Two-Headed Monster



The Two-Headed Monster is, as the name implies, a monster with two heads. The Two-Headed Monster first appeared on Sesame Street in 1978. He speaks gibberish that resembles baby talk, and many of his skits have to do with either cooperation or sounding out parts of words that suddenly show up. Skits with the Two-Headed Monster usually take place with the monster behind a brick wall.

The creation of this monster was inspired by performers Jerry Nelson and Richard Hunt playing around on the set one day, saying that they were a monster with two heads.

Since 2003, the Two-Headed Monster has made an appearance in each Journey to Ernie segment, with Big Bird asking both heads if they'd seen Ernie, and the monster pointing in both directions. They also appeared in every "Monsters in Day Care" segment.

The question of whether the monster is a singular being or not has led to semantic confusion, typified by this exchange between Bert and Ernie in A Muppet Family Christmas:
 * Bert: Now, who let the Two-Headed Monster be Santa Claus?
 * Ernie: Yeah, but, Bert, he said he'd never been in a play before...I mean they said it...um...both of him said it.

Casting History

 * Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson • (1978 – 1991)
 * David Rudman and Jerry Nelson • (1992 – 2002)
 * David Rudman and Joey Mazzarino • (2003 – )

Appearances

 * Sesame Street (1978-present)
 * The Muppet Movie (Rainbow Connection finale)
 * Big Bird in China
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan (Wedding scene)
 * Follow That Bird
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
 * A Muppet Family Christmas
 * Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting
 * Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake
 * The Rosie O'Donnell Show (guest appearance, unknown date)
 * Elmopalooza
 * Peter and the Wolf
 * ''What's the Name of That Song?

Book Appearances

 * The Songs of Sesame Street in Poems and Pictures (1983)
 * Big Bird Can Share (1985)
 * Splish-Splashy Day (1989)
 * Sleep Tight! (1991)
 * The Monsters on the Bus (2001)