Jerry Nelson



Jerry Nelson (b. July 10, 1934) started his puppeteering career working for Bil Baird. Throughout the '60s, he worked on-and-off with Jim Henson. In 1970, he joined the company and began working regularly on Sesame Street. Since then, Nelson has performed as a principal puppeteer in numerous Muppet productions including the Muppet movies, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and various TV specials.

In 2004, Nelson announced he would be moving away from performing his classic Muppet characters, citing health reasons. However, he has continued to perform his characters on Sesame Street. In 2005, he was one of the narrators on the audiobook version of It's Not Easy Bein' Green, displaying his vocal versatility by reciting most of the quotes from Muppet characters, including Dr. Teeth and the Doozers.

Early Works with Henson
Jerry Nelson first worked with Jim Henson in 1965 when Frank Oz got drafted and Henson needed somebody to perform the right hand of Rowlf on The Jimmy Dean Show. However, Frank Oz failed his draft physical, but since Nelson had just gotten his job, Oz chose to take some time off from performing and thereby allow Nelson to stay on with the Muppets.

One of Nelson's first major roles was Featherstone in Hey, Cinderella! and The Frog Prince. Throughout the early 1970s, Nelson also performed a full-body monster named Thog, who appeared in The Great Santa Claus Switch and various variety show appearances. In The Frog Prince, he performed Kermit the Frog's nephew Robin for the first time; however, in that appearance, although Robin's voice and personality were the same, the character was actually a prince who was turned into a frog. Nelson also performed T.R. and Caleb Siles in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, Scred on Saturday Night Live, and Emmet Otter in Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

Sesame Street
Jerry Nelson became part of Sesame Street during the second season. In this season alone he was given a variety of new characters, including Herbert Birdsfoot, Sherlock Hemlock, Herry Monster, the Amazing Mumford, Little Jerry, Simon Soundman, and Farley. In 1972, he was given the character who is perhaps his best-known character, Count von Count. Another well-known character who Nelson performed was Big Bird's best friend, Mr. Snuffleupagus. However, the physical strain placed on him by the large puppet eventually hurt his back so much that he had to stop performing the character. He did perform the voice for awhile, but finally ceded the role to Michael Earl Davis. Other characters that Nelson eventually performed include Mr. Johnson, Frazzle, Sam the Robot, and Fred the Wonder Horse. He also did announcer voices very often, including the announcers for the Sesame Street News Flash and Super Grover openings.

Nelson was often paired with performer Richard Hunt. While goofing around on the set one day, they acted like a two-headed monster, and inspired by this, a Two-Headed Monster character was created for them. Jerry Nelson performed the left half of the monster, and because of this, had to perform the character's head with his left hand. (Most performers use their right hands to perform the heads of their characters.) Nelson and Hunt also performed a duo known as Biff and Sully. They would also alternate in performing the character Rodeo Rosie.

39 Years on a 40 Year Street: An Essay by Jerry Nelson

 * "Today marks the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. Other than the news, historically the longest running show on television. Well, with the possible exception of a soap opera or two. Still in all, it is humbling to have been a part of something so significant in the history of the media that was born in my lifetime. Forty years, seems like a lifetime. Over half of my seventy five years on this planet has been spent being what has been referred to as a Muppeteer. It’s funny when I think about it because at least twenty of those years I denied being a puppeteer. I was an actor who was working with puppets until a film or stage job came along and all I really wanted to do was sing. My grandparents used to give me a quarter to learn and sing songs when I was a sprout about five years old. “South of the Border” was maybe the first of a long list of tunes and I’m still learning them and singing them and will until the day I die. I don’t know if they knew the extent of what they were doing and how they were prepping me to have a way to get along in the world, but I like to think so. I guess everything you observe and do and experience in life adds to that oneness that makes each of us so unique and at the same time makes us an everyman that shares the human condition in the most fundamental ways. Working with The Henson Organization was like working with your family and when I started working on Sesame Street that was another extended family so now the family was immense. The idea behind this Sesame Street project was to use the tool of television to teach underprivileged preschool children, but what happened was that the show charmed, taught, and brought love and laughter into the hearts and minds of children and adults all over the world. Chance, dumb luck or destiny? Who knows the controlling force that chooses where and how we find our lives manifest? I can only say I have traveled through the breathtaking up and down melody of a lifetime that, I studied and trained for, wandered the paths of least resistance (following my water nature) to, and that I am either blessed and one of the luckiest bozos walking this planet or both. In any case: Yeehaw, Hot Dawg, you old mustang you and Boy Howdy, today I’m celebrating by getting all my chores done for once! (Oh, didn’t I tell you? I’m also the laziest man on earth) Norman Stiles, who was the first writer to write for Count, sent me this yesterday: It's a beautiful thing. Happy Birthday! Let's put 40 candles in the cake!  Then let's light 40 candles!  Then let's blow out 40 candles!  Then we must take 40 candles out of the cake!  Then it will be time to lick the icing off of 4O candles!  Then we'll eat the cake, taking one thousand tiny little bites!   And then we will count the burps!  Ha, ha, ha! Norman, obviously hasn't lost it but....&#160;I wish I'd said that! &#8211;Jerry Nelson&#160;"

The Muppet Show
Jerry Nelson performed in both of the Muppet Show pilots. In The Muppets Valentine Show, he returned to the role of Thog, and also performed Droop and Miss Mousey. In The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, he performed Electric Mayhem bass player Floyd Pepper for the first time. In that special he also performed Statler, Dr. Nauga, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, the Yellow Stalk, Whaddayasay Bird and the Gene Shalit Muppet.

When production began on The Muppet Show as a series, Nelson chose to spend some time with his daughter and therefore couldn't perform in every first-season episode. Because of this, he had to give up the role of Statler, but for the most part he retained his other characters (Floyd Pepper, Robin, Droop, etc.) from previous productions. Nelson did not perform in episodes 101-103 and 111-115. However, when the first two episodes were reworked later in the first season, Nelson performed Floyd in a segment that was added to episode 102.

None of Nelson's characters were as central to the show as characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Scooter, and therefore Nelson often played major one-shot backstage characters, such as Irving Bizarre, Big Tiny Tallsaddle, and Angus McGonagle. His notable recurring characters included Camilla the Chicken, Pops, Louis Kazagger, and Dr. Julius Strangepork. One such character, Lew Zealand, was originally intended as a one-shot, but soon became a recurring character. Beginning in the second season, Nelson took over two of John Lovelady's roles: Crazy Harry and the Announcer. Nelson went on to perform nearly every Muppet announcer in a major Henson production until 2002. Nelson was also given such rarely-seen recurring characters as J.P. Grosse, Fleet Scribbler, and Uncle Deadly.

In addition to his versatility at character dialects, Nelson was an accomplished vocalist, and often received showcases on The Muppet Show. Some of his regular characters, such as Floyd Pepper and Slim Wilson, were musicians and sang often. Many of his other characters have displayed their musical talents, whether it was Robin singing "Halfway Down the Stairs" or "I'm Five," Thog singing "Oh Babe What Would You Say," or Pops singing "Once in Love With Amy." Nelson has also performed many songs as one-shot characters, including "All of Me," "The Windmills of Your Mind," and "Three Little Fishies." In addition to frequent pairings with Richard Hunt characters, Nelson was also often paired with Louise Gold in musical numbers, such as "Henrietta's Wedding" and "Your Feet's Too Big."

On his characters, Jerry Nelson was quoted in a 1978 "Muppet Show Fan Club" newsletter: "Each one of them is an aspect of my own personality. The Muppets are roles I assume, rather than puppets I manipulate. Robin, for instance, is an undersized metaphor for my own insecurities. He has a childlike curiosity about how things work. Uncle Deadly is the greatest ham actor of all time; Floyd is my laid-back, mellow side -- cool. And then there's Crazy Harry, whose ultimate trip is spontaneous combustion. An analyst told me I should develop that side of my personality. I don't think he meant I should go around exploding everything -- just that I should give my emotions more freedom."

Nelson continued to speak fondly of his performance opportunities in later years: "I feel blessed to have worked on something that has become such an icon of the times. I've certainly always thought I've been really lucky in that respect. I enjoy singing and I get to sing a lot. I get to be in a band (the Electric Mayhem) without really being in a band. All of those things make me say, 'Well, that's one blessing. That's another blessing."

1980s
On Fraggle Rock, Jerry Nelson performed the show's lead character, Gobo Fraggle. He also performed Marjory the Trash Heap and Pa Gorg. Jerry Nelson was one of the few Muppet performers to perform voices in The Dark Crystal, performing the voices of the Dying Skeskis Emperor and the Skeksis High Priest. In The Christmas Toy, he performed Balthazar, who he would regularly perform on The Secret Life of Toys. He also performed many characters on The Jim Henson Hour, though his only recurring character on that show was Beard.

1990s
Following Richard Hunt's death in 1992, Nelson once again performed the role of Statler, who he had originally performed. He also performed The Ghost of Christmas Present in The Muppet Christmas Carol, as well as Mad Monty and Blind Pew in Muppet Treasure Island.

He performed many minor characters on Muppets Tonight, and occasionally performed on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss. He performed Ubergonzo in Muppets from Space, and performed the Grouch Mayor in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland.

2000s
Starting around 2001, Jerry Nelson began to phase out performing his primary Muppet Show family characters. Many of his characters drifted to silent background roles and several were recast. Statler was recast to Steve Whitmire starting with 2001's "Keep Fishin'" music video; Floyd was passed to John Kennedy in 2005 for The Muppets' Wizard of Oz and A Green and Red Christmas; Nelson's half of the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street was passed to Joey Mazzarino in 2001 as well. For the 2001 telefilm It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Nelson did very little on-set work. Many of his characters were silent or dubbed by Nelson afterwards (the exception being Lew Zealand, who kept the original on-set audio by Bill Barretta). Nelson continues to perform his Sesame Street characters, including Count von Count, and The Amazing Mumford.

It was long rumored that health issues were beginning to limit Nelson's involvement in projects as the aging puppeteer continued to stay active in the ranks of the Muppeteers. Beginning around 2001, complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and prostate cancer limited Nelson's involvement with the high-demanding Muppet projects. Nelson openly stated in August 2006 that "It is long and boring but I have had health issues for a couple of years now. Different ones...I do intend to work with my old friend Count Von Count again this next season." Nelson continues to perform on Sesame Street and has participated in exclusive DVD interviews for the first two seasons of Fraggle Rock and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

Puppeteer credits

 * The Muppet Show: African Mask (Fire), Albert Flan, Angus McGonagle, The Announcer (1977-1981), Automatic Wastebasket, Bagpipes (episode 520), Baskerville the Hound (episodes 106, 116, 208 and 308), Beakie (episode 412), Behemoth (episode 202), Benny, Big Tiny Tallsaddle, Bruno, Burlington Bertie, Bust of Beethoven, Camilla the Chicken (1978-2004), Cheesecake, Chuckie, Crazy Harry (1977-2003), Dancers, The Dancing Clown, The Devil, Doglion (episode 209), Dodo (episode 415), Dracula, Droop, The Eel (episode 417), Emily Bear, Eric the Yodeling Clam, Featherstone, Female Koozebanian Creature, Fleet Scribbler, Floyd Pepper (1975-2002), Forcryingoutloud Bird (episode 309), Fozzie Pig, Fred, Fungus, Fuzz Brother, The Gambler, Geri, Geri and the Atrics tambourine player (episode 517, Gingerbread Man, Gorgon Heap (episode 201), Granny the Gouger, Gnu, Harold, Herman, House #1 (episode 107), House #2, Humpty Dumpty, Irving Bizarre, J.P. Grosse, Jar of Orange Marmalade, Jerry, John Cleese's Agent, Julius Strangepork, Koozebanian Phoob, Lenny the Lizard (episode 107), Leticia, Lew Zealand (1978-2003), Lewis Kazagger, Sundance (episode 416, episode 505), Luncheon Counter Monster (occasionally), Mean Mama (occasionally), Merdlidop, Mickey Moose, Miss Mousey, Mulch (episode 509), The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Opossum, Paul, Paul Revere, Pierre LaCousse, Pig Minister, Pops, Pris Rudolph, Punching Bag, The Queen (episode 121), Quongo (episode 513), Robin the Frog, Sacrificial Idol, Salzburg Sauerkraut Singer, Sarcophagus, Scotsman, Shark (episode 417), Screaming Thing,Shouting Lady, Singing Owl, Slim Wilson, The Sphinx, Statler's Grandson, Super Sheep, Talking Machine, Thog, Thudge McGerk, Tom, Dick, and Harry (Tom), Uncle Deadly, Vendaface, Vendawish, Whaddayasay Bird, Whatnot Monster, William Tell, The Witch Doctor, Yellow Creature, Yorick, Zelda Rose (episode 218)
 * Sesame Street: Adam T. Glaser, Andy, Baby Bree Boo Bop A Doo, Bennett Snerf (monster version), Biff, Bill Smith, Carlos, Chester O'Leary, Christopher Columbus, Chunky Cheese, Cookie Hood, Cookie Monster's Pop, Cookie Monster's Sister, Count von Count, Cousin Monster, Cyranose de Bergerac, David Finch, Dr. Livingstone, Dr. Snuffleupagus, Baby Monster, Ernest the Grouch, Farley, Farley (lavender boy), Felix the Grouch, Fico, Football, Frankie Monster, Frazzle, Fred the Wonder Horse, Frog ("We Are All Earthlings"), George, George, Granny Grouch, Grouch Cop, Grouch Mayor, H. Ross Parrot, Harvey Monster, Herbert Birdsfoot, Herry Monster, Hopalong Hamster, Humpty Dumpty, I. M. Pig, J Friend, Jack Be Nimble, Jackman Wolf, Japanese Storyteller, Jerome, Kathleen the Cow, Kermit the Forg, Kermit the Gorf, Kermit the Grof, King Wasteful V, Leo Birdelli, Leonard Birdseed, Leonard Wolf, Little Bo Peep, Little Jerry, Lord Hog, Marty, Maurice Monster, Mean Manny, Mike, Monster Cookie, Mr. Chatterly, Mr. Foot, Mr. Ice Cream Cone Man, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lucky, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Natalie, Nick Normal, Noel Cowherd, Number Guy, Oak Tree, Pamela, Parker Monster, Pesties, Phil Harmonic, Pierre, Prince Firstly, Professor Nucleus Von Fission, Ricardo Monsterban, Rick, Rocky (baby), Rocky (Wiggly Tooth), Rodeo Rosie, Ronnie Trash, Sam the Robot, Sammy the Snake, Sergeant Thursday, Sheriff Shrimp, Sherlock Hemlock, Simon Soundman, Sir John Feelgood, Slimey, Sullivan ("Numerical Correspondence"), Teeth, The Amazing Mumford, The Big Bad Wolf, The Big Bad Wolf, The Country Mouse, The Emperor, The Fastest Person in the Kingdom, The Gonk, The Great Fentini, The Hare, The London Frog, The Miller's Daughter, The Royal Barber, Angry, Snookey, Sparkey, The Smartest Person in the Kingdom, The Sun, The Young Man Who Lives in a Glove, Tina Twiddlebug, Tony, Tornado, Tough Eddie, Two-Headed Monster, Uncle Louie, Walter, Witch, Xavier, Yip Yip Martians, Zizzy Zoomer, The Oat Bran Zydeco "Je Ne Sais Quoi" Band Lead Singer, various announcers and others


 * The Jimmy Dean Show (1965-1966): Rowlf's right-hand


 * Commercials: Assisting for Southern Colonel, Nutty Bird, and others.


 * The Ed Sullivan Show


 * The Great Santa Claus Switch: Thog, Zippity, Snivelly, Green Scoff


 * Tales from Muppetland: Featherstone, Caleb Siles, Rover Joe the Hound Dog (puppet), Stepsister #2, Sweetums (puppetry only), T.R.


 * Muppet Meeting Films: Announcers, P. Fenton Cosgrove


 * One to One: The King of Phumph


 * Saturday Night Live: Scred


 * The Muppet Valentine Show


 * The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence: Envy, Gluttony, Gene Shalit Muppet, Mount Rushmore (Thomas Jefferson), Statler, Yellow Stalk


 * Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass: Beautiful Day Monster (voice only)


 * Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: Emmet Otter, Doc Bullfrog, Melissa Rabbit, Stanley Weasel, Will Possum, Yancey Woodchuck


 * The Muppet Movie


 * The Great Muppet Caper: Dirty Bird


 * The Dark Crystal: Dying Skeksis Emperor (voice), Skeksis High Priest (voice)


 * Fraggle Rock: Gobo Fraggle, Marjory the Trash Heap, Pa Gorg (face and voice), Architect Doozer, Archbanger Fraggle (Pipebanger), Balsam the Minstrel (occasional), Feenie Fraggle, Fishface Fraggle, Mervin Merggle, Rudy Vallee Doozer, Uncle Gobo


 * The Muppets Take Manhattan: Bear


 * Follow That Bird


 * The Christmas Toy: Balthazar


 * Little Muppet Monsters


 * A Muppet Family Christmas


 * The Jim Henson Hour: Beard, Orange Extreme, Jo Beth Garfdoohoo


 * The Muppet Christmas Carol: Ghost of Christmas Present (face and voice), Mr. Applegate, Father Mouse, Pig Businessmen, Rat Bookkeepers, Statler (as Jacob Marley)


 * Muppet Sing-A-Long: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs: Cecil Bear, Raccoon 2, The Turtle


 * The Secret Life of Toys: Balthazar, Bratty Rat, Dinkybeard


 * Muppet Classic Theater: The Big Bad Wolf, Royal Advisor


 * Muppet Treasure Island: Blind Pew, Mad Monty, Monocled Pirate, Monkey #1, Island Heads, Statler (as Figurehead of the Hispaniola)


 * The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The Snoozer


 * Muppets Tonight: A. Ligator, Baby Jerry, Clarissa, Dr. Watson, Eggheads, Elvises, Ernest Pleth, The Head of the Network, Indiana Rat, The Irish Rodents, Jowls, The Mad Bomber, Mama Fiama, Moo-Ing, Percy, Phil, The President, The Rock Lobsters, Rob Reiner Muppet, Robbie, Robot Abraham Lincoln, Stosh, Taylor the Turkey, Toshiro, and The Two-Headed Comic (Left Head).


 * Muppets from Space: Ubergonzo


 * The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Pestie, Grouch Mayor, Grouch Cop


 * Abby in Wonderland: The Counterpillar

Audio credits

 * Elmo and the Orchestra: Leonard Birdseed
 * It's Not Easy Being Green audio book: Performed quotes from Dr. Teeth, Fraggles, Doozers, the guitarist from The Cube, and others
 * Muppets Inside CD-ROM

Trivia

 * His daughter Christine made a cameo appearance with him in The Great Muppet Caper.