Puppeteer
 * Fandango - Various paper bag puppets for movie theatre spots
 * A Broadway Baby - Lead Actor/Puppeteer, Noel Pertard, Sid & Marty Krofft/Nederlander "Broadway" Show - Out of town try-outs at Goodspeed Opera House (Norma Terris Theatre) never opened on B'way due to legal entanglements
 * The Okee Dokee Show - Okee, Lead, Sid & Marty Krofft, Family Channel
 * The Land of I - Robot, Lead, Pilot, TLC Prod.
 * What's New Marty & Lou? - Lou, Lead, Pilot, Educate America Prod.
 * Fast Forward - Alien, Designer/builder of 10-foot marionette legs, Pilot, Warner Bros. Television
 * The Outside Inn - George Bush (senior), Lead, Pilot, Dryfuss/James Prods.
 * Up All Night - Lenny the Bartender, Lead, USA Network, opposite Rhonda Shear
 * Dreamchasers - Bevil Brimstone, Lead, Pilot
 * An Evening With Michael Earl - Singer/Songwriter/Puppeteer, Steve MacGraw's, NYC
 * Catch A Rising Star - Singer/Puppeteer, Hollywood
 * Michael Earl & Friends - Ivar Theatre, Hollywood
 * Ice Capades - Baby Matzah Ball, Emcee, Great Western Forum, LA
 * Song of Scheherazade - Lead, Bob Baker Marionette Theater
 * Postcards - Lead puppeteer, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, LA
 * The Snow Queen - Director, Co-writer, Lead Puppeteer, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, LA
 * An American Tale - Cat, Lead Puppeteer, Universal Studios, Hollywood
 * Once Upon A Dragon - Various Characters, Bil Baird's Marionettes, Busch Gardens, VA
 * Icons Revisted - Featured Solo Puppetry Artist, The Complex, LA
 * Fandango - Movie Theatre Commercial
 * Adventures in Vegeville - Pumpkin Pete, lead, Pilot
 * Charlie Chapters - Various Leads, Home Video, Media, Inc.
 * Tales & Tunes - Rufas, Lead, Video Treasures Home Video
 * Sports Tales & Tunes - Sally, Lead, Video Treasures Home Video
 * In My Garden - Fishy/Corny, Lead, Thank You Music, Home Video
 * Would You Like To Come Along? - Baby, Lead, Co-writer, Cook Children's Medical Center Video
 * Little Shop of Horrors - Audrey II, Equity production at the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center ("You'll marvel at Earl's skill!" - LA Times)
 * Glidden - TV Commercial
 * Kit Kat - TV Commercial
 * Osaka Gas - TV Commercial
 * Hardee's - TV Commercial
 * Because We Care - Lead Puppeteer, City of Hope educational video series
 * American Heart Association Concert Artist
 * Quality Starts Here - Flanders the Janitor, Lead, Provident Mutual Insurance
 * Hawaiian Holiday - Menehune, Lead, Griffin Entertainment
 * The Energy Patrol - Mortimer Monster, Lead, PBS
 * Pheonix Performing Arts Conference - Guest Concert Artist, Norfolk, VA
 * Pure Imagination - One Man Show, Music/Puppets, The Gardenia, LA; The Duplex, NY
 * Be The Exception! - One Man Show, Music/Puppets, The Dome, LA; various venues throught the U.S.
 * The Slow and Painful Death of Sam Shepard - Designer/Builder/Puppeteer for Yogsothoth, a giant monster, Zoo District Theatre Company, LA
 * Toys For Tots - Master of Ceremonies (with puppets), Sheraton Hotel, Universal City, CA

Acting Credits

 * Shrek - Motion capture Shrek body suit
 * Simon - Actor, Commune Member, opposite Alan Arkin
 * A Broadway Baby - Lead Actor/Puppeteer, Noel Pertard, Sid & Marty Krofft / Nederlander, producers
 * Life on Earth - Actor, Alien, MTV Music Video
 * Petulia - Child Actor, opposite George C. Scott
 * Nurse - Actor, Stand-in for David Morse, CBS
 * The Late Great Me - Actor, Teenager, Day Player, ABC Afterschool Special
 * Found Money - Actor, Waiter, TV Movie, NBC, opposite Dick Van Dyke
 * The Phantom Toll Booth - Actor, Milo's Friend, Day Player, Warner Bros.
 * Goin' In Style - Actor, Day Player, Warner Bros., opposite George Burns
 * Crusin' - Actor, Day player, opposite Al Pacino
 * Fame - Actor, Rocky Horor Picture Show fan, MGM
 * Daniel - Actor, opposite Timothy Hutton
 * 2 Men, 2 Women & a Bird - Actor, Lead, Intar Theatre, Off B'way, NYC
 * Dreamer of Love, Lover of Dreams - Actor, John, Lead, NoHo Theatre Cafe, NYC
 * Eat the Clock - Actor/Singer, Ed Tucker, Lead, Musical Revue, 78th Street Theatre Lab, NYC
 * Comitron - Actor, Sketch Comedy Troupe, Lead, Dangerfields and other clubs, NYC
 * Chicken Little - Actor, King Lion, Lead, Costumes, Musical Staging, Musical Direction, Comic Book Theatre, NYC
 * The Pied Piper - Actor, Rat, Lead, Comic Book Theatre/V.A. Smith's Chapel Theatre, NYC
 * Mattel Toy fair - Actor/Toy Demonstrator of "Real Monsters" new product line
 * Lipton - TV Commercal
 * Black & Decker - TV Commercal
 * Steak N Ale - TV Commercal
 * Crest - TV Commercal
 * Pepsi - TV Commercial
 * Curad - TV Commercial
 * Friendly's - TV Commercial
 * Dr. Pepper - TV Commercial
 * The Army - TV Commercial
 * Wise Potato Chips - TV Commercial
 * Helping Here At Home - Actor and puppeteer (as Baby), Lead, United Way Fundraising Film

Voice Over Credits

 * Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? - Guest Star as Ira Gation, and 4 other voices, DIC Entertainment
 * Digimon Tamers - Mr. Akiyama - Voice
 * M&M's - TV Commercial, singing voice of M&M
 * Thorl-o - 7 voices, Movie theatre commercial

Writing Credits

 * The Morning Scramble - Staff Writer, Bumpers, Saban Entertainment, Fox Family
 * Ticktock Minutes - Co-creator, writer, lyricist
 * GeoScout - Writer, lyricist, Mississippi Educational Television
 * Grandpa's Place - Theme Song writer/producer/singer
 * Would You Like To Come Along? - Co-writer, ADDY Award-winnner
 * Haunted Passages - Co-writer, at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Disneyland Entertainment
 * Media Mania - Lyricist
 * Because We Care - Creator/Writer/Co-Producer
 * Would You Like To Come Along? - Co-writer, ADDY Award-winner
 * Chicken Little - Music and Lyrics, Comic Book Theatre, NYC

Designing/Building/Consulting Credits

 * Little Shop of Horrors - Designer/builder of Audrey II, Equity production, East-West Players, LA
 * Timmy The Tooth - Puppet Choreography
 * Beauty & the Beast - Puppetry Consultant/Designer, Carnation Plaza, Disneyland
 *  Stardust - Coached and choregraphed Betsy Baytos showstopping performance, Wilshire Theatre, LA

Teaching Credits

 * Michael Earl Video Puppetry Workshops - Creator/Instructor of an original and proven systematic technique to teach muppet-style puppetry, the foundation of which is the "Specifics Exercise" - studied by many top Hollywood puppet pros
 * Puppet Power! - Creator/Director/Producer, mentoring program using puppetry to teach innercity teens life skills, culminating in a large scale puppet show for family and friends, Hollywood, CA
 * Hillel Hebrew Academy - Puppetry Instructor
 * The Sycamores - Day Treatment Puppetry Instructor, Part-time staff member, Group Home for emotionally challenged boys
 * Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs - Puppetry Instructor
 * Mark Taper Forum/Music Center - Puppetry Instructor
 * California Youth Theatre - Puppetry Instructor
 * L.A.'s Best - Puppetry Instructor
 * Puppeteers of America - TV Puppetry Workshop Instructor
 * L.A. Inner City Arts - Puppetry Instructor
 * Beverly Hills Parks & Recreation - Puppetry Instructor
 * The Sycamores - Puppet Making Instructor
 * L.A. Unified School District - Puppetry Instructor
 * Art Share L.A. - Puppetry Instructor
 * Hollywood Arts Council - Puppetry Instructor
 * Los Angeles Human Relations Commission - Puppetry Instructor
 * Kaiser Permanente - Puppetry Coach
 * Pheonix Performing Arts Conference - Puppetry Instructor
 * Michael Earl School of Puppetry - Eagle Rock, CA []

HISTORY
Michael Earl (Davis) grew up in San Leandro and Livermore, CA. He began his professional career at age five acting in a Curad bandaid TV commercial. Two years later he was tapped to be the original "Is It Soup Yet?" kid for Lipton. The spot ran for three years, the first in a series of wildly popular commercials that over the next decade became one of the most successful ad campaigns in history. He performed original puppet shows from ages 10-17 and once a year attended Puppeteers of America festivals. On weekends during his high school years, Michael was an apprectice at Children's Fairyland Puppet Theater in Oakland, CA, where Frank Oz's father (Mike Oznowicz) sometimes visited. At 17 he attended a puppetry festival where he met Kermit Love who talked to Jim Henson (as did Oznowicz) about the earnest young puppeteer. At 18 he moved to NYC and acted in some TV commercials, as well as landing a puppeteering job working for his childhood idol, Bil Baird.

At 19, Michael was hired sight-upseen by Jim Henson for The Muppet Movie and subsequently won the role of Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street (replacing Jerry Nelson, the originator, 1978-80 (three seasons as Mike Davis). The 1978 season he lip-syced to Jerry's voice, who sat in the director's booth and read the lines live. After auditioning every voice actor in New York, CTW producers awarded Michael the voice part of job as well and Snuffy was officially his character for the next two seasons. Bringing up the "rear" during those years were Brian Muehl, Frank Kane and Bryant Young. 20-year-old Karen Prell came on board as Deena Monster, as did a new 19-year-old puppeteer Kermit Love found in Maryland named Kevin Clash, who debuted as Forgetful Jones' horse named Buster.) During the 1978-79 seasons of Sesame Street, Michael, Brian Muehl (and Caroll Spinney) performed most of the day-to-day puppetry while the other Henson muppeteers were working in London on The Muppet Show. Among his favorite Sesame Street Muppet inserts he participated in was The Beatles spoof, Letter B. Michael and Brian were invited to writer's meetings so the writer's could create characters to their strengths. Out of those meetings emerged Forgetful Jones and Clementine, as well as the Honkers. Michael took over the roles of Slimey, Poco Loco and Snuffy from Jerry Nelson, and created the roles of Polly Darton, Leslie Mostly and dozens of Anything Muppets. His other Muppet credits include The Muppets Take Manhattan, John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together, Little Muppet Monsters, The Jim Henson Hour, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years and Dinosaurs. Michael also appeared (as a puppet Alien) opposite Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black II.

In 1979, Michael and Brian Muehl were invited by Jim Henson to workshop body combinations (along with two dancers) for The Dark Crystal, with Brian Froud observing their many workshop sessions and sketching "skins" over the dancer/puppeteer movements and forms as part of the development process for the film.

A New York-trained actor/singer/dancer, he has appeared in and/or sung on numerous television commercials (M&M's, Pepsi, Crest, Kit Kat, Planter's, Fandango, etc...), movies, stage and TV shows. He has acted with Whoopi Goldberg, danced with Gregory Hines and clowned with Victor Borge. For the Broadway stage, Michael created the role of Noel Petard in Sid and Marty Krofft's critically acclaimed "A Broadway Baby." His other stage work includes Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors ("You'll marvel at Earl's skill!" - LA Times) and his 1998 biographical musical one-man show "Pure Imagination!," which he wrote and performed in Los Angeles and New York to much acclaim.

Michael is a seven-time Emmy nominee and in 1995, won his first Emmy Award for his performance as Dr. Ticktock in Ticktock Minutes produced by Mississippi Educational Television. In subsequent years he was awarded three more Southern Regional Emmys for his lyric writing (in collaboration with composer Randy Klein) on the PBS interstitials, which are currently distributed on CD and DVD by BMG Music.

Earl met Drew Massey (a fellow Livermore native) when Drew was 7 years old, teaching him puppet making at his school. Years later, after reconnecting through Drew's mother in a local supermarket, Michael recognized Massey's innate talent and mentored him while Drew was in college, giving him his first few puppeteering jobs and introducing him to the Muppets. Michael has coached many of today's most successful TV and film puppeteers, including Camille Bonora, Brian Muehl, Kevin Carlson, James Murray and Sean Johnson. He has served as a puppetry consultant to such entertainment companies as MCA/Universal, Warner Bros. and Disney, working one-on-one with the Vice President of Disneyland Entertainment to conceive, develop and write puppet- and non-puppet live events. He has toured the U.S. giving concerts for children and their families, combining his talents as a singer, songwriter and puppeteer.

In 1997 he created, wrote, co-produced and performed five educational puppet videos for City of Hope National Medical Center which are currently being used by pediatric nurses to help prepare young cancer patients for treatment. Over the years, he has worked one-on-one with countless children and adults, teaching them puppet making and performance through such organizations as the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Mark Taper Forum/Music Center, California Youth Theatre, L.A.'s Best, Puppeteers of America, L.A. Inner City Arts, Beverly Hills Parks & Recreation, The Sycamores, L.A. Unified School District, Art Share L.A., Hollywood Arts Council and the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.

In 2002, Michael created the "Puppet Power!" program through California Youth Theatre, where he taught, built, directed and produced the first annual Ivar Puppet Festival, involving 150 L.A. Unified School District teens from two different high schools building dozens of giant 15-foot puppets they performed at the Ivar Theatre in Hollywood. The event was a sold-out success and covered by the L.A. Times and the L.A. Daily News. He did it all again the following year with Belmont High School to equal success.

Michael Earl lives in Los Angeles, California, where he continues to encourage, instruct and strengthen children of all ages through the imaginative use of music and puppetry.''

Trivia

 * During his time on Sesame Street, he was an understudy for Caroll Spinney as Big Bird, but never actually performed the bird on Sesame Street. However, he did puppeteer Big Bird in the finale of The Muppet Movie. He did not perform Big Bird's voice.