Sesame street – Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer and actor behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, died Sunday. He was 85.
According to NBC News, he died at his home in Connecticut, according to a press release from Sesame Workshop. Spinney had worked on the beloved cartoon show for 50 years, serving as the puppeteer for Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since the show’s premiere in 1969.
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Spinney had been diagnosed with dystonia, a neurological movement disorder that produces involuntary muscle contractions, cramps and other symptoms, causing him to retire from puppeteering the two characters in 2018.
“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,” the press release said. “Caroll Spinney gave something truly special to the world. With deepest admiration, Sesame Workshop is proud to carry his memory – and his beloved characters – into the future.”