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Jim Henson
Greenville, Mississippi, USA
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, actor, animator, creative producer, and director who achieved worldwide notability as the creator…
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James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, actor, animator, creative producer, and director who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and as the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), as well as creating the puppets for Sesame Street (1969). Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Maryland, Henson began developing puppets in high school. He created Sam and Friends (1955–1961), a short-form comedy television program on WRC-TV, while he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, in collaboration with fellow student Jane Nebel. Henson and Nebel co-founded Muppets, Inc. – now The Jim Henson Company – in 1958, and married less than a year later in 1959. Henson graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics. In 1969, Henson joined the children's television program Sesame Street (1969–present) where he helped to develop Muppet characters for the series. He and his creative team also appeared on the first season of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (1975–present). He produced the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show (1976–1981) during this period. Henson revolutionized the way puppetry is captured and presented in video media, and he won fame for his characters – particularly Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, and the characters on Sesame Street. During the later years of his life, he founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. He won the Emmy Award twice for his involvement in The Storyteller (1987–1988) and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). Henson died in New York City from toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. At the time of his death, he was in negotiations to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company, but talks fell through after his death. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and was named a Disney Legend in 2011. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jim Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2025
The First Snow of Fraggle Rock
Movie Characters
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2025
The Muppet Script
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2024
Joan Rivers at the BBC
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2024
Jim Henson Idea Man
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2023
The Muppets Mayhem
TV show Characters
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2022
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock
TV show Characters
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2021
Muppets Haunted Mansion
Movie Characters
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2021
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2020
Muppets Now
TV show Creator
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2019
Sesame Street: 50 Years and Counting
Movie Ernie / Kermit the Frog / Various Characters
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2019
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
TV show Characters
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2018
Muppet Babies
TV show Characters
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2015
Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow
Movie Story
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2015
The Muppets
TV show Characters
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2015
In Their Own Words: Jim Henson
Movie Self (archive footage)
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2015
In Their Own Words
TV show Self (archive footage)
More credits
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2015
Fozzie's Bear-ly Funny Fridays
Movie Creator
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2015
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Movie Self
- 2014
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2014
Muppets Most Wanted
Movie Kermit The Frog (archival recordings) (uncredited)
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2013
Lady Gaga & the Muppets Holiday Spectacular
Movie Characters
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2011
The Muppets
Movie Kermit the Frog (archive voice) (uncredited)
- 2009
- 2009
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2008
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
Movie Characters
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2008
Studio DC: Almost Live
TV show Characters
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2007
Reflections of 'The Dark Crystal'
Movie Self
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2006
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol
Movie Ernie (voice) (archive footage)
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2006
Muppets TV
TV show Characters
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2005
5, Rue Sésame
TV show Creator
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2005
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
Movie Characters
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2004
Muppet History 101
Movie
- 2004
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2004
Muppet Music Moments
Movie Self
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2004
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies
Movie Kermit the Frog
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2004
Sesame Street: Elmo's World: The Street We Live On!
Movie Ernie / Kermit the Frog / Mah Na Mah Na / Fat Blue / The Baker / King of 8 (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
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2004
Sesame Street: Cookie Monster's Best Bites
Movie Guy Smiley (voice, archive footage)
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2003
Muppets Magic from 'The Ed Sullivan Show!'
Movie Muppet Performer
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2002
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
Movie Characters
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2002
Kermit's Swamp Years
Movie Characters
