Kevin Clash

However, at the time, Clash was performing full-time on two other shows, and the producers of both shows refused to work around his schedule, so he was forced to tear up his contract to appear on Sesame Street.

Clash was also given the opportunity to perform in The Dark Crystal, but Love talked him out of being involved in the movie, saying that he should concentrate on his work in the television series.

Clash officially became a puppeteer on Sesame Street in 1984. Some of his earliest characters included Hoots the Owl, Baby Natasha, and Dr. Nobel Price, but it was Elmo who became his main character. Clash has also sung in voice-over in a variety of film and animation songs on Sesame Street, including "In My Animal Book" and "Take Care of That Smile". During the late 1980s, Clash was involved with a variety of Henson productions. He performed P.J. in the Play-Along videos, and Father Bunny and Be-Bop in Tale of the Bunny Picnic. He would also perform Eliott Shag on Dog City, various characters in Muppet Time insertials, and he performed a number of characters—most notably Baby Sinclair, but also Howard Handupme—on Dinosaurs. He also performed the title character in the Muppet Sing-Along video Billy Bunny's Animal Songs. Read Less