Jim henson biography movie about henry

American puppeteer (1936–1990)

This article psychiatry about the puppeteer. For distinction company he co-founded, see Character Jim Henson Company. For significance man who escaped slavery, hypothesis Jim Henson (memorialist).

James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as goodness creator of the Muppets.

Puppeteer was also well known manner creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) have a word with as the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986).

Born in Greenville, River, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Colony, Henson began developing puppets down high school.

He created Sam and Friends (1955–1961), a short-form comedy television program on WRC-TV, while he was a neophyte at the University of Colony, College Park, in collaboration take on fellow student Jane Nebel. Puppeteer and Nebel co-founded Muppets, Opposition. – now The Jim Puppeteer Company – in 1958, soar married less than a best later in 1959.

Henson piecemeal from the University of Colony with a degree in people economics.

In 1969, Henson connubial the children's educational television info Sesame Street (1969–present) where powder helped to develop Muppet noting for the series. He skull his creative team also arised on the first season be alarmed about the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (1975–present).

He leak out the sketch comedy television additional room The Muppet Show (1976–1981) significant this period. Henson revolutionized probity way puppetry is captured arm presented in video media, beginning he won fame for ruler characters – particularly Kermit primacy Frog, Rowlf the Dog, sports ground the characters on Sesame Street. During the later years mislay his life, he founded birth Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

He won the Emmy Award twice tail his involvement in The StoryTeller (1987–1988) and The Jim Puppeteer Hour (1989).

Henson died constrict New York City in 1990 from toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. At depiction time of his death, crystalclear was in negotiations to market his company to The Walt Disney Company, but talks tegument casing through after his death.

Fair enough was posthumously awarded a knowhow on the Hollywood Walk be more or less Fame in 1991, and was named a Disney Legend cage up 2011.

Early life

James Maury Puppeteer was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi, glory younger of two children take off Betty Marcella (née Brown, 1904–1972) and Paul Ransom Henson (1904–1994), an agronomist for the Collective States Department of Agriculture.^[3] Henson's older brother, Paul Ransom Puppeteer Jr.

(1932–1956), died in well-organized car crash on April 15, 1956. He was raised translation a Christian Scientist and weary his early childhood in neighbourhood Leland, Mississippi, before moving narrow his family to University Restricted area, Maryland, near Washington, D.C., divide the late 1940s and subsequent to Bethesda, Maryland.^[4] He everlasting the arrival of the family's first television as "the foremost event of his adolescence",^[5] exploit heavily influenced by radio ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the ill-timed television puppets of Burr Tillstrom on Kukla, Fran and Ollie and Bil and Cora Baird.^[5] He remained a Christian Soul at least into his decennium, when he taught Sunday faculty, but he wrote to regular Christian Science church in glory early 1970s to inform them that he was no person a practicing member.^[6]

Career

Education

Henson attended topping variety of grade schools imprisoned his youth, including Hyattsville Lanky School until it was blocked in 1951.

He completed government high school career at rank newly opened Northwestern High Nursery school, where he joined the puppetry club.

He enrolled at depiction University of Maryland, College Estate, the following fall as wonderful studio arts major, thinking delay he might become a advertising artist. As a freshman fighting the university, Jim took ingenious newly offered puppetry class mainly populated with seniors, including monarch future wife Jane Nebel.

Perform graduated in 1960 with well-ordered Bachelor of Science degree make a claim home economics.

Early career: 1954–1961

Henson began working at WTOP-TV (now WUSA-TV) in the late emerge of 1954, at age 17, hired to "manipulate marionettes" patronage a Saturday morning children's prepare called The Junior Morning Show, until the show was off only three weeks later.

That first break into the Seethe industry was short-lived, but consummate talent landed him and emperor puppets an opportunity to keep up working at WTOP-TV, lip-syncing close Roy Meachum's Saturday show.

Henson's office at WTOP-TV lasted only on hold August, when Saturday was too cancelled.

Meachum then referred Jim to the local NBC-affiliate place WRC-TV, where Henson continued performance his puppets with Jane's value. The two were eventually offered a nightly segment for which they created Sam and Friends, a five-minute puppet show think about it afforded Henson much more magnitude to develop his own clever work.

The characters on Sam and Friends were forerunners realize the Muppets, and the flaunt included a prototype of Henson's most famous character Kermit rank Frog. He remained at WRC until Sam and Friends airy its last episode on Dec 15, 1961.

In the show, Puppeteer began experimenting with techniques turn this way changed the way in which puppetry was used on urgency, foregoing the convention of point the camera at a standing puppet theatreproscenium and instead utility the image created by rectitude TV camera and lens inconspicuously dynamically engage with his script.

He believed that television puppets needed to have "life lecturer sensitivity".^[14] Rather than carving stiff puppets Henson built characters chomp through softer, flexible materials like sparkle rubber;^[15] his first iteration reproach Kermit was made from systematic halved table tennis ball streak fabric from an old greatcoat belonging to his mother, collide with denim from a pair time off jeans forming the sleeve be conscious of the puppeteer's arm.^[16]

Though Puppeteer told people that "Muppet" was a portmanteau of "marionette" move "Puppet", many early Muppets were actually hand puppets, rod puppets, or some combination of prestige two.

Direct control over rendering puppet's mouth, in combination occur the softer construction materials, constitutional the puppeteer to express a- wider range of emotions come first to more accurately move ethics puppet's mouth along with prestige character's dialogue or while lip-syncing to music. Commenting on crown puppet design philosophy, Henson said,

"A lot of people build observe stiff puppets—you can barely flying buttress the things—and you can kiss and make up very little expression out admit a character that you buoy barely move.

Your hand has a lot of flexibility make longer it, and what you wish to do is to constitute a puppet that can state espy all that flexibility."

Sam and Friends was a financial success, on the contrary Henson began to have doubts about going into a life's work performing with puppets once take action graduated.

He spent six weeks in Europe during the season of 1958, originally with blue blood the gentry intent to study painting, on the contrary was surprised to learn lapse puppets were considered just whereas serious of an art morsel as painting or sculpture. Tail end returning to the United States he and Jane made their partnership official, creating Muppets, Opposition.

in November of that hire year,^[19] then marrying each annoy in 1959.

Television and Muppets: 1961–1969

Henson spent much of the following two decades working in commercials, talk shows, and children's projects before realizing his dream defer to the Muppets as "entertainment unjustifiable everybody".^[5] The popularity of culminate work on Sam and Friends in the late 1950s destroy to a series of visitant appearances on network talk famous variety shows.

He appeared importation a guest on many shows, including The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Program, endure The Ed Sullivan Show. (Sullivan introduced him as "Jim Newsom and his Puppets" on Sept 11, 1966.) These television broadcasts greatly increased his exposure, best to hundreds of commercial niceties by Henson characters throughout significance 1960s.

Among the most popular unconscious Henson's commercials was a keep fit for the local Wilkins Ecru company in Washington, D.C., actualized for a campaign managed tough advertising manager Helen Ver Standig.^[22] Most of the Wilkins advertisements followed a similar formula: bend in half Muppets, in this case first name Wilkins and Wontkins (usually both voiced by Henson), would come out in the open.

Wilkins would extol the concoction while Wontkins would express diadem hatred for it, prompting fleshly retaliation from Wilkins; Wontkins strength be shot with a artillery piece, struck in the head exhausted a hammer or baseball sparkle, or have a pie scared out of your wits in his face.^[23] The Jim Henson Company has posted spick short selection of them.^[24] Puppeteer later explained, "Till then, advertisement agencies believed that the sour sell was the only unconnected to get their message call for on television.

We took nifty very different approach. We reliable to sell things by conception people laugh."

The first seven-second commercials for Wilkins were an urgent hit and were later remade for other local coffee companies throughout the United States, specified as Community Coffee, Red Field Coffee, La Touraine Coffee, Nash's Coffee, and Jomar Instant coffee.^[22] The characters were so wealthy in selling coffee that erelong other companies began seeking them to promote their products, specified as bakeries like Merita Breads, service station chains such whilst Standard Oil of Ohio snowball the downstreamassets of Marathon Oil,^[25] and beverage bottlers such since Faygo.

Over 300 "Wilkins charge Wontkins" commercials were made. High-mindedness ads were primarily produced suggestion black and white, but dried up color examples also exist.

Henson sold the rights to Explorer and Wontkins to the Biochemist Company, who allowed marketing professional John T. Brady to barter the rights to some toymakers and film studios.

However, breach July 1992 Brady was sued by Jim Henson Productions shelter unfair competition in addition pull out copyright and trademark infringement. Character Henson company claimed that Photographer was incorrectly using Henson's honour and likeness in their attempts to license the characters.^[26]

In 1963, Henson and his wife watchful to New York City annulus the newly formed Muppets, Opposition.

resided for some time. Jane quit performing to raise their children, and Henson hired man of letters Jerry Juhl in 1961 unacceptable puppet performer Frank Oz nickname 1963 to replace her.^[27] Puppeteer credited them both with thriving much of the humor with the addition of character of his Muppets.^[28] Puppeteer and Oz developed a wrap up friendship and a performing society that lasted until Henson's death; their teamwork is particularly apparent in their portrayals of Bert and Ernie, Kermit and Fail to keep Piggy, and Kermit and Fozzie Bear.^[29] In New York Give, Henson formed a partnership be more exciting Bernie Brillstein, who managed Henson's career until the puppeteer's death.^[30] In the years that followed, more performers joined Henson's line-up, including Jerry Nelson, Richard Stalk, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Fran Brill, and Kevin Clash.

In 1964 he and his kindred moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, circle they lived until 1971, while in the manner tha they moved to Bedford, Spanking York.^[31]

Henson's talk show appearances culminated when he devised Rowlf, out piano-playing anthropomorphic dog that became the first Muppet to put together regular appearances on The Prise Dean Show.

Henson was inexpressive grateful for this break defer he offered Jimmy Dean straight 40-percent interest in his manufacture company, but Dean declined, stating that Henson deserved all goodness rewards for his own ditch, a decision of conscience give it some thought Dean never regretted.^[32] From 1963 to 1966, Henson began snooping filmmaking and produced a additional room of experimental films.^[33][34] His nine-minute experimental film Time Piece was nominated for an Academy Premium for Best Live Action Little Film in 1965.

He revive The Cube in 1969. Go around this time, he wrote say publicly first drafts of a live-action movie script with Jerry Juhl which became Tale of Sand. The script remained in birth Henson Company archives until put on show was adapted in the 2012 graphic novel Jim Henson's Narrative of Sand.^[35]

During this time, Puppeteer continued to work with indefinite companies who sought out consummate Muppets for advertising purposes.

Betwixt his clients were Wilson Meats, Royal Crown Cola, Claussen's Food, La Choy, and Frito-LayMunchos vehement of potato snacks. Like integrity Wilkins Coffee ads of significance late 1950s and early Decade, the formula stayed fairly like. For instance, one of loftiness Claussen's commercials featured Kermit greatness Frog dangling from a tumbler while a character named Solicit asks him if he paralysed a loaf of the company's bread; when Kermit says closure did not, Mack closes justness window on Kermit's fingers squeeze causes him to fall, signifying he "drop down" to glory grocery store to buy boss loaf.

Sesame Street: 1969

Main article: Sesame Street

In 1969, television grower Joan Ganz Cooney and an extra staff at the Children's Swarm Workshop were impressed by nobleness quality and creativity of blue blood the gentry Henson-led team, so they without prompting Henson and staff to pointless full-time on Sesame Street, expert children's program for public confirm that premiered on National Enlightening Television on November 10, 1969.

Part of the show was set aside for a furniture of funny, colorful puppet system jotting living on Sesame Street, with Grover, , Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, and Full Bird. Henson performed the noting of Ernie, game-show host Chap Smiley, and Kermit, who comed as a roving television material reporter.

Henson's Muppets initially arrived separately from the realistic segments on the Street, but leadership show was revamped to bring the two segments, placing well-known greater emphasis on Henson's labour.

Cooney frequently praised Henson's crack, and PBS called him "the spark that ignited our fledged broadcast service."^[5] The success characteristic Sesame Street also allowed him to stop producing commercials, queue he said that "it was a pleasure to get be revealed of that world".^[22]

Henson was as well involved in producing various shows and animation inserts during dignity first two seasons.

He wind up successfully a series of counting pictures for the numbers 1 waste 10 which always ended fumble a baker (voiced by Henson) falling down the stairs linctus carrying the featured number publicize desserts. He also worked possessions a variety of inserts cargo space the numbers 2 through 12, including the films "Dollhouse"; "Number Three Ball Film"; the stop-motions "King of Eight" and "Queen of Six"; the cut-out high spirits "Eleven Cheer"; and the pc animation "Nobody Counts To 10." He also directed the innovative "" and Tales from Muppetland, a short series of Small screen movie specials that were mirthful retellings of classic fairy tales aimed at a young encounter and hosted by Kermit rendering Frog.

The series included Hey, Cinderella!, The Frog Prince, obtain The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.

Expansion of audience: 1970–1978

Henson, Oz, bid his team were concerned become absent-minded the company was becoming stereotype solely as purveyors of apprentice entertainment, so they targeted include adult audience with a pile of sketches on the supreme season of the late-night survive television variety show Saturday Untrue Live.

Eleven Land of Gorch sketches were aired between Oct 1975 and January 1976 ideas NBC, with four additional solemnity in March, April, May, spreadsheet September 1976. Henson liked Lorne Michaels' work and wanted secure be a part of note, but he ultimately concluded think it over "what we were trying be proof against do and what his writers could write for it not in any degree gelled".^[22] The SNL writers were not comfortable writing for honesty characters, and they frequently disparaged Henson's creations.

Michael O'Donoghue raring to go, "I won't write for felt."^[37]

Henson began developing a Broadway sham and a weekly television collection both featuring the Muppets.^[22] Character American networks rejected the sequence in 1976, believing that Muppets would appeal only to grand child audience.

Then, Henson organized the show to British promoter Lew Grade to finance greatness show. The show would possibility shot in the United Territory and syndicated worldwide.^[38] That harmonized year, he scrapped plans practise his Broadway show and attacked his creative team to England, where The Muppet Show began taping.

The show featured Kermit as host, with a diversity of prominent characters, notably Icy Piggy, Gonzo the Great, sit Fozzie Bear, in addition inspire its large cast of germaneness characters such as the Muppet musicians Dr. Teeth and class Electric Mayhem with their cluttered drummer Animal. Henson's teammates off compared his role to renounce of Kermit: a shy, alert boss with "a whim resolve steel"^[29] who ran things come into view "an explosion in a mattress factory."^[39]Caroll Spinney, who performed restructuring Big Bird, remembered that Puppeteer would never say he upfront not like something.

"He would just go 'Hmm.' ... And theorize he liked it, he would say, 'Lovely!'"^[4] Henson recognized Kermit as an alter ego, sift through he thought that Kermit was bolder than he; he flawlessly said of the character: "He can say things I fascinate back."^[40]

Transition to the big screen: 1979–1986

The Muppets appeared in their first theatrical feature film The Muppet Movie in 1979.

Paraphernalia was both a critical topmost financial success; it made $65.2 million domestically and was the 61st highest-grossing film at the time.^[42] Henson's idol Edgar Bergen mind-numbing at age 75 during handiwork of the film, and Puppeteer dedicated it to his remembrance. Henson as Kermit sang "Rainbow Connection", and it hit delivery 25 on the Billboard Scorching 100 and was nominated rep an Academy Award for Pre-eminent Original Song.

The Henson-directed The Great Muppet Caper (1981) followed, and Henson decided to intention the Muppet Show to convert on making films,^[3] though position Muppet characters continued to come out in TV movies and specials.^{[citation needed]}

Henson also aided others layer their work.

During development finely tuned The Empire Strikes Back (1980), George Lucas asked him put your name down aid make-up artist Stuart Freeborn in the creation and language of Yoda. Lucas had as well wanted Henson to puppeteer rank character, but Henson instead recommended Frank Oz for the role; Oz performed the role advocate continued in the subsequent Star Wars films.

Lucas lobbied deficiently to have Oz nominated receive an Academy Award for Unqualified Supporting Actor.

In 1982, Henson supported the Jim Henson Foundation have got to promote and develop the estrangement of puppetry in the Allied States. Around that time, subside began creating darker and bonus realistic fantasy films that outspoken not feature the Muppets focus on displayed "a growing, brooding commercial in mortality."^[29] He co-directed The Dark Crystal (1982) with Oz, "trying to go toward capital sense of realism—toward a feature of creatures that are in reality alive".^[22] To provide a optic style distinct from the Muppets, the puppets in The Black Crystal were based on theoretical artwork by Brian Froud,^[45] endure it was a critical health, winning several industry awards inclusive of the Saturn Award for Cap Fantasy Film and the Luxurious Prize Winner at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival.^[46] The pelt was less financially successful bank on theaters, but later claimed trace enormous following and revenue as it was introduced on VHS for home entertainment.^[47] Also guarantee 1982, Henson co-founded Henson Supranational Television with Peter Orton presentday Sophie Turner Laing as sovereign partners.

The company was tidy distribution company for children's, teens' and family television.^[48]

Henson worked convene Oz again on The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), this prior with Oz as sole pretentious. The film grossed $25.5 bundle domestically^[50] of a budget get the message only around $8 million, predominant ranked as one of dignity top 40 films of 1984.^[52]

Labyrinth (1986) was a fantasy lose one\'s train of thought Henson directed by himself, but—despite some positive reviews; The Newborn York Times called it "a fabulous film"—it was a paying disappointment.^[53] This demoralized Henson; rule son Brian Henson described state publicly as "the closest I've peculiar him to turning in wrapping himself and getting quite depressed."^[29] The film later became spruce up cult classic.^[54]

In 1984 Henson take a trip to Moscow, where he complete a film about Sergei Obraztsov.^[55] Henson also donated four dolls to the puppeteer to refill the Moscow Museum of Obraztsov Puppets: Fraggle, Skeksi, Bugard, talented Robin the Frog.

Of rank show's guests, the Henson Recorder points out that Jim Puppeteer placed a special importance ponder meeting Obraztsov: "As a lad learning to make puppets, Jim checked out some books free yourself of the public library for harmony – one was Obraztsov’s 1950 book, My Profession"^[56][57][58]

Last years: 1987–1990

Henson continued creating children's television, specified as Fraggle Rock and authority animated Muppet Babies.

He too continued to address darker, auxiliary mature themes with the institution and mythology-oriented show The StoryTeller (1988), which won an Honour for Outstanding Children's Program. Integrity next year, he returned offer television with The Jim Puppeteer Hour, which mixed lighthearted Muppet fare with more risqué matter.

It was critically well-received forward won him another Emmy suffer privation Outstanding Directing in a Class or Music Program, but luxuriate was canceled after 12 episodes due to poor ratings. Puppeteer blamed its failure on NBC's constant rescheduling.^[59]

In late 1989, Puppeteer entered into negotiations to hawk his company and characters (excluding those from Sesame Street) go up against The Walt Disney Company book almost $150 million, hoping that sharptasting would "be able to disburse a lot more of dank time on the creative flatten of things" with Disney operation business matters.^[59] By 1990, noteworthy had completed production on rectitude television special The Muppets unexpected defeat Walt Disney World and justness Disney-MGM Studios attraction Muppet*Vision 3D and he was developing integument ideas and a television lean-to entitled Muppet High.^[4]

Personal life

Henson build up fellow puppeteer Jane Nebel were married on May 28, 1959, in a small ceremony bogus Jane's family home.

They challenging five children: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl (born 1961), Brian (born 1963), John (1965–2014),^[61] and Colour Henson (born 1970).^[62] Henson be proof against his wife separated in 1986, although they remained close backer the rest of his life.^[63] Jane said that Henson was so involved with his drudgery that he had very slender time to spend with show someone the door or their children.^[63] His issue began working with Muppets elbow an early age, partly due to "one of the best conduct of being around him was to work with him", according to Cheryl.^[14][64] Henson was straight strong supporter of the nonmilitary rights movement.^[65]

Illness and death

Henson comed with Kermit on The Arsenio Hall Show in Los Angeles on May 4, 1990.

That was his final television rise. Shortly afterwards, he privately proscribed to his publicist that sharp-tasting was tired and had smart sore throat, but that be active believed it would soon travel away. On May 12, Puppeteer traveled to Ahoskie, North Carolina, with his daughter Cheryl come close to visit his father and materfamilias.

They returned to their voters in New York City leadership following day, and Henson inoperative a Muppet recording session digress had been scheduled for May well 14, 1990, due to ill health.^[4] His wife came to visit that night.

Henson was having trouble breathing while in the manner tha he woke up at haunt 2:00 a.m.

EDT on May 15, and he began coughing denote blood. He suggested to tiara wife that he might aptly dying, but he did weep want to take time shelve from his schedule to go again a hospital. Two hours following, Henson agreed to be tied up by taxi to the difficulty room at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital response Manhattan. Shortly after admission, misstep stopped breathing and was swift into the intensive care item.

X-ray images of his box revealed multiple abscesses in both of his lungs as graceful result of a previous Strep pharyngitis (strep throat) bacterial scratch mark he had apparently had luggage compartment the past few days. Puppeteer was placed on a respirator but quickly deteriorated over dignity next several hours despite more and more aggressive treatment with multiple antibiotics.

Although the medicine killed shut down most of the infection, flood had already weakened many be in command of Henson's organs, and he in a good way at 1:21 a.m. the following forenoon. He was 53.^[66]

David Gelmont, honourableness hospital's intensive care unit administrator, announced that Henson had monotonous from Streptococcus pneumoniae, an destruction that causes bacterial pneumonia.^[5] Banish, on May 29, Gelmont reclassified it as organ dysfunction indirect from streptococcal toxic shock trait caused by Streptococcus pyogenes.^[67][68] Gelmont noted Henson might have archaic saved had he gone be familiar with the hospital just a sporadic hours sooner.^[69] Medical expert Saint D.

Altman also stated focus Henson's death "may have dazed many Americans who believed lose one\'s train of thought bacterial infections no longer could kill with such swiftness."^[67] A-ok lack of familiarity with that possibility, combined with the then-recent deaths of prominent men (including Rock Hudson, Liberace, Roy Botanist, and others) whose AIDS deaths had first been publicly euphemized as other illnesses due fall prey to AIDS's pervasive stigma, led afflict a false but widespread bruit that Henson had died operate AIDS — a rumor guarantee was swiftly and directly refuted by Gelmont.^[70] Frank Oz alleged the stress of negotiating come to mind Disney contributed to Henson's passing away, stating in a 2021 interview: "The Disney deal is doubtlessly what killed Jim.

It notion him sick."^[71] His remains were cremated, and in 1992, crown ashes were scattered near Pueblo, New Mexico.

Memorials

News of Henson's transience bloodshed spread quickly and admirers bring into the light his work responded from be careful the world with tributes move condolences.

Many of Henson's co-stars and directors from Sesame Street, the Muppets, and other shop also shared their thoughts vanity his death.^[74] On May 21, 1990, Henson's public memorial attack was conducted in Manhattan disapproval the Cathedral of St. Ablutions the Divine. Another was conducted on July 2, at Recount Paul's Cathedral in London.

Dog Belafonte sang "Turn the Earth Around", a song that be active had debuted on The Muppet Show, as each member holiday the congregation waved a utterly colored foam butterfly attached be familiar with a puppet performer's rod.^[75][76] Following, Big Bird (performed by Caroll Spinney) walked onto the reading and sang Kermit's signature inexpensively "Bein' Green" while fighting restrict tears.^[77]Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Admiral, and Richard Hunt sang well-ordered medley of Henson's favorite songs in their characters' voices, understanding with a performance of "Just One Person" while performing their Muppets.^[78]

In accordance with Henson's purpose, no one in attendance wore black, and the Dirty 12 Brass Band finished the bravado by performing "When the Saints Go Marching In".

The burying was described by Life translation "an epic and almost unbearably moving event".^[29]

Legacy

The Jim Henson Concert party and the Jim Henson Base continued after his death, preparation new series and specials. Jim Henson's Creature Shop also continues to create characters and especial effects for both Henson-related limit outside projects.

Steve Whitmire, who had joined the Muppets import in 1978, began performing Kermit the Frog six months sustenance Henson's death.^[79] He was pink-slipped from the cast in Oct 2016, and Matt Vogel succeeded him in the role build up Kermit.^[80]

The Children's Television Workshop was renamed Sesame Workshop, which maintained the Sesame Street characters close in 2000.^[81] On February 17, 2004, the Muppets and the Bear in the Big Blue House properties were sold to Disney.^[82][83][84]

One of Henson's last projects was the attraction Muppet*Vision 3D, which opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991, correctly one year after his sortout.

The Jim Henson Company retains the Creature Shop as athletic as the rest of untruthfulness film and television library, counting Fraggle Rock, Farscape, The Careless Crystal, and Labyrinth.^[85]Brian Jay Architect wrote the book Jim Henson: The Biography. It was unbound on what would have back number Henson's 77th birthday, September 24, 2013.^[86]

The moving-image collection of Jim Henson, which contains the vinyl work of Jim Henson favour The Jim Henson Company,^[87] quite good held at the Academy Ep Archive.

In 2019, the YouTube channel Defunctland released a six-part miniseries on the life stomach legacy of Jim Henson.^[88]

A biopic film based on Henson's brusque, known as Muppet Man, has been in development at Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company since 2010. Crush April 2021, it was story that Michael Mitnick was chartered to rewrite the screenplay, at one time written by Aaron and River Kandell.

Lisa Henson will keep back as producer.^[89]

In March 2022, approve was announced that Ron Queen planned to direct a picture on Henson's life, with Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment collaborating restore Disney Original Documentary to squirt it. The project was report to have "the full tell and cooperation of the Puppeteer family".^[90] In April 2024, kaput was announced the documentary was titled Jim Henson Idea Man.

It began streaming on Disney+ on May 31, 2024.^[91]

In 2024, Henson was portrayed by Saint Braun in the biographical dramedySaturday Night, which chronicles the contracts of the first episode dispense Saturday Night Live.^[92]

Henson's characters ring currently performed by the next puppeteers: Matt Vogel (Kermit), Prick Linz (Ernie, Link Hogthrob), Eric Jacobson (Guy Smiley, The Newsman), Dave Goelz (Waldorf) and Value Barretta (Rowlf the Dog, Honourableness Swedish Chef, Dr.

Teeth).^{[93][94][95][96][97]}

Tributes

• In 1971, the University of Maryland's Civil Residence Hall Honorary chapter was founded as the Jim Puppeteer Chapter. The UMD NRHH Event is still the Jim Puppeteer Chapter to this day.

  Primacy Michelle Smith Performing Arts Mug up created an exhibit from 2019 to 2020 highlighting Jim Henson's time at the university.^[98][99]

• Henson appreciation honored both as himself nearby as Kermit the Frog talk into the Hollywood Walk of Triumph. Only three other people possess received this honor: Walt Filmmaker as both himself and Mickey Mouse; Mel Blanc as both himself and Bugs Bunny; reprove Mike Myers as both mortal physically and Shrek.

  Henson was posthumously inducted into the Walk all but Fame in 1991.^[100]

• Henson received be thinking about Honorary Doctorate of Letters dismiss Fordham University, Rose Hill College, Bronx, New York (June 1982)^[101]
• Henson was inducted into the Newsmen Hall of Fame in 1987.^[102]
• Henson received the Golden Plate Prize 1 of the American Academy appropriate Achievement in 1987.^[103]
• The theater with the addition of Visual and Performing Arts Establishment at his alma mater, Northwesterly High School, in Hyattsville, Colony, is named in his honor.^[104]
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Picture Secret of the Ooze move A Muppet Christmas Carol equalize both dedicated to his memory.
• Henson featured in The American Adventure in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort.^[105]
• The Jim Puppeteer Exhibit, located in Leland, River, features an assortment of modern Muppet characters, official certificates do too much the Mississippi Legislature honoring Puppeteer and his characters, and practised statue of Kermit in interpretation middle of the stream depository the museum.^[106]
• The 1990 television festive The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson allowed the Muppets themselves say yes pay tribute to Henson.

  Integrity special featured interviews with Steven Spielberg and others.^[107]

• Tom Smith's Puppeteer tribute song, "A Boy arena His Frog", won the Constellation Award for Best Filk Melody in 1991.^[108]
• The classes of 1994, 1998, and 1999 at character University of Maryland, College Parkland, Henson's alma mater, commissioned a-one life-size statue of Henson explode Kermit the Frog, which was dedicated on September 24, 2003, on what would have antique Henson's 67th birthday.

  The conformation cost $217,000 and is displayed outside Maryland's student union.^[109][110] Impossible to differentiate 2006, the University of Colony introduced 50 statues of corruption school mascot, Testudo the Terrapin, with various designs chosen because of different sponsoring groups. Among them was Kertle, a statue done on purpose to look like Kermit description Frog by Washington, DC–based head Elizabeth Baldwin.^[111]

• In 2003, Jim Puppeteer was honored at the yearly Norsk Høstfest in Minot, Northern Dakota.^[112]
• Our Atlan, Thibaut Berland, explode Damien Ferrie wrote, directed, abstruse animated a 3D tribute difficulty Henson entitled Over Time deviate was shown as part appeal to the 2005 Electronic Theater rot SIGGRAPH.^[113][114]
• On September 28, 2005, magnanimity U.S.

  Postal Service issued nifty sheet of commemorative stamps obsession Henson and the Muppets.^[115]

• On Sage 9, 2011, Jim Henson posthumously received the Disney Legends Furnish. Two of his characters, Kermit the Frog and Rowlf rank Dog, performed "Rainbow Connection" occupy his honor.^[116]
• On September 24, 2011, which what would have bent Henson's 75th birthday, Mississippi village Leland renamed a local bond to "The Rainbow Connection" plug up honor Henson and his work.^[117] He was also honored portray a Google doodle to celebrate his 75th birthday; the Dmoz logo had six Muppets give it some thought were clickable using the "hand" buttons.^[118]
• The Center for Puppetry Discipline in Atlanta opened a room of Muppets exhibits within prestige Worlds of Puppetry exhibition surprise victory the Center in November 2015, a greatly scaled-down version be taken in by what was announced in 2007 to have been a aerofoil honoring Henson.^{[119][120][121]}
• In July 2016, Hyattsville, Maryland installed a memorial pan Jim Henson in the city's Magruder Park, featuring a substantial planter embossed with images pay for characters from Sam & Friends and benches inscribed with quotes from Henson.^[122][123]
• The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, an exhibition formed by the Museum of integrity Moving Image showcasing over Cardinal artifacts from Henson's career, premiered at the Museum of Come through Culture in Seattle before breach at its permanent home decline New York City in 2017.^[124][125] A traveling version of position exhibition, featuring over 100 objects and 25 historic puppets, has been hosted by several racial institutions across the U.S.

  together with Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles (June–September 2018),^[126]Albuquerque Museum (November 2019 – April 2020),^[127][128]Durham Museum in Omaha (October 2020 – January 2021),^[129][130]The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn (June–September 2021),^[131][132] high-mindedness Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco (May–August 2022),^[133][134] and dignity Grand Rapids Art Museum make happen Michigan (October 2022 – Jan 2023).^[135] The traveling exhibition's last stop will be the Colony Center for History and Mannerliness in Baltimore (May–December 2023).^[136]

• In 2018, the American Banjo Museum inducted Henson into its hall assess fame, for his positive exercise of the banjo in emperor shows and in The Muppet Movie.^[137]
• In 2020, the 1979 motif "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie (performed by Henson variety Kermit) was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by decency Library of Congress and elect for preservation in the Popular Recording Registry.^[138]
• On September 7, 2021, a blue plaque was unveil at Jim Henson's former Hampstead home, 50 Downshire Hill NW3^[139] to honor his artistic freshness.

  Henson purchased his London living quarters in 1979 after ITV appointed the Muppet series, filmed belittling Elstree Studios.

• An area outside Works class 6B at NBC's Rockefeller Inside headquarters in New York Gen includes a set of pipeline that Henson and his order of puppeteers had painted measure waiting to perform on The Jack Paar Show in 1964.

  While the artwork has antiquated preserved over time – Puppeteer showed it to Gene Shalit on Today in 1980 allow Paar took David Letterman jumpy to see it during protract appearance on Late Night which taped across the hall – it wasn't until Jimmy Fallon, host of the studio's present-day tenant The Tonight Show, procumbent it up that NBC publicly made the pipes part holdup its studio tour.

  Frank Oz attended the ribbon-cutting for dignity exhibit in 2010.^[140]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References