Miss Piggy with her agent
Brillstein with Piggy and John Lovelady
Bernie Brillstein (1931-2008) was Jim Henson's manager and close friend throughout most of Henson's career. He got his start in show business through his uncle, former Ziegfeld Follies star Jack Pearl. After graduating from New York University, Brillstein was working as an agent in 1960 at the New York offices of William Morris Agency when he became Henson's first talent agent. At William Morris, Brillstein sold Rowlf the Dog (performed by Henson) as a regular on The Jimmy Dean Show.
When Brillstein left William Morris in 1964 to become a manager at Kummer and Associates, Henson followed him. Thus Brillstein transitioned from being Henson's agent to being his talent manager—a relationship that lasted until Henson's passing in 1990. Brillstein represented all of the key talent on the variety show Our Place. Brillstein launched the Brillstein Company in 1969, and by that year he was openly trying to sell a prime-time adult oriented Muppet series (what would become The Muppet Show) to the networks. Frustrated by network rejection, according to Brillstein, he had insomnia and decided "If I can't sell the Muppets, I'm going to sell something else," which led to the creation of Hee Haw.[1]
Eventually, The Muppet Show did sell, and Brillstein secured many of the first season guest stars. In addition, Brillstein pushed for the merchandising of the Sesame Street Muppet characters, something Henson was reluctant to do until Brillstein convinced him that profits from the deal would allow Henson artistic freedom for the rest of his life.[2] One of the later projects he collaborated with Henson on was the pilot Puppetman, as a joint project between Henson Associates and Bernie Brillstein Productions, Inc. (and Henson and Brillstein sharing executive producer credit).
Over the years, Bernie Brillstein signed and developed such talents as John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Lorne Michaels, Alan Zweibel, Rob Lowe, Martin Short, John Larroquette, Bob Odenkirk, Wayne Brady, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, Adam Sandler, Dennis Miller, Molly Shannon, and David Spade.
Brillstein and David Lazer were responsible for Jim Henson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Brillstein's autobiography, Where Did I Go Right? You're No One in Hollywood Unless Someone Wants You Dead, captures many moments of behind-the-scenes dealings and personal stories associated with Henson and the Muppets. Although Brillstein also represented Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and several cast members, Brillstein states in his memoir that including the Muppets in season 1 of the show was the idea of executives at NBC. The book also contains several photos with Henson and associates, as well as Brillstein's Muppet likeness.
Apart from his work with the Muppets and Saturday Night Live, Brillstein executive-produced ALF, It's Garry Shandling's Show, NewsRadio, and Just Shoot Me! In feature films, Brillstein's credits as executive producer included Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, The Blues Brothers, Dragnet, Spies Like Us, Happy Gilmore, and The Cable Guy. He made a cameo as himself on The Sopranos.
Brillstein received his own star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001. In his later years, he served on the Dean's Council at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
The Name "Bernie"[]
In addition to being Henson's manager, Brillstein was also Henson's close personal friend; thus, writers often included tributes to Brillstein's name in their scripts.
- Bernie is the long-running agent or manager referred to by the Muppets in various scripts and appearances.
- Bernie the Agent, played by Dom DeLuise in The Muppet Movie, was named after Brillstein.
- In the Sesame Street sketch "Singin' in the Rain" (First: Episode 2961) starring Prairie Dawn and Grover, Grover leaves the set to take lunch with Bernie.
- Brillstein's name was used in episode 519 of The Muppet Show as a fictitious guest who refused to come on the show, Benny Brillstein the Yiddish Yodeler.
- In one version of "Doin' the Pigeon," before Bert begins singing, he shows a live-action film which he has taped in Asbury Park of a group of pigeons. One of them he has named Bernie (he's the one with the feathers), whom Bert claims to really be a character.
- Peter Falk's guess at Kermit's story in The Great Muppet Caper includes a brother-in-law named Bernie.
- In Into the Night, Jim Henson makes a cameo appearance as "Man on Phone" who is having an argument with someone named Bernie.
- Miss Piggy's Treasury of Art Masterpieces from the Kermitage Collection includes a foreword by Piggy's art dealer, B. Bernard "Bernie" Bernhardt Bernier Bernardi.
- In a 1996 appearance on Martha Stewart's Home for the Holidays, Piggy yells to Bernie and Billy Bob to "back up the truck" and take Christmas decor from Martha Stewart.
See also[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Brillstein, Bernie. Where Did I Go Right?. p. 101-102
- ↑ ibid. p. 110