Jerry Nelson (born July 10, 1934 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a Muppet puppeteer who was raised in Washington, D.C., known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.
Jerry Nelson began puppeteering for Bil Baird. His first job with the Muppets was The Jimmy Dean Show. Frank Oz was going to take some time off from puppeteering, so Nelson was hired to perform Rowlf the Dog's right hand in his stea...
more
Jerry Nelson (born July 10, 1934 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a Muppet puppeteer who was raised in Washington, D.C., known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.
Jerry Nelson began puppeteering for Bil Baird. His first job with the Muppets was The Jimmy Dean Show. Frank Oz was going to take some time off from puppeteering, so Nelson was hired to perform Rowlf the Dog's right hand in his stead.
When Oz returned to the show, Jim Henson had to let Nelson go, as there wasn't enough work on the show for three puppeteers. Following this, he puppeteered in a number of projects in the late 1960s, but none of these would make him as famous as his years to come.
After learning that the Muppets were used on Sesame Street, he rejoined Henson and Oz as a puppeteer, beginning in the second season. He received a number of his major characters early in the show's run, including the Sherlock Holmes parody Sherlock Hemlock (1970-1992), a hapless...
less
