This is an ask about The Muppets. Take it as a free invitation to go on whatever Muppet-related tangent your heart so desires <3
im going to take this ask to talk about richard hunt :) he joined the jim henson company way back when it was henson associates, in 1969. he was 18, fresh out of high school, and already experienced in puppetry and performing.
hunt joined the muppet team in a very muppet-esque way, by calling sesame street from a phone booth and asking if henson associates was hiring. and, somehow, they happened to be auditioning people that same day. he worked the great santa claus switch in 1970, and aided in muppet appearances on programs like the ed sullivan show. on sesame street, he often aided in operation, frequently performing ernieās right hand or the back end of mr snuffleupagus. one of his first main characters was sully, one half of the construction duo of biff and sully (biff was performed by jerry nelson, who richard hunt would often be paired with in performances). the story goes that richard hunt wanted to perform a frequent character, rather than assisting in the operation of other characters ā and so he was assigned sully, who had no spoken or sung lines. hunt eventually took on multiple characters, like gladys the cow, don music, and forgetful jones, although following his death, many have been phased out or put in the background.
his most recognizable characters come from the muppet show, where he would perform scooter (the excitable stagehand of the muppet show often found pestering kermit backstage,) janice (the lead guitarist of dr. teeth and the electric mayhem, typically paired with jerry nelsonās floyd pepper,) beaker, statler, wayne, and sweetums. when fraggle rock began, hunt was one of hensonās core team of performers, so he was often shooting sesame street ā a fact that didnāt stop him from performing junior gorg, gunge, mudwell, and the wizard, among others.
when jim henson died in 1990, he chose richard hunt to lead his memorial service. hunt had been with the muppets for 21 years at this point, and had become one of hensonās most trusted puppeteers and closest friends. he would often goof off backstage, entertaining guests to the studios with whatever puppet was closest to him. colleagues recall that he brought the energy to every set he was on, playing pranks on new hires, smoking joints with jerry nelson backstage, and inviting the cast and crew to gay bars with him after sesame street tapings. one of the most famous stories about him was his frustration with elmo, who he briefly performed before the furry red monster became a childhood icon. reportedly frustrated that he couldnāt figure out what to do with the character, he threw the puppet across the room, exclaiming to kevin clash (who caught the puppet) something along the lines of āsomeone else do it!ā
he passed in 1992 from complications caused by the AIDS virus. matt baume has described him as āone of the most famous gay men in the world who nobody recognizedā. following his death, the muppet workshop created a panel for the aids quilt to memorialize him. hunt was integral to the success of the muppets, due both to his skills in performing and to the energy and spirit he brought to every production he was a part of.
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