Puppeteers
These puppeteers brought Muppets and puppets to life!
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Bil Baird and his wife Cora Baird, the driving forces behind the Bil & Cora Baird Puppets, were pioneer entertainers in U.S. TV, when commercial television in the States was taking its first baby steps. Much of what early viewers could view on that seven-inch screen, with its eerie, whitish glow in a darkened room where a family gathered round to watch in wonder, had come from radio. But the Bairds' medium - their marionettes - was strictly visual, and the audience was regaled. Their first venture on TV, a 15-minute program called Life with Snarky Parker (1950) was directed by none other than Yul Brynner. They and their puppets went on to star in other shows, and the Bairds were featured performers on CBS's attempt to wrest away some of the audience from NBC's "Today" show with its "The Morning Show" (1954), which initially featured their principal newsman, Walter Cronkite. As well, delineated marvelously by the music of Ukrainian-born composer Sergei Prokofiev, the Baird Puppets provided the visual enhancement for Art Carney's narration of the 1958 ABC-TV special, "Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf."- Additional Crew
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Craig Marin was born on 31 December 1951 in Queens, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Shining Time Station (1989), Strings (2004) and M.U.G.E.N (1999). He has been married to Olga Felgemacher since 15 May 1982.- Actress
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Olga Felgemacher was born on 10 February 1941. She is an actress, known for The Muppet Movie (1979), Shining Time Station (1989) and Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift (1990). She has been married to Craig Marin since 15 May 1982.- Actor
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Wayland Flowers was born on 26 November 1939 in Dawson, Georgia, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Madame's Place (1982), Old Is Somebody Else: Aging, Everybody Is Doing It (1974) and Norman... Is That You? (1976). He died on 11 October 1988 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Jim Henson never thought that he would make a name of himself in puppetry; it was merely a way of getting himself on television. The vehicle that achieved it was Sam and Friends (1955), a late-night puppet show that was on after the 11:00 news in Washington DC. It proved to be very popular and inspired Jim to continue using puppets for his work. He made many commercials, developing the signature humor that Henson Productions is known for. A key reason for the success of his puppets is that Jim realized he didn't need to hide puppeteers behind a structure when they were in front of a camera. All he had to do was instruct the camera operators to focus on the puppets and keep the puppeteers out of the frame. This allowed the puppets to dominate the image and make them more lifelike. This work on puppets and television would lead to separate projects that had different goals. The first one was his work on the The Jimmy Dean Show (1963) with the character Rowlf the Dog, the oldest clearly identified character that Henson Productions still uses. This show provided an income that allowed Jim to work on a pet project. That project was Time Piece (1965), a surrealistic short about time which was nominated for best live-action short Oscar. Henson shot to prominence when he was approached to use his muppets for the revolutionary educational show Sesame Street (1969). The show was a smash hit and his characters have become staples on public television. Unforetunately, this also led to Henson being typecast as only an entertainer for children. He sought to disprove that by being part of the initial crew of Saturday Night Live (1975), but his style and that of the creative staff simply didn't jibe. It was this circumstance that encouraged him to develop a variety show format that had the kind of sophisticated humor that "Sesame Street (1969)" didn't work with. No American broadcaster was interested, but British producer Lew Grade was. This led to The Muppet Show (1976). It initially struggled both in the ratings and in the search for guest stars, but in the second season it became a smash hit and would eventually become the most widely watched series in television history. Hungry for a new challenge, Henson made The Muppet Movie (1979), defying the popular industry opinion that his characters would never work in a movie. The film became a hit and spawned a series of features which included the moody fantasy The Dark Crystal (1982), which was a drastic and bold departure from the amiable tone of his previous work. The most successful TV work in the 1980s was Fraggle Rock (1983), a fantasy series specifically designed to appeal to as many cultural groups as possible. During this time he also established the Creature Shop, a puppet studio that became renowned for being as brilliant with puppetry as ILM was at special effects. When he died all too soon in 1990, he was indisputably one of the geniuses of puppetry. More importantly, he was a man who achieved his phenomenal success while still retaining his social conscience and artistic integrity as his work in promoting environmentalism and his brilliant The Storyteller (1987) series respectively attest to.- Actor
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Frank Richard Oznowicz was born in Hereford, England to puppeteers Frances and Isidore Oznowicz. His family moved to Montana in 1951, eventually settling in Oakland, California. As a teenager, he worked as an apprentice puppeteer at Children's Fairyland amusement park. He is one of the primary puppeteers responsible for the development of Jim Henson's Sesame Street (1969) and The Muppet Show (1976) as well as over 75 other Muppet productions. George Lucas originally contacted Henson to play the part of Yoda in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980), but he recommended Oz for the part instead. He developed the character's trademark syntax, returning to voice and puppet the Jedi Master in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).
Oz voiced the computer-generated Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), supporting the transition of the character's rendering to digital. In 2011, the Blu-Ray edition of The Phantom Menace replaced the puppet Yoda with CGI to match the other prequel films.
He began a career of behind-the-camera puppet and live action filmmaking by co-directing The Dark Crystal (1982) with Henson. He went on to direct The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), The Stepford Wives (2004) and Death at a Funeral (2007).- Actor
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Puppeteer, actor, musician, and master of voices, Jerry Nelson originally joined Henson & Company as a temporary replacement for Frank Oz, who had been drafted into the armed services in the 60's. He later re-joined the crew as a full-time performer in the 70's, and has since been heavily involved in almost every major Muppet project, including Sesame Street (1969), The Muppet Show (1976), Fraggle Rock (1983) and feature films. Memorable characters include "The Count", "Herry Monster", "Mumford the Magician", "Robin the Frog", "Crazy Harry" and "Gobo". Come the late 1990s, Nelson has begun to focus more on his musical career but continues his involvement in The Muppets.- Actress
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Cora Baird was born on 26 January 1912 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Sound of Music (1965), Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958) and The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays (1957). She was married to Bil Baird. She died on 7 December 1967 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
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Steve Whitmire was born on 24 September 1959 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Fraggle Rock (1983), The Muppets (2011) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996). He has been married to Melissa Whitmire since June 1978.- Actor
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Danny Seagren was born on 15 November 1943 in Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor, known for Miss Peach of the Kelly School (1982), The Electric Company (1971) and The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970).- Actor
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Kevin Clash was born on 17 September 1960 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Sesame Street (1969), Muppet Treasure Island (1996) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). He was previously married to Genia Loving.- Actress
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Stephanie D'Abruzzo was born on 7 December 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Scrubs (2001), Sesame Street (1969) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015). She has been married to Craig Shemin since 17 September 1995.- Actor
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Matt Vogel was born on 6 October 1970 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sesame Street (1969), Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021) and Muppets Now (2020). He has been married to Kelly C. McDonnell since 31 August 1997. They have five children.- Actor
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Burr Tillstrom was born on 13 October 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1969), The Wizard of Oz (1950) and That Was the Week That Was (1963). He died on 6 December 1985 in Palm Springs, California, USA.- Actress
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A lovely and gracious presence amid a couple of scene-stealing puppets, Fran Allison was a shining star of radio and early TV, and enjoyed immense popularity with children for decades as the sole human element of the Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947) show.
The open-faced blonde singer, actress and comedienne was born on November 20, 1907, in La Porte City, Iowa and graduated in the late 1920s from Coe College in Cedar Rapids with a teaching degree. After spending a couple of years as a rural school instructor, she left her position after her brother, who was a musician, put together an orchestra and hired her on as a singer. By 1934 she had moved into radio singing work in Cedar Rapids and later in 1937 became a staff singer for NBC in Chicago. Her talents as a comedienne were also discovered and utilized. Most notably, she originated a gossipy radio character called "Aunt Fanny" that was a hit with audiences.
Fran met puppeteer Burr Tillstrom during WWII when they toured together in hospitals and orphanages on the same bill. Tillstrom thought Fran would be ideal as a genteel, prettified and sensible foil for his Kuklapolitan puppets, and on October 13, 1947, she made her series debut with Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1947). The shows were, for the most part, done live and Fran was a charming and glamorous delight opposite Kukla, the bald, arch-browed, bulb-nosed leader of the troupe and Ollie, the droll, single-toothed dragon. Nominated for an Emmy in 1949 as "Most Outstanding Personality", the show received frequent Emmy nominations during its 1950s run. In 1953 it won as the "Best Children's Program". The syndicated version of the puppet show went off the air in 1976. The threesome also served as hosts for The CBS Children's Film Festival, which introduced international children's films, from 1967-1977. In addition, Fran also was the official pitchwoman for Whirlpool appliances in the years to come.
Married to music publisher Archie Levington, the couple had no children and eventually settled in Los Angeles. In her own mind, Fran felt like she was the mother to the millions of children who tuned in religiously to the show. Her husband died in 1978. In later life, Allison lived in Van Nuys, California, and died in 1989 from myelodysplasia, a bone marrow disease, at the age of 81 in Sherman Oaks. She was buried back in her home state of Iowa, at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids.- Additional Crew
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Faz Fazakas was born on 5 April 1918 in Essex County, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Labyrinth (1986), The Dark Crystal (1982) and The Muppet Movie (1979). He was married to Eleanor Louise Jewett. He died on 28 September 2013 in Olivebridge, New York, USA.- Additional Crew
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Caroly Wilcox was born on 16 May 1931 in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for The Muppet Movie (1979), Sesame Street (1969) and The Muppet Show (1976). She died on 9 January 2021.- Actress
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Jane Henson was born on 16 June 1934 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Run, Run (1965), Great Performances (1971) and Sam and Friends (1955). She was married to Jim Henson. She died on 2 April 2013 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.- Actor
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Caroll Spinney was born on 26 December 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Sesame Street (1969), The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Great Muppet Caper (1981). He was married to Debra Spinney and Janice Spinney. He died on 8 December 2019 in Woodstock, Connecticut, USA.- Actor
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Richard Hunt did not have a face known to many -- his voice was known more than anything else. He was a major stronghold behind Jim Henson's "Muppets". 'Scooter', 'Janice', 'Sweetums' and a few others, were some of the "Muppets" that Richard was a performer and puppeteer of. He helped pave the way for Jim Henson and his company from the 1970s through the early 90s, until his surprising death in 1992 of AIDS.- Actor
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Alan Semok was born on 2 October 1952 in New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Shining Time Station (1989), American Experience (1987) and Dummy (2002). He died on 27 October 2019 in Chatham, New Jersey, USA.- Actor
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Peter Baird was born on 30 November 1951 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Howard the Duck (1986), Davy Jones' Locker (1995) and Shining Time Station (1989). He was married to Mavis Baird. He died on 16 July 2004 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Production Designer
- Animation Department
Wayne White is an American artist, art director, illustrator, puppeteer, and much, much more. Born and raised in Chattanooga, Wayne has used his memories of the South to create inspired works for film, television, and the fine art world. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, Wayne traveled to New York City where he worked as an illustrator for the East Village Eye, New York Times, Raw Magazine, and the Village Voice. In 1986, Wayne became a designer for the hit television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and his work was awarded with three Emmys. After traveling to Los Angeles with his wife, Mimi Pond, Wayne continued to work in television and designed sets and characters for shows such as Shining Time Station, Beakman's World, Riders In The Sky, and Bill & Willis. He also worked in the music video industry, winning Billboard and MTV Music Video Awards as an art director for seminal music videos including The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tonight, Tonight' and Peter Gabriel's 'Big Time.' More recently, Wayne has had great success as a fine artist and has created paintings and public works that have been shown all over the world. His most successful works have been the world paintings featuring oversized, three-dimensional text painstakingly integrated into vintage landscape reproductions. The message of the paintings is often thought-provoking and almost always humorous, with Wayne pointing a finger at vanity, ego, and his memories of the South. Wayne has also received great praise for several public works he has created recently, including a successful show at Rice University where he built the world's largest George Jones puppet head for a piece called 'Big Lectric Fan To Keep Me Cool While I Sleep.' In 2009, Wayne's life and career were chronicled in an incredible 382-page monograph, edited by Todd Oldham. The book features hundreds of images from Wayne's earliest work as an illustrator all the way to his most recent fine art sculptures. Since the book's release, Wayne has been traveling the country delivering an incredibly entertaining hour long talk where he discusses his life and work, while making time for a little banjo and harmonica playing.- Byron Whiting was born on 12 March 1929 in New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Since I Don't Have You (1995) and The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970). He died on 13 October 2019 in Tennessee, USA.
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Fran Brill was born on 30 September 1946 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress, known for Sesame Street (1969), What About Bob? (1991) and Midnight Run (1988). She has been married to Robert Kelly since 1988. She was previously married to Clinton Edward Ramsden Jr.- Actor
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Jonathan Freeman is an American actor, puppeteer and singer who is known for voicing Jafar from Disney's Aladdin franchise. He portrayed Jafar in four animated films, five video games including Kingdom Hearts, an animated series, a 2011 Broadway musical and other Aladdin media. He also did the puppeteering and voice for Tito Swing from Shining Time Station.- Actor
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Kenny Miele was born on 26 May 1949 in Elmira, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Shining Time Station (1989), Shining Time Station: 'Tis a Gift (1990) and A Day in the Life of the Jukebox Band (1993).- Actor
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A longtime puppet designer and performer, Goelz was picked up by Jim Henson and company to design Muppets for various television projects in the early 70's. By the time Jim Henson and Frank Oz were beginning work on "The Muppet Show", they managed to convince Dave to come work as a puppeteer. He soon began to perform and develop such memorable characters as the Great Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. He has gone on to become a principal Muppeteer and one of the major talents of the Jim Henson Company.- Actress
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Kathryn Mullen was born on 10 February 1940 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Fraggle Rock (1983), Between the Lions (1999) and The Muppet Movie (1979). She is married to Michael K. Frith.- Actor
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Peter Linz was born on 28 June 1967 in Decatur, Georgia, USA. He is an actor, known for The Muppets (2011), Muppets Most Wanted (2014) and The Puzzle Place (1994). He has been married to Alice Dinnean since 2023. He was previously married to Marlene E. Rudy.- Additional Crew
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John Lovelady was born on 11 August 1931 in Oxford, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor, known for The Muppet Show (1976), The Muppet Movie (1979) and D.C. Follies (1987).- Actress
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Pam Arciero was born on 8 May 1954 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Sesame Street (1969), Follow That Bird (1985) and Allegra's Window (1994). She has been married to Anthony Stephen Lanza since 11 October 1980.- Actor
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Bruce"B" Lanoil, spawned in Brooklyn N.Y., due to an endless diet of Saturday morning Cartoons, Sugary Cereals, Mad Magazines, Jerry Lewis Flixs, and Classic Star Trek ,is still today, a proud and grateful 38 year veteran Muppeteer and overall Court Jester , living their Truth and Loving the ride!
A C.S.U.N. Theater major,, a vaudevillian improvisational clown busking in the streets of Paris, fate truly lent a "hand" when Master Puppeteer Tony Urbano chose B from hundreds, for Sid and Marty Krofft's exclusive 1980 workshop. Many McNugget Commercials a followed, as B furthered their performance skills with Master teachers, Paul Sills, Avery Schreiber, (Spolin Theater Games), Harvey Kalmanson (V.O.).
Destiny and Jim and Jane Henson came knocking when Brian Henson cast B as "Charlene Sinclair", in Disney +'s DINOSAURS for five glorious seasons, (1990-93). Animatronics and Facial Puppeteering was a specialty as B traveled the world complements of the incomparable Jim Henson Creature Shop, both in Films, Dr. Doolittle (1998), Adventures of Pinocchio (1996), Jack Frost (1998), Cats and Dogs 1(2001) & 2, (2010) and Television, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss as The Cat in the Hat, Nickelodeon Season one (1996). B helped pioneer Real-time CG animation with Henson's HDPS-Digital Puppetry System, Are We There Yet (2005), Francis (2008), Sid the Science Kid Movie (2012) and partnered Dave Barclay Studios for Where the Wild Thing Are (2009), and Ice King (2017).
Muppet madness includes The Muppet Mayhem (2023)Muppet Haunted Mansion(2021)MuppetVision 3D (1991),The Muppets Live at the Hollywood Bowl (2016),The O2 (2018), recent Feature Film/TV reboots, The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), and Muppets Tonight (1996), ABC'S Muppets (2017). Live-action Reference Puppetry, MonkeyBone (2001) Henry Sellick Dir.,and Looney Tunes-Back in Action (2003) Joe Dante Dir.,Also V.O. gigs, including voicing Lion King's TIMON (Safty Smart! series 2010-2018).
A budding Teaching Artist, I believe Everyone needs nobody's permission to pursue their passion, truth and happiness.Our over-too-soon Quest must be to release fear and doubt, allowing every single one of us the opportunity to Connect, to Share, and to Soar! So..upon the shoulders of those here and gone, let's dream it forward and Celebrate the beauty of our unpredictable journeys, illuminating the hearts of our young with love sweet Love.- Actor
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Tim Lagasse attended St. Mary's School and Notre Dame High School in West Haven. He earned his BFA from the University of Connecticut. In addition to his performance credits, Tim also teaches the art of puppetry, lecturing at the Lincoln Center Foundation and instructing students on modern television puppet techniques at the University of Connecticut's Puppet Arts Program.- Actor
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Anthony Asbury was born on 16 May 1964 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor, known for Labyrinth (1986), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Between the Lions (1999).- Actor
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Rick Lyon was born on 25 February 1958 in Rochester, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and The Magical World of Disney (1954).- Additional Crew
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Pady Blackwood was born on 5 August 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He was an actor. He died on 14 October 2009 in Casselberry, Florida, USA.- Actor
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Martin P. Robinson was born on 9 March 1954 in Dearborn, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sesame Street (1969), Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). He has been married to Annie Evans since 9 August 2008.- Actor
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A third-generation performer and the son of a singing band leader, Chuck McCann was already a show business veteran by age eleven. Born in Brooklyn, he began his career as a child actor on radio, and by the age of nineteen had appeared on The Steve Allen Show (1952). He performed on several NYC-based radio programs, and went on to create his own stand up act performed at many NYC/NJ/LI nightclubs and on many popular TV variety shows. For a time, he took a hiatus from nightclub and TV performing to study with The Pasadena Playhouse, where he gave a memorable performance in their production of '12th Night' as Sir Toby Belch. McCann would return to NYC to continue to perform in nightclubs and on TV variety shows. Until he was introduced to puppetry, first by Skip Boyland and then by Paul Ashleyon NBC TV's: Rootie Kazootie (1952). For the next 17 years, Ashley and McCann appeared on numerous TV shows: Rootie Kazootie (1952), "Uncle Paul's Lunchtime", The Gumby Show (1956) with Pinkie Lee, "The Puppet Hotel!", "Laurel & Hardy & Chuck!", "Let's Have Fun!", "The Chuck McCann Shows", "The Great Bombo's Magic Cartoon Circus Lunchtime Show" and "Chuck McCann's Laurel & Hardy Show!". After the cancellation of the latter on Friday June 9, 1967, Ashley and McCann went their separate ways.
McCann went onto become a successful comic/character actor and mimic, doing voice over for many television cartoon shows and playing character parts on numerous dramatic and comedic TV series and movies. Paul Ashley used his puppets in industrial films and industrial stage shows. McCann also starred on other TV series: Turn-on (1969), Happy Days (1974), Far Out Space Nuts (1975),All That Glitters (1977), _"New Kind Of Family, A" (1979)_ and "Chuck McCann's Fun Stuff!". Ashley was slated to reunite with McCann for "LBS Children's Theater" and another TV puppet show "Tiny TV". But Ashley was forced to drop out both projects, when it was discovered that he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and McCann took over as the show's host and performer. "LBS Children's Theater" made its debut in September of 1983 and was on the air for one season. Paul Ashley never lived long enough to see "LBS Children's Theater" become a success. Later, he played the voice of Jollo in the 1992 classic hit Sierra video game King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow.
Chuck McCann died on April 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California, of heart failure.- Actress
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Shari Lewis was born on 17 January 1934 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Lamb Chop's Play-Along (1992), The Charlie Horse Music Pizza (1998) and Star Trek (1966). She was married to Jeremy Tarcher and Stanley Harry Lipschitz (Lewis). She died on 2 August 1998 in Los Angeles, California, USA.