Sully

PERFORMER	Richard Hunt
DEBUT	1974
PATTERN	Pumpkin

Sully's hat before it was labelled with his name.

Sully and Biff

Sully playing the piano in Episode 1955

Sully is a construction worker, and a friend and colleague to Biff, who debuted in Season 5. He was first mentioned by name the previous season, when Biff first appeared in Episode 0487.

Sully is never heard speaking on the show, usually because the talkative Biff never lets him get a word in edgewise. In the song "Think of Your Fingers," Biff recalls Sully giving him advice on how to remember the number 5. In the book Big Bird Gets Lost, while drilling loudly, Biff tells Big Bird what Sully says. Biff actually listens to Sully in the introduction to "This Song is For the Birds," but as Sully whispered in Biff's ear, it's inaudible to the audience.

In one segment (First: Episode 1156), Grover asks Sully why the number two is his favorite number and, just as Sully starts to open his mouth, asks if the number two is the most wonderful number (he then shakes his head in disagreement). In Episode 3333, when Sully finally shows up on Sesame Street and Biff asks him what kept him, Bob interrupts Sully to inform Biff of what has happened. In Episode 2320, Biff keeps interrupting Sully as he instructs him to give a talk on listening, but when Biff leaves, Sully is interrupted by the announcer as the sponsors are announced.

One of the few instances of Sully being heard vocally was in Episode 1130, where his grunts and panting are audible when the two move a bathtub. Another is during Episode 1360 when he keeps sneezing after Biff puts too much pepper on his hamburger.

Despite his stoic nature, Sully joined Barbara Walters in the studio in the special Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!

Piano Playing

In addition to working in construction, Sully is skilled at playing the piano. However, Biff is sometimes oblivious to this. One of the first instances of Sully's piano talents came in Episode 0911, in which Biff and Sully move a piano. Biff tries to play some scales, having problems with a simple set of keys, but when he leaves, Sully plays a classical piece, with Biff unaware.

In Episode 1736, Biff wants Bob to give Sully lessons so the two can keep up (Bob initially thought the lessons were for Biff). After hearing Biff's poor playing and then hearing Sully play beautifully, Biff asks if Bob could teach Sully to play like him, to which Bob just says no. Bob's apartment was once again the location for one of Sully's performances in Episode 1955 when he lulled a flu-ridden Biff to sleep on Bob's couch.

In a season 17 segment, when Biff wants Sully to hold off on work until he gets his radio to listen to music, Sully builds a piano and plays music for Biff, who drowns out the music with his drilling (First: Episode 2120). Sully plays for their group Biff, Sully, and the Hardhats in Episode 2874. Away from Biff, Sully accompanied songs by Luis in Episode 2010 and Mr. Snuffleupagus in Episode 2126.

Notes

• At first, Richard Hunt was disappointed that Sully didn't talk, due to the producers being hesitant to pay Hunt more money. A year later, when the show was making more money, Hunt was told he could have Sully talk now, but by then he had become pleased with his development of the character and decided that Sully should not talk.

• In the 1990s, after Hunt's death, Sully was performed by David Rudman.

• In Episode 0606, Biff mentions that Sully is married and recently had a baby girl named Junior.

• Two construction-worker Anything Muppets who looked similar to Biff and Sully made background appearances in the "Outrageous Makeover: Home Edition" sketch. (First: Episode 4132) A stagehand that looked like Sully appeared in the "Survivor: Musical Chairs" sketch. (First: Episode 4134)

Filmography

See also Biff and Sully Sketches

• Sesame Street
• The Muppet Movie
• The Muppets Take Manhattan
• Follow That Bird
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
• Sing Along
• A Muppet Family Christmas
• Stars and Street Forever
• Elmopalooza
• Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
• The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo

Episodic appearances

Sully's debut appearance in Episode 0638.

• Season 5: 0638, 0665
• Season 6: 0671, 0674, 0694, 0695, 0702, 0720, 0735, 0753
• Season 7: 0810, 0817, 0821, 0829, 0837, 0838, 0839, 0869, 0872, 0873, 0909, 0911, 0925
• Season 8: 0942, 0943, 0950, 0955, 0961, 1009, 1021, 1045
• Season 9: 1130, 1137, 1138
• Season 10: 1190, 1200
• Season 11: 1360, 1361, 1362, 1371
• Season 13: 1610, 1613, 1650, 1667, 1689
• Season 14: 1733, 1736, 1773, 1782, 1799, 1831
• Season 15: 1863, 1871, 1955
• Season 16: 2010
• Season 17: 2126, 2148
• Season 18: 2289, 2294, 2320, 2355
• Season 19: 2443
• Season 21: 2619, 2658
• Season 22: 2791, 2792, 2793, 2795, 2802, 2826, 2870, 2874
• Season 23: 2906
• Season 25: 3154, 3193, 3260
• Season 26: 3333
• Season 30: 3845
• Season 40: 4204
• Season 47: 4712
• Season 50: 5017, 5033
• Season 51: 5115
• Season 54: 5425

Book appearances

• Big Bird Gets Lost (1979)
• Cookie Monster's Book of Cookie Shapes (1979)
• The Sesame Street Dictionary (1980)
• The Sesame Street Pet Show (1980)
• The Tool Box Book (1980)
• What Did You Bring? (1980)
• I Have a Friend (1981)
• A Day in the Life of Oscar the Grouch (1981)
• What Do You Do? (1981)
• City (1982)
• Sesame Street Finding Out Encyclopedia 5: The EF Book (1982)
• Sesame Street Finding Out Encyclopedia 9: The NO Book (1982)
• Sesame Street Finding Out Encyclopedia 13: The T Book (1982)
• Everyone Makes Mistakes (1983)
• Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street? (1984)
• Sesame Street ABC (1986)
• The Alphabet: The Great Alphabet Play (1986)
• A Birthday Surprise (1987)
• A New Playground on Sesame Street (1988)
• Oscar's Grouchy Sounds (1990)
• Bright and Early with Elmo (1994)
• Elmo's Night Before Christmas (1996)
• Where Is Elmo's Blanket? (1999)