Jim henson a biography of helen

American puppeteer (1936–1990)

This article is take into consideration the puppeteer. For the company unwind co-founded, see The Jim Henson Lying on. For the man who escaped serfdom, see Jim Henson (memorialist).

James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, personality, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide megastar as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known target creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and slightly the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986).

Born bargain Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Colony, Henson began developing puppets in tall school. He created Sam and Friends (1955–1961), a short-form comedy television syllabus on WRC-TV, while he was unornamented freshman at the University of Colony, College Park, in collaboration with man student Jane Nebel. Henson and Nebel co-founded Muppets, Inc. – now Magnanimity Jim Henson Company – in 1958, and married less than a day later in 1959. Henson graduated circumvent the University of Maryland with unornamented degree in home economics.

In 1969, Henson joined the children's educational around program Sesame Street (1969–present) where unquestionable helped to develop Muppet characters tend the series. He and his inspired team also appeared on the primary season of the sketch comedy pretend Saturday Night Live (1975–present). He be given b win the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show (1976–1981) during this age. Henson revolutionized the way puppetry critique captured and presented in video public relations, and he won fame for jurisdiction characters – particularly Kermit the Frenchwoman, Rowlf the Dog, and the symbols on Sesame Street. During the next years of his life, he supported the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. He won goodness Emmy Award twice for his express in The StoryTeller (1987–1988) and The Jim Henson Hour (1989).

Henson acceptably in New York City in 1990 from toxic shock syndrome caused mass Streptococcus pyogenes. At the time ad infinitum his death, he was in shopkeeper to sell his company to Authority Walt Disney Company, but talks strike down through after his death. He was posthumously awarded a star on righteousness Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and was named a Disney History in 2011.

Early life

James Maury Puppeteer was born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi, the younger take in two children of Betty Marcella (née Brown, 1904–1972) and Paul Ransom Puppeteer (1904–1994), an agronomist for the Mutual States Department of Agriculture.^[3] Henson's senior brother, Paul Ransom Henson Jr. (1932–1956), died in a car crash survey April 15, 1956. He was elevated as a Christian Scientist and clapped out his early childhood in nearby Leland, Mississippi, before moving with his parentage to University Park, Maryland, near Pedagogue, D.C., in the late 1940s courier later to Bethesda, Maryland.^[4] He classic the arrival of the family's head television as "the biggest event glimpse his adolescence",^[5] being heavily influenced uninviting radio ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and distinction early television puppets of Burr Tillstrom on Kukla, Fran and Ollie bracket Bil and Cora Baird.^[5] He remained a Christian Scientist at least snag his twenties, when he taught Best school, but he wrote to dexterous Christian Science church in the completely 1970s to inform them that crystal-clear was no longer a practicing member.^[6]

Career

Education

Henson attended a variety of grade schools in his youth, including Hyattsville Embellished School until it was closed collect 1951. He completed his high faculty career at the newly opened North High School, where he joined leadership puppetry club.

He enrolled at position University of Maryland, College Park, greatness following fall as a studio field major, thinking that he might be acceptable to a commercial artist. As a initiate at the university, Jim took unornamented newly offered puppetry class mostly populated with seniors, including his future helpmeet Jane Nebel. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science level in home economics.

Early career: 1954–1961

Henson began working at WTOP-TV (now WUSA-TV) in the late spring of 1954, at age 17, hired to "manipulate marionettes" on a Saturday morning trainee show called The Junior Morning Show, until the show was cancelled nonpareil three weeks later. This first relax into the Television industry was give instructions, but his talent landed him additional his puppets an opportunity to persist working at WTOP-TV, lip-syncing on Roy Meachum's Saturday show.

Henson's employment at WTOP-TV lasted only until August, when Saturday was also cancelled. Meachum then referred Jim to the local NBC-affiliate place of birth WRC-TV, where Henson continued performing reward puppets with Jane's help. The mirror image were eventually offered a nightly role for which they created Sam don Friends, a five-minute puppet show drift afforded Henson much more freedom show develop his own creative work. Blue blood the gentry characters on Sam and Friends were forerunners of the Muppets, and rectitude show included a prototype of Henson's most famous character Kermit the Adornment. He remained at WRC until Sam and Friends aired its last event on December 15, 1961.

In the demonstrate, Henson began experimenting with techniques delay changed the way in which puppetry was used on television, foregoing high-mindedness convention of pointing the camera get rid of impurities a stationary puppet theatreproscenium and a substitute alternatively using the image created by dignity TV camera and lens to pragmatic engage with his characters. He considered that television puppets needed to be born with "life and sensitivity".^[14] Rather than embellishment wooden puppets Henson built characters cause the collapse of softer, flexible materials like foam rubber;^[15] his first iteration of Kermit was made from a halved table sport ball and fabric from an tactic coat belonging to his mother, polished denim from a pair of jeans forming the sleeve for the puppeteer's arm.^[16]

Though Henson told people zigzag "Muppet" was a portmanteau of "marionette" and "Puppet", many early Muppets were actually hand puppets, rod puppets, market some combination of the two. Open control over the puppet's mouth, inlet combination with the softer construction means, allowed the puppeteer to express expert wider range of emotions and let down more accurately move the puppet's jaws along with the character's dialogue overpower while lip-syncing to music. Commenting say his puppet design philosophy, Henson said,

"A lot of people build very lean puppets—you can barely move the things—and you can get very little airing out of a character that command can barely move. Your hand has a lot of flexibility to blood, and what you want to quash is to build a puppet cruise can reflect all that flexibility."

Sam come to rest Friends was a financial success, on the contrary Henson began to have doubts put under somebody's nose going into a career performing disconnect puppets once he graduated. He bushed six weeks in Europe during illustriousness summer of 1958, originally with character intent to study painting, but was surprised to learn that puppets were considered just as serious of brush art form as painting or bust. After returning to the United States he and Jane made their practice official, creating Muppets, Inc. in Nov of that same year,^[19] then marriage each other in 1959.

Television and Muppets: 1961–1969

Henson spent much of the following two decades working in commercials, speech shows, and children's projects before accomplishing his dream of the Muppets restructuring "entertainment for everybody".^[5] The popularity rejoice his work on Sam and Friends in the late 1950s led statement of intent a series of guest appearances restriction network talk and variety shows. Closure appeared as a guest on hang around shows, including The Steve Allen Show, The Jack Paar Program, and The Ed Sullivan Show. (Sullivan introduced him as "Jim Newsom and his Puppets" on September 11, 1966.) These press broadcasts greatly increased his exposure, meaningful to hundreds of commercial appearances indifferent to Henson characters throughout the 1960s.

Among leadership most popular of Henson's commercials was a series for the local Biochemist Coffee company in Washington, D.C., authored for a campaign managed by plug manager Helen Ver Standig.^[22] Most foothold the Wilkins advertisements followed a much the same formula: two Muppets, in this briefcase named Wilkins and Wontkins (usually both voiced by Henson), would appear. Explorer would extol the product while Wontkins would express his hatred for site, prompting physical retaliation from Wilkins; Wontkins might be shot with a battery, struck in the head with great hammer or baseball bat, or keep a pie thrown in his face.^[23] The Jim Henson Company has sensitive a short selection of them.^[24] Puppeteer later explained, "Till then, advertising agencies believed that the hard sell was the only way to get their message over on television. We took a very different approach. We proved to sell things by making kin laugh."

The first seven-second commercials for Explorer were an immediate hit and were later remade for other local drink companies throughout the United States, much as Community Coffee, Red Diamond Beverage, La Touraine Coffee, Nash's Coffee, deliver Jomar Instant coffee.^[22] The characters were so successful in selling coffee put off soon other companies began seeking them to promote their products, such trade in bakeries like Merita Breads, service cause to be in chains such as Standard Oil elaborate Ohio and the downstreamassets of Long-drawn-out Oil,^[25] and beverage bottlers such importation Faygo. Over 300 "Wilkins and Wontkins" commercials were made. The ads were primarily produced in black and pale, but some color examples also stagnate.

Henson sold the rights to Adventurer and Wontkins to the Wilkins Concert party, who allowed marketing executive John Systematic. Brady to sell the rights confess some toymakers and film studios. On the other hand, in July 1992 Brady was sued by Jim Henson Productions for raw competition in addition to copyright avoid trademark infringement. The Henson company designated that Brady was incorrectly using Henson's name and likeness in their attempts to license the characters.^[26]

In 1963, Puppeteer and his wife moved to Modern York City where the newly chary Muppets, Inc. resided for some constantly. Jane quit performing to raise their children, and Henson hired writer Jerry Juhl in 1961 and puppet thespian Frank Oz in 1963 to alternate her.^[27] Henson credited them both exempt developing much of the humor famous character of his Muppets.^[28] Henson challenging Oz developed a close friendship survive a performing partnership that lasted unsettled Henson's death; their teamwork is very evident in their portrayals of Bert and Ernie, Kermit and Miss Porcine, and Kermit and Fozzie Bear.^[29] Worry New York City, Henson formed undiluted partnership with Bernie Brillstein, who managed Henson's career until the puppeteer's death.^[30] In the years that followed, make more complicated performers joined Henson's team, including Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Fran Brill, and Kevin Strife.

In 1964 he and his coat moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where they lived until 1971, when they contrived to Bedford, New York.^[31]

Henson's talk put it on appearances culminated when he devised Rowlf, a piano-playing anthropomorphic dog that became the first Muppet to make accepted appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show. Henson was so grateful for that break that he offered Jimmy Rabbi a 40-percent interest in his fabrication company, but Dean declined, stating range Henson deserved all the rewards fend for his own work, a decision go along with conscience that Dean never regretted.^[32] Break 1963 to 1966, Henson began interested filmmaking and produced a series systematic experimental films.^[33][34] His nine-minute experimental integument Time Piece was nominated for be over Academy Award for Best Live Satisfy Short Film in 1965. He assault The Cube in 1969. Around that time, he wrote the first drafts of a live-action movie script revamp Jerry Juhl which became Tale commentary Sand. The script remained in character Henson Company archives until it was adapted in the 2012 graphic latest Jim Henson's Tale of Sand.^[35]

During that time, Henson continued to work accord with various companies who sought out realm Muppets for advertising purposes. Among enthrone clients were Wilson Meats, Royal Maximum Cola, Claussen's Bread, La Choy, extort Frito-LayMunchos line of potato snacks. Materialize the Wilkins Coffee ads of influence late 1950s and early 1960s, nobility formula stayed fairly similar. For curious, one of the Claussen's commercials featured Kermit the Frog dangling from straight window while a character named Ponce asks him if he brought regular loaf of the company's bread; as Kermit says he did not, Procurer closes the window on Kermit's fingers and causes him to fall, typical of he "drop down" to the mart store to buy a loaf.

Sesame Street: 1969

Main article: Sesame Street

In 1969, television producer Joan Ganz Cooney give orders to her staff at the Children's Bustle Workshop were impressed by the sunny and creativity of the Henson-led operation, so they asked Henson and standard to work full-time on Sesame Street, a children's program for public make sure that premiered on National Educational Fleet street on November 10, 1969. Part govern the show was set aside mean a series of funny, colorful doll characters living on Sesame Street, as well as Grover, , Bert and Ernie, Award the Grouch, and Big Bird. Puppeteer performed the characters of Ernie, game-show host Guy Smiley, and Kermit, who appeared as a roving television material reporter.

Henson's Muppets initially appeared independently from the realistic segments on blue blood the gentry Street, but the show was revamped to integrate the two segments, class much greater emphasis on Henson's exertion. Cooney frequently praised Henson's work, give orders to PBS called him "the spark walk ignited our fledgling broadcast service."^[5] Goodness success of Sesame Street also allowable him to stop producing commercials, discipline he said that "it was a-one pleasure to get out of desert world".^[22]

Henson was also involved in stage various shows and animation inserts close the first two seasons. He into a series of counting films guard the numbers 1 through 10 which always ended with a baker (voiced by Henson) falling down the intensify while carrying the featured number be bought desserts. He also worked on exceptional variety of inserts for the amounts 2 through 12, including the movies "Dollhouse"; "Number Three Ball Film"; greatness stop-motions "King of Eight" and "Queen of Six"; the cut-out animation "Eleven Cheer"; and the computer animation "Nobody Counts To 10." He also confined the original "" and Tales elude Muppetland, a short series of Box movie specials that were comic retellings of classic fairy tales aimed tackle a young audience and hosted uncongenial Kermit the Frog. The series facade Hey, Cinderella!, The Frog Prince, with The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.

Expansion try to be like audience: 1970–1978

Henson, Oz, and his body were concerned that the company was becoming typecast solely as purveyors rule children's entertainment, so they targeted mainly adult audience with a series tablets sketches on the first season earthly the late-night live television variety present Saturday Night Live. Eleven Land time off Gorch sketches were aired between Oct 1975 and January 1976 on NBC, with four additional appearances in Step, April, May, and September 1976. Puppeteer liked Lorne Michaels' work and required to be a part of overflow, but he ultimately concluded that "what we were trying to do boss what his writers could write cherish it never gelled".^[22] The SNL writers were not comfortable writing for depiction characters, and they frequently disparaged Henson's creations. Michael O'Donoghue quipped, "I won't write for felt."^[37]

Henson began developing a- Broadway show and a weekly gather series both featuring the Muppets.^[22] Depiction American networks rejected the series in bad taste 1976, believing that Muppets would attract only to a child audience. Fuel, Henson pitched the show to Land impresario Lew Grade to finance picture show. The show would be do in the United Kingdom and syndicated worldwide.^[38] That same year, he scrapped plans for his Broadway show sit moved his creative team to England, where The Muppet Show began tie. The show featured Kermit as landlord, with a variety of prominent noting, notably Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Beneficial, and Fozzie Bear, in addition far its large cast of supporting symbols such as the Muppet musicians Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem competent their chaotic drummer Animal. Henson's teammates sometimes compared his role to turn of Kermit: a shy, gentle manager with "a whim of steel"^[29] who ran things like "an explosion insipid a mattress factory."^[39]Caroll Spinney, who rank as Big Bird, remembered that Puppeteer would never say he did beg for like something. "He would just turmoil 'Hmm.' ... And if he liked be off, he would say, 'Lovely!'"^[4] Henson ceremonious Kermit as an alter ego, although he thought that Kermit was bolder than he; he once said shambles the character: "He can say eccentric I hold back."^[40]

Transition to the far-reaching screen: 1979–1986

The Muppets appeared in their first theatrical feature film The Muppet Movie in 1979. It was both a critical and financial success; plan made $65.2 million domestically and was representation 61st highest-grossing film at the time.^[42] Henson's idol Edgar Bergen died equal height age 75 during production of position film, and Henson dedicated it pact his memory. Henson as Kermit sing "Rainbow Connection", and it hit broadcast 25 on the Billboard Hot Cardinal and was nominated for an Institution Award for Best Original Song. Loftiness Henson-directed The Great Muppet Caper (1981) followed, and Henson decided to kill the Muppet Show to concentrate draw somebody in making films,^[3] though the Muppet signs continued to appear in TV films and specials.^{[citation needed]}

Henson also aided nakedness in their work. During development keep on The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Martyr Lucas asked him to aid complexion artist Stuart Freeborn in the thing and articulation of Yoda. Lucas confidential also wanted Henson to puppeteer honourableness character, but Henson instead suggested Uninhibited Oz for the role; Oz terminated the role and continued in integrity subsequent Star Wars films. Lucas lobbied unsuccessfully to have Oz nominated stingy an Academy Award for Best Aspect Actor.

In 1982, Henson founded the Jim Henson Foundation to promote and build up the art of puppetry in dignity United States. Around that time, perform began creating darker and more pragmatic fantasy films that did not imagine the Muppets and displayed "a ant, brooding interest in mortality."^[29] He co-directed The Dark Crystal (1982) with Oz, "trying to go toward a indecipherable of realism—toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive".^[22] To livestock a visual style distinct from glory Muppets, the puppets in The Illlit Crystal were based on conceptual trim by Brian Froud,^[45] and it was a critical success, winning several effort awards including the Saturn Award occupy Best Fantasy Film and the Large Prize Winner at the Avoriaz Astonishing Film Festival.^[46] The film was unforgiving financially successful in theaters, but closest claimed an enormous following and flip over when it was introduced on VHS for home entertainment.^[47] Also in 1982, Henson co-founded Henson International Television criticism Peter Orton and Sophie Turner Laing as his partners. The company was a distribution company for children's, teens' and family television.^[48]

Henson worked with Oz again on The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), this time with Oz primate sole director. The film grossed $25.5 million domestically^[50] of a budget tip off only around $8 million, and row on row as one of the top 40 films of 1984.^[52]

Labyrinth (1986) was neat fantasy that Henson directed by being, but—despite some positive reviews; The Another York Times called it "a storied film"—it was a commercial disappointment.^[53] That demoralized Henson; his son Brian Puppeteer described it as "the closest I've seen him to turning in specialization himself and getting quite depressed."^[29] Position film later became a cult classic.^[54]

In 1984 Henson traveled to Moscow, whirl location he made a film about Sergei Obraztsov.^[55] Henson also donated four dolls to the puppeteer to replenish prestige Moscow Museum of Obraztsov Puppets: Fraggle, Skeksi, Bugard, and Robin the Batrachian. Of the show's guests, the Puppeteer Archivist points out that Jim Puppeteer placed a special importance on gathering Obraztsov: "As a teenager learning shield make puppets, Jim checked out fiercely books from the public library be thinking of instruction – one was Obraztsov’s 1950 book, My Profession"^[56][57][58]

Last years: 1987–1990

Henson long creating children's television, such as Fraggle Rock and the animated Muppet Babies. He also continued to address darker, more mature themes with the praxis and mythology-oriented show The StoryTeller (1988), which won an Emmy for Omitted Children's Program. The next year, recognized returned to television with The Jim Henson Hour, which mixed lighthearted Muppet fare with more risqué material. Tingle was critically well-received and won him another Emmy for Outstanding Directing delete a Variety or Music Program, on the contrary it was canceled after 12 episodes due to poor ratings. Henson darned its failure on NBC's constant rescheduling.^[59]

In late 1989, Henson entered into commerce to sell his company and symbols (excluding those from Sesame Street) give rise to The Walt Disney Company for supposedly apparent $150 million, hoping that he would "be able to spend a lot go on of my time on the deceitful side of things" with Disney operation business matters.^[59] By 1990, he abstruse completed production on the television failed The Muppets at Walt Disney World and the Disney-MGM Studios attraction Muppet*Vision 3D and he was developing ep ideas and a television series powerful Muppet High.^[4]

Personal life

Henson and fellow puppeteer Jane Nebel were married on Hawthorn 28, 1959, in a small ritual at Jane's family home. They locked away five children: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl (born 1961), Brian (born 1963), Bog (1965–2014),^[61] and Heather Henson (born 1970).^[62] Henson and his wife separated unplanned 1986, although they remained close funding the rest of his life.^[63] Jane said that Henson was so fade away with his work that he confidential very little time to spend have a crush on her or their children.^[63] His lineage began working with Muppets at diversity early age, partly because "one appreciated the best ways of being family him was to work with him", according to Cheryl.^[14][64] Henson was uncomplicated strong supporter of the civil up front movement.^[65]

Illness and death

Henson appeared with Kermit on The Arsenio Hall Show fall apart Los Angeles on May 4, 1990. This was his final television impression. Shortly afterwards, he privately disclosed just a stone's throw away his publicist that he was drowsy and had a sore throat, however that he believed it would ere long go away. On May 12, Puppeteer traveled to Ahoskie, North Carolina, form a junction with his daughter Cheryl to visit ruler father and stepmother. They returned eyeball their home in New York Throw away the following day, and Henson off a Muppet recording session that esoteric been scheduled for May 14, 1990, due to his ill health.^[4] King wife came to visit that darkness.

Henson was having trouble breathing in the way that he woke up at around 2:00 a.m. EDT on May 15, and sharptasting began coughing up blood. He inherent to his wife that he brawniness be dying, but he did pule want to take time off carry too far his schedule to visit a harbour. Two hours later, Henson agreed dressingdown be taken by taxi to interpretation emergency room at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital note Manhattan. Shortly after admission, he choked breathing and was rushed into blue blood the gentry intensive care unit. X-ray images heed his chest revealed multiple abscesses mop the floor with both of his lungs as exceptional result of a previous Streptococcal infection (strep throat) bacterial infection he difficult apparently had for the past meagre days. Henson was placed on spick ventilator but quickly deteriorated over grandeur next several hours despite increasingly quarrelsome treatment with multiple antibiotics. Although nobleness medicine killed off most of interpretation infection, it had already weakened indefinite of Henson's organs, and he dreary at 1:21 a.m. the following morning. Crystalclear was 53.^[66]

David Gelmont, the hospital's intensified care unit director, announced that Puppeteer had died from Streptococcus pneumoniae, brush up infection that causes bacterial pneumonia.^[5] Still, on May 29, Gelmont reclassified display as organ dysfunction resulting from eubacterium toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes.^[67][68] Gelmont noted Henson might receive been saved had he gone follow a line of investigation the hospital just a few noonday sooner.^[69] Medical expert Lawrence D. Altman also stated that Henson's death "may have shocked many Americans who estimated that bacterial infections no longer could kill with such swiftness."^[67] A want of familiarity with this possibility, entire sum with the then-recent deaths of noticeable men (including Rock Hudson, Liberace, Roy Cohn, and others) whose AIDS deaths had first been publicly euphemized similarly other illnesses due to AIDS's inescapable stigma, led to a false on the other hand widespread rumor that Henson had convulsion of AIDS — a rumor depart was swiftly and directly refuted tough Gelmont.^[70] Frank Oz believed the affliction of negotiating with Disney contributed put in plain words Henson's death, stating in a 2021 interview: "The Disney deal is indubitably what killed Jim. It made him sick."^[71] His remains were cremated, beginning in 1992, his ashes were pleonastic near Taos, New Mexico.

Memorials

News of Henson's death spread quickly and admirers rule his work responded from around excellence world with tributes and condolences. Various of Henson's co-stars and directors suffer the loss of Sesame Street, the Muppets, and following works also shared their thoughts reveal his death.^[74] On May 21, 1990, Henson's public memorial service was conducted in Manhattan at the Cathedral stir up St. John the Divine. Another was conducted on July 2, at Illegal Paul's Cathedral in London. Harry Belafonte sang "Turn the World Around", spruce song that he had debuted improve The Muppet Show, as each participator of the congregation waved a comprehensible colored foam butterfly attached to cool puppet performer's rod.^[75][76] Later, Big Boo (performed by Caroll Spinney) walked become aware of the stage and sang Kermit's colophon song "Bein' Green" while fighting restrict tears.^[77]Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Kevin Conflict, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Richard Hunt sang a medley of Henson's favorite songs in their characters' voices, ending with a performance of "Just One Person" while performing their Muppets.^[78]

In accordance with Henson's wishes, no sidle in attendance wore black, and influence Dirty Dozen Brass Band finished representation service by performing "When the Saints Go Marching In". The funeral was described by Life as "an distinguished and almost unbearably moving event".^[29]

Legacy

The Jim Henson Company and the Jim Puppeteer Foundation continued after his death, moving picture new series and specials. Jim Henson's Creature Shop also continues to fabricate characters and special effects for both Henson-related and outside projects. Steve Whitmire, who had joined the Muppets discontented in 1978, began performing Kermit interpretation Frog six months after Henson's death.^[79] He was dismissed from the engrave in October 2016, and Matt Vogel succeeded him in the role exclude Kermit.^[80]

The Children's Television Workshop was renamed Sesame Workshop, which retained the Sesame Street characters in 2000.^[81] On Feb 17, 2004, the Muppets and illustriousness Bear in the Big Blue House properties were sold to Disney.^[82][83][84]

One simulated Henson's last projects was the concern Muppet*Vision 3D, which opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991, exactly one year after his dying. The Jim Henson Company retains distinction Creature Shop as well as justness rest of its film and smooth library, including Fraggle Rock, Farscape, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth.^[85]Brian Jay Architect wrote the book Jim Henson: Position Biography. It was released on what would have been Henson's 77th gormandize, September 24, 2013.^[86]

The moving-image collection see Jim Henson, which contains the album work of Jim Henson and Position Jim Henson Company,^[87] is held nearby the Academy Film Archive.

In 2019, the YouTube channel Defunctland released dinky six-part miniseries on the life lecturer legacy of Jim Henson.^[88]

A biopic lp based on Henson's life, known style Muppet Man, has been in occurrence at Walt Disney Pictures and Decency Jim Henson Company since 2010. Improve April 2021, it was reported put off Michael Mitnick was hired to reword the screenplay, previously written by Ballplayer and Jordan Kandell. Lisa Henson desire serve as producer.^[89]

In March 2022, schedule was announced that Ron Howard all set to direct a documentary on Henson's life, with Brian Grazer's Imagine Cheer collaborating with Disney Original Documentary choose produce it. The project was simultaneous to have "the full participation discipline cooperation of the Henson family".^[90] Populate April 2024, it was announced honesty documentary was titled Jim Henson Solution Man. It began streaming on Disney+ on May 31, 2024.^[91]

In 2024, Puppeteer was portrayed by Nicholas Braun pimple the biographical dramedySaturday Night, which registry the production of the first folio of Saturday Night Live.^[92]

Henson's characters interrupt currently performed by the following puppeteers: Matt Vogel (Kermit), Peter Linz (Ernie, Link Hogthrob), Eric Jacobson (Guy Smiley, The Newsman), Dave Goelz (Waldorf) celebrated Bill Barretta (Rowlf the Dog, Position Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth).^{[93][94][95][96][97]}

Tributes

• In 1971, excellence University of Maryland's National Residence Appearance Honorary chapter was founded as blue blood the gentry Jim Henson Chapter. The UMD NRHH Chapter is still the Jim Puppeteer Chapter to this day. The Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library created stick in exhibit from 2019 to 2020 light Jim Henson's time at the university.^[98][99]
• Henson is honored both as himself prep added to as Kermit the Frog on representation Hollywood Walk of Fame. Only leash other people have received this honor: Walt Disney as both himself present-day Mickey Mouse; Mel Blanc as both himself and Bugs Bunny; and Microphone Myers as both himself and Shrek. Henson was posthumously inducted into say publicly Walk of Fame in 1991.^[100]
• Henson conventional an Honorary Doctorate of Letters use up Fordham University, Rose Hill Campus, Borough, New York (June 1982)^[101]
• Henson was inducted into the Television Hall of Celebrity in 1987.^[102]
• Henson received the Golden Course Award of the American Academy expose Achievement in 1987.^[103]
• The theater and Illustration and Performing Arts Academy at diadem alma mater, Northwestern High School, check Hyattsville, Maryland, is named in cap honor.^[104]
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Honourableness Secret of the Ooze and Excellent Muppet Christmas Carol are both enthusiastic to his memory.
• Henson featured in The American Adventure in Epcot at goodness Walt Disney World Resort.^[105]
• The Jim Puppeteer Exhibit, located in Leland, Mississippi, nature an assortment of original Muppet noting, official certificates from the Mississippi Law-makers honoring Henson and his characters, service a statue of Kermit in honesty middle of the stream behind greatness museum.^[106]
• The 1990 television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson allowed the Muppets themselves to pay tribute to Puppeteer. The special featured interviews with Steven Spielberg and others.^[107]
• Tom Smith's Henson celebration song, "A Boy and His Frog", won the Pegasus Award for Outdistance Filk Song in 1991.^[108]
• The classes capture 1994, 1998, and 1999 at goodness University of Maryland, College Park, Henson's alma mater, commissioned a life-size personality of Henson and Kermit the Adornment, which was dedicated on September 24, 2003, on what would have antiquated Henson's 67th birthday. The statue quotient $217,000 and is displayed outside Maryland's student union.^[109][110] In 2006, the Tradition of Maryland introduced 50 statues livestock its school mascot, Testudo the Terrapin, with various designs chosen by coldness sponsoring groups. Among them was Kertle, a statue designed to look corresponding Kermit the Frog by Washington, DC–based artist Elizabeth Baldwin.^[111]
• In 2003, Jim Puppeteer was honored at the annual Norsk Høstfest in Minot, North Dakota.^[112]
• Our Atlan, Thibaut Berland, and Damien Ferrie wrote, directed, and animated a 3D testimonial to Henson entitled Over Time deviate was shown as part of birth 2005 Electronic Theater at SIGGRAPH.^[113][114]
• On Sept 28, 2005, the U.S. Postal Dwell in issued a sheet of commemorative stamps honoring Henson and the Muppets.^[115]
• On Lordly 9, 2011, Jim Henson posthumously commonplace the Disney Legends Award. Two answer his characters, Kermit the Frog gift Rowlf the Dog, performed "Rainbow Connection" in his honor.^[116]
• On September 24, 2011, which what would have been Henson's 75th birthday, Mississippi town Leland renamed a local bridge to "The Rainbow Connection" to honor Henson and enthrone work.^[117] He was also honored cotton on a Google doodle to commemorate crown 75th birthday; the Google logo challenging six Muppets that were clickable invigorating the "hand" buttons.^[118]
• The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta opened a congregation of Muppets exhibits within the Worlds of Puppetry exhibition at the Inside in November 2015, a greatly scaled-down version of what was announced instruct in 2007 to have been a convince honoring Henson.^{[119][120][121]}
• In July 2016, Hyattsville, Colony installed a memorial to Jim Puppeteer in the city's Magruder Park, featuring a large planter embossed with carbons copy of characters from Sam & Friends and benches inscribed with quotes use Henson.^[122][123]
• The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited, an exhibition organized by the Museum of the Moving Image showcasing selflessness 300 artifacts from Henson's career, premiered at the Museum of Pop Charm in Seattle before opening at cast down permanent home in New York Spring up in 2017.^[124][125] A traveling version some the exhibition, featuring over 100 objects and 25 historic puppets, has archaic hosted by several cultural institutions package the U.S. including Skirball Cultural Heart in Los Angeles (June–September 2018),^[126]Albuquerque Museum (November 2019 – April 2020),^[127][128]Durham Museum in Omaha (October 2020 – Jan 2021),^[129][130]The Henry Ford museum in Dearborn (June–September 2021),^[131][132] the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco (May–August 2022),^[133][134] turf the Grand Rapids Art Museum incline Michigan (October 2022 – January 2023).^[135] The traveling exhibition's final stop inclination be the Maryland Center for Record and Culture in Baltimore (May–December 2023).^[136]
• In 2018, the American Banjo Museum inducted Henson into its hall of illustriousness, for his positive portrayal of say publicly banjo in his shows and acquit yourself The Muppet Movie.^[137]
• In 2020, the 1979 song "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie (performed by Henson as Kermit) was deemed "culturally, historically, or esthetically significant" by the Library of Intercourse and selected for preservation in interpretation National Recording Registry.^[138]
• On September 7, 2021, a blue plaque was unveiled draw off Jim Henson's former Hampstead home, 50 Downshire Hill NW3^[139] to honor cap artistic creativity. Henson purchased his Author home in 1979 after ITV authorized the Muppet series, filmed at Elstree Studios.
• An area outside Studio 6B presume NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters in Spanking York City includes a set appropriate pipes that Henson and his arrangement of puppeteers had painted while arrest to perform on The Jack Paar Show in 1964. While the epitomize has been preserved over time – Henson showed it to Gene Shalit on Today in 1980 and Paar took David Letterman over to affection it during an appearance on Late Night which taped across the foyer – it wasn't until Jimmy Fallon, host of the studio's current resident The Tonight Show, brought it rile that NBC officially made the cylinder part of its studio tour. Undressed Oz attended the ribbon-cutting for depiction exhibit in 2010.^[140]

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

References