Frank Meschkuleit

Frank Meschkuleit is a Canadian puppeteer who worked on Fraggle Rock, operating the body of Junior Gorg for the final season, and other productions. His Muppet career was launched when he was working as a bike mechanic, and a teacher encouraged him to audtion when Jim Henson put out an open casting call for a project:

“They needed 75 puppeteers, ’cause Jim Henson wanted to do a shot with the biggest number of puppeteers in the history of television... I did something hugely stupid. I drew a little sort of Senor Wences face on my hand and did my Tattoo voice from Fantasy Island. I just kept talking, figuring they’d throw me out any second.”

While working on Fraggle Rock, he met and married fellow puppeteer Sandra Shamas (who built several of her monologues around him), although the pair later divorces. Outside of the Muppets, Meschkuleit has puppeteered on such series as Iris the Happy Professor, Noddy, and Don't Eat the Neighbors. In film, he worked on Bride of Chucky, Scary Movie 3, and Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (operating a raccoon). He also performs his own one-man show, Frank's Left Hand, playing such diverse characters as failed actor Pinky (a pinky finger) and Tampy, a mouse made from a tampon on a stick.

Henson Credits

• Fraggle Rock: Background Fraggles, Junior Gorg (Beginning episode 86, body)
• Basil Hears a Noise
• Follow That Bird