"Sesame Street" is the most awarded children's program of all time, having won 209 Emmy Awards
over its first 50 years.
Unfortunately, many of the talented people responsible for these awards are no longer
with us.
Here's a look at the "Sesame Street" cast members you didn't know died.
Born in Brooklyn in 1908, Will Lee was a member of the Federal Theater Project and served
in World War II before joining the "Sesame Street" cast at the very beginning, in 1969.
One of the four original human characters on the show, Lee played Mr. Hooper, the curmudgeonly
grocery store owner who has a soft spot for the neighborhood's yellow feathered resident.
In 1970, he told Time:
"I was delighted to take the role of Mr. Hooper, the gruff grocer with the warm heart.
It's a big part, and it allows a lot of latitude.
But the show has something extra­, that sense you sometimes get from great theater, the
feeling that its influence never stops."
In that respect, he was right — his influence really never did stop, even after his death.
See, when Lee died of a heart attack in 1982, "Sesame Street" responded by addressing his
character's death on screen.
The episode, titled "Farewell, Mr. Hooper," frankly discussed death and dying, a complicated
subject that no children's series —save for "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" — was
willing to touch with a 10-foot pole.
This sort of teachable moment became the series' calling card, solidifying it as one of the
greatest educational programs of all time.
For almost 50 years, Carroll Spinney taught children their numbers and letters as Big
Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
The Massachusetts-born puppeteer found his love for the craft early in life, buying his
first puppet, a monkey, at a rummage sale as an elementary schooler.
In a PBS interview in 2003, Spinney described how Jim Henson found him backstage after seeing
him perform a live show called "Picklepuss and Friends".
According to Spinney, the show was awful, but that didn't stop Henson from asking him
to collaborate.
"And he said 'Listen, I'm going to work with a show named 'Sesame Street.'
I'm going to build a bird, going call it Big Bird, and a very grouchy character.
Would you be interested?'"
The rest, as they say, is history.
Spinney took over the characters, voicing them until 2018 when a condition called dystonia,
which causes involuntary muscle contractions, forced him into retirement.
He attributed his success with audiences to the fact that he did not forget what it was
like to be a child, telling The New York Times:
"I never got over it.
It was almost a problem for me, in fact, trying to grow up enough, even when I went into the
Air Force."
In 2019, at the age of 85, Spinney died at his home in Connecticut.
Keeping Mr. Hooper's shop open was David Smyrl, who succeeded Leonard Jackson as Mr. Handford,
the retired firefighter and proprietor of Hooper's Store.
Born in 1935 in Philadelphia, Smyrl began acting in the 1970s.
Before "Sesame Street," he was best known for his writing on "Benson" and his writing
and acting on "The Cosby Show."
In 1990, he joined the cast of the children's series, playing a lighter, happier, and more
prone-to-song version of Mr. Handford.
He seemed to enjoy the role, telling Connecticut's Record-Journal:
"You get to act stupid.
It's fun!
I get to do fun things like dance with Gloria Estefan."
Though he retired from "Sesame Street" in 1998, fans still remembered him fondly, with
one tweeting:
"Even as a little kid, I could get his wisdom [and] kindness.
RIP David Smyrl."
In 2016, the actor died from lung cancer, according to the Associated Press.
Though Jerry Nelson was the first actor to control the front end of Mr. Snuffleupagus,
Nelson is actually better known for his second character on the show, the number-obsessed
vampire Count von Count.
Nelson first met Jim Henson in the 1960s, when both men were working as freelance puppeteers
in New York City.
Their creative partnership really blossomed as they created half a dozen Muppet characters
who showed up in both "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show", including Mr. Snuffleupagus,
Count von Count, Sgt.
Floyd Pepper, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Camilla the Chicken, and Robin — Kermit's nephew.
Jerry voiced them all.
In fact, he was such an accomplished talent that his colleagues, including the great Carroll
Spinney, called him, quote "'the voice'" because "he could do anything," according to ToughPigs.
And he did it all, at least, until his declining health convinced him to give up the physically
demanding job.
In 2012, Nelson died in his Cape Cod home.
As is the case with many "Sesame Street" actors, Michael Earl found his love for puppetry at
a young age.
At 8 years old, he was putting on his own puppet shows, honing his skills enough that
as a teenager, he impressed puppeteers Kermit Love and Mike Oznowicz.
Earl said in an interview with ToughPigs:
"It was not until Jim Henson's funeral did I know that Mike had called Jim and Frank
[Oz] telling them about me, urging them to hire me, which they did, sight unseen for
'The Muppet Movie.'
I had just turned 19."
It wasn't long before Jim Henson invited the youngster to join the "Sesame Street" cast
as the new Mr. Snuffleupagus, replacing Jerry Nelson.
During his time on the series, Michael Earl took on a number of other characters, including
Slimey the Worm, and Forgetful Jones — an original character created just for him.
After leaving the program, Earl opened his own puppetry school called Puppet School,
which offered classes in New York, L.A., and Seattle.
In 2012, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, and in 2015, at 56 years old, he sadly died
from the illness.
Prior to her big break on "Diff'rent Strokes," which led to her most memorable role on "The
Facts of Life," Charlotte Rae starred on "Sesame Street" for a single season.
From 1971 to 1972, the actor played Molly the Mail Lady, delivering letters to the residents
of the neighborhood.
During her time on "Sesame Street," Rae, who had been struggling with alcoholism for some
time, "spiraled out of control", according to MeTV.
She identified the show's strenuous hours as a factor behind her addiction and admitted
that she went to her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting after "Sesame Street's" Season 3 wrap
party.
At the time of her death, in 2018, Rae had been sober for 43 years.
The "Sesame Street" Twitter account honored the actor, saying:
"Charlotte was a friend to all and she will be greatly missed on Sesame Street."
Willy the Vendor, "Sesame Street's" favorite hot dog man, might not be a character you
remember well.
However, the actor who played him, Kermit Love, was integral to the development and
success of the series.
A costume designer by trade, Love helped create the Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Mr. Snuffleupagus
characters we know so well.
A firm believer in the use and power of one's imagination, he told The New York Times about
his work on "Sesame Street": "You know, the most important thing about
puppets is that they must project their imagination, and then the audience must open their eyes
and imagine."
In 2008, Love died from congestive heart failure.
His former colleague, Carroll Spinney, remembered Love in Variety, saying:
"Kermit was definitely a totally unique person.
"He looked very much like Santa Claus but was a little bit more like the Grinch."
An integral, if lesser-known, member of the "Sesame Street" cast, Richard Hunt was the
puppeteer behind Don Music, Sully the construction worker, Forgetful Jones, Gladys the Cow, Placido
Flamingo, and Elmo — for a single year.
He also joined Jim Henson on "The Muppet Show" playing numerous characters, including Miss
Piggy — a role he shared with Frank Oz for one season.
"Hi, Piggy."
"Don't 'hi Piggy' me, you frog-stealer!"
Hunt joined the "Sesame Street" cast in 1972, at 19 years old, after cold-calling Henson's
team a couple years prior, according to LGBTQ Nation.
For the next twenty years — the rest of his life — Richard worked on the series,
becoming a mentor to the newer cast members and saying yes to every other Muppets-based
project he was offered.
In the late '80s, he was diagnosed with HIV, and in 1992, he died of complications from
AIDS.
Upon his death, Brian Henson told the Associated Press:
"His endless talents, great wit, and indomitable spirit will be deeply missed by all of us
[...] and I will miss a best friend and a big brother."
Michael Jeter played Mr. Noodle in the "Elmo's World" segments of "Sesame Street," beginning
in 2000.
He took over the part after Bill Irwin, the original Mr. Noodle, became unavailable.
The role, while one of his favorites, was far from his only notable part.
In 1990, Jeter won a Tony for his performance in "Grand Hotel," and in 1992, he won an Emmy
for his work on "Evening Shade."
At the time of his death, his publicist, Dick Guttman, told the Associated Press:
"Kids would recognize him and come running up to him, 'Mr. Noodle!
Mr. Noodle!'
He really loved that."
In 2003, at just 50 years old, Michael Jeter was found dead in his home.
It was later noted that he was HIV-positive, but the cause of his death was never revealed
publicly, as he reportedly was in good health prior to his passing.
His last project, the Christmas movie "The Polar Express" was finished posthumously,
as the actor had completed enough of his scenes that his character was able to be preserved.
Tough Pigs, a Muppets fansite, wrote that Matt Robinson is, quote, "arguably the most
important and influential person of color to have ever worked in the Henson worlds."
Originally tasked with overseeing the series' diversity, Robinson was eventually cast as
Gordon, one of the first human characters on the show, after another actor didn't work
out.
He also voiced the puppet Roosevelt Franklin.
According to the outlet, and as evidenced by his work on the series:
"[Robinson provided] crucial input on how to teach kids about tolerance, acceptance,
and the importance of diversity."
He ensured that the show didn't only help children master academic concepts, but social
and emotional skills as well.
In 2002, Robinson died from Parkinson's disease.
Roscoe Orman, a successor to the Gordon role, remembered Robinson as, quote, "one of the
most amazingly eclectic creative types that [he'd] ever [known]."
After his stint on "Sesame Street," Robinson went on to write for very successful sitcoms,
including "The Cosby Show," "Sanford and Son," and "Eight is Enough."
Gordon's sister Olivia arrived on "Sesame Street" in 1976.
Played by Alaina Reed Hall, the character appeared in dozens of skits with Roscoe Orman
— who played Gordon at that time — teaching kids about sibling relationships.
Per The New York Times, the Ohio-born actor held a number of roles in addition to being
a regular cast member on the children's series.
Among them were roles in movies such as "Death Becomes Her" and landmark TV series "ER, and
"227".
But it was her turn as Olivia that she is perhaps best remembered for, which seems fitting
as she spent over a decade in the neighborhood.
In 2009, she died of breast cancer.
Relatively private in real life, not much is known about Ms. Hall, other than the fact
that she was survived by her husband and her two children.
Years before he hit the big screen as Gomez,
the ghoulish patriarch of "The Addams Family" 1990s movies, Raul Julia was teaching children
Spanish on "Sesame Street."
"Let's count the cards in Spanish, okay?
Uno...dos...tres."
His character, Rafael the fix-it-man, only appeared on the show for a single season in
the early 1970s.
Born in Puerto Rico, Julia spent most of his career wowing audiences on stage in Broadway
productions, and with several projects on the big screen.
But it was his groundbreaking role in "Sesame Street," as one of the only Latino characters
on television at the time, that he will most certainly be remembered for.
When he died in 1994 of complications following a stroke, a reader wrote to The New York Times:
"Your Oct. 25 obituary on Raul Julia neglected to cite one of the actor's activities that
touched the lives of countless people well before 'The Addams Family.'
I vividly recall the warmth, charm, and intelligence of Mr. Julia's character in the 1970 debut
season of 'Sesame Street.'
His English and Spanish rendition of 'Sing, Sing a Song' never failed to captivate me
and my young daughter."
Of course, how can we possibly forget the most obvious of them all?
You probably knew this one.
An innovator and visionary, Jim Henson was the mastermind behind the Muppets that have
inhabited Sesame Street for over five decades.
The first characters Henson created for the show included Bert & Ernie, Oscar the Grouch,
and, of course, Big Bird.
These larger-than-life puppets taught children their ABCs and 1-2-3s, and the characters
imparted lessons on topics including empathy, death, and friendship.
Despite the fact that these characters brought Henson's career to new heights, the puppeteer
wasn't always thrilled with their success.
Joan Ganz Cooney recalled in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation:
"He called in about 1972 with a cri de coeur one Saturday, saying 'You've destroyed my
life [...] My worst nightmare has now occurred: I am taken as a children's performer.'"
Ganz Cooney assured him that he'd break out of that box, and, with the success of such
esteemed projects as "The Muppet Show" and "Fraggle Rock," he certainly did, establishing
himself as a, quote, "puppeteer for people of all ages," as The New York Times put it.
Then, in 1990, the magic was cut short when Henson was hospitalized with breathing difficulties.
The following day, he died of pneumonia at the age of 53.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call the Substance Abuse
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That's 1-800-662-4357.