Caroll Spinney

Caroll Spinney, an actor who was known for puppeteering on the kid’s TV show ‘Sesame Street’ from 1969 until his retirement in 2018, died Sunday, December 8th in his home in Connecticut. He had been living with Dystonia, a disease that affects the muscles in the body and can be mild or severe. According to NBC, Spinney’s death occurred on the same day ‘Sesame Street’ was slated to receive a lifetime award from the Kennedy Center. The co-founders accepted the award on behalf of the show. 

At 19 Spinney enlisted in the Airforce where he served until 1955. While in the Airforce he would make comic strips about military life. The Wrap states that after leaving the service he got his professional puppeteering career started. He began performing side jobs as an animator then years later, he took a job with the Muppet creator and became part of the cast of “Sesame Street”. 

While on Sesame Street, Spinney played and voiced Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch and occasionally Bruno the TrashMan, Granny Bird and Elmo. According to The New York Times, Spinney’s characters portrayed a “sweet-natured, canary-yellow giant bird and the misanthropic, furry-green bellyacher in the trash can outside 123 Sesame Street.” He had been puppeteering since childhood but had trouble getting used to the Big Bird suit. He was 5’10 and had to maneuver the suit with his hands. According to NPR, it states that in a 2015 Interview he said that it didn’t bother him that people knew he played Big Bird and Oscar and not Spinney himself. He stated “I don’t mind a bit because I know I can play them — and also good pay — and I get to take the pay home. Meanwhile, they’re back at Sesame Street.” 

Spinney’s characters inspired many including the many younger kids who watched Sesame Street. According to The Washington Post, it states, “Mr. Spinney brought his puppetry to a television show that aspired to be an educational influence on kids preschool-age and younger.” he gave life to the characters with just his voice and personality. The show taught kids many valuable lessons and viewers grew to love the funny lovable characters. According to Sesame Workshop, it states, “His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to generations of children and countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while.” His characters were loved by many and kids looked up to them. 

Caroll Spinney’s reason for death was the disorder Dystonia. Dystonia is a disorder that can cause involuntary muscle movements, which can be in the form of spasms. It can be mild or painful and interfere with someone’s everyday life. According to Health, it states that Spinney announced on Facebook that he was “slowing down” and said that the symptoms of Dystonia were “devastating”. Although his illness was serious, he didn’t let it hold him back. After he retired, at age 85 he stated, “I may have retired but I’m not ready to relegate myself to solitary confinement yet.” His condition did limit his ability to wear the Big Bird costume when playing him on Sesame street causing him to have to retire. But the impact he made on the show will stick with the ones who watched him on the show.