Lara MacLean (b. February 15, 1972)[1] has served as part of the crew for Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop and Jim Henson's Creature Shop on multiple Muppet and Henson projects. She was a guest student her Junior year of college at The University of Connecticut's Puppet Arts Program.
MacLean began performing on Sesame Street in 1996 while also wrangling for the show. She was puppet wrangler and the right hand for Tingo for Sesame English. She played a minor speaking role, Lara (a recycled Googel), for the resource video Learning is Everywhere. During Season 39, she performed background characters and assisted for Abby Cadabby, Baby Bear, and others. MacLean has also been one of the main wranglers for Big Bird.
MacLean rebuilt the heads of Marvin Suggs, Nigel, and Wayne for their return in The Muppets.
She is interviewed in the 2014 documentary I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story.
MacLean was also an additional puppeteer on the non-Muppet series Johnny and the Sprites and The Book of Pooh, and remote control puppeteer for Amazon's The Tick (starring Peter Serafinowicz). MacLean additionally served as an ensemble puppeteer on Sesame Workshop's new series, Helpsters on Apple TV+, acting as the remote control puppeteer for Heart.
Muppet/Henson credits[]
- Designer/Builder/Wrangler
- Sesame Street (credited seasons 27-30, 38, 40-49, 51-present)
- Aliens in the Family
- Do the Alphabet
- Learning to Share
- Imagine That!
- Elmocize
- Lead Away!
- Elmo Saves Christmas
- Get Up and Dance
- Telling the Truth
- Quiet Time
- Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies
- 123 Count with Me
- Elmo Says BOO!
- A Cathedral Christmas
- Elmopalooza
- Fiesta!
- The Alphabet Jungle Game
- The Great Numbers Game
- The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (season 2)
- A is for Asthma
- Big Bird Gets Lost
- Sesame English: Puppet wrangler
- Let's Eat!: Funny Food Songs
- Kids' Favorite Songs
- Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Floor captain, Muppet floor crew
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play
- CinderElmo
- Let's Make Music
- Language to Literacy
- Play with Me Sesame: Puppet wrangler
- Bear in the Big Blue House (season 4)
- Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments
- Let's Get Ready!
- Coming Home
- Bedtime with Elmo
- Elmo and Abby's Birthday Fun!
- Elmo Loves You
- When Families Grieve
- ABCs with Elmo
- Math Is Everywhere
- Growing Hope Against Hunger
- The Muppets (2011): Designer/builder; rebuilt heads of Marvin Suggs, Nigel, and Wayne
- Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me
- Big Elmo Fun
- Super Healthy Monsters
- Kinect Sesame Street TV
- Making Friends
- Little Children, Big Challenges
- Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration
- Words Are Here, There, and Everywhere
- The Furchester Hotel
- Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
- Iftah Ya Simsim: built Melsoon (2015 revival)
- Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
- The Magical Wand Chase
- The Happytime Murders: Los Angeles puppet fabricators and wrangling team
- When You Wish Upon a Pickle
- The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
- Elmo's World News
- Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt
- The Power of We
- Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock: Puppet builder
- Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular
- Cookie Monster's Bake Sale
- Oscar's Handmade Halloween
- Elmo and Tango Holiday Helpers
- Cookie Monster's Bake Sale: Back to School
- Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Live
- Puppeteer
- Sesame Street (credited seasons 32, 38, 39, 50, 51, 53-present)
- Sesame English: Tingo asst.
- Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play
- Elmo's Magic Cookbook
- Elmo's World: Wild Wild West!
- Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!
- Learning is Everywhere: Lara
- Talk, Listen, Connect: Changes
- Studio DC: Almost Live
- Being Green
- Elmo and Abby's Birthday Fun!
- ABCs with Elmo
- Jim Henson's Musical World
- Kinect Sesame Street TV: Cooper asst.
- Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
- Julie's Greenroom
- My Sesame Street Friends