Caroll Spinney, the Sesame Street puppeteer who created Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, has died today at his home in Connecticut. He was 85.
Sesame Street shared a statement on their Facebook page:
Caroll Spinney, the legendary puppeteer behind beloved Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, died today, December 8th, 2019, at age 85 at his home in Connecticut, after living with Dystonia for some time.
Since 1969, Caroll’s kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street. His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while. In these characters, Caroll Spinney gave something truly special to the world. With the deepest admiration, Sesame Workshop is proud to carry his legacy – and his beloved characters – into the future. Our hearts go out to his beloved wife, Debra, and all of his children and grandchildren. We will miss him dearly.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
