Since the sets where the Muppets perform are built for puppets that go over the puppeteers heads, how do real people look the correct height when they are next to a puppet?

Most of our sets are between three and four feet off the ground and we cheat the character's heights all the time. It would never work otherwise. If a character like Rizzo only appeared at his true height next to a human actor, you'd only see the human actor's feet when you saw Rizzo. That's an extreme example, but the idea is true for most of the characters. Even so, we do know the relative heights of the characters to each other and make an effort to keep that in mind.

Do you have a favorite Muppet?

I can remember the Muppets since I was about seven years old, or so. Some of my favorite Muppet television shows were the "Muppetland" specials Jim did back around the time Sesame Street started, "The Muppet Musicians of Bremen" being my favorite. Of all the characters, Rowlf the Dog is the one I remember for the longest from seeing him back on his days as a regular part of the Jimmy Dean Show. I suppose my favorite character has always been Kermit, and he became even more of a favorite after I met Jim and discovered how much a part of Jim Kermit is. Of the characters I have performed, my favorite is Rizzo the Rat.

Do you collect Muppet items?

I have a large display of Muppet items that I have received from Henson over the years in one room of my house. It's a lot like a museum, but at the same time, it serves as something of a "yearbook" since it is a reminder of all the various stuff I've been a part of.

When I was a kid, I had an early (I think it was done by Hasbro) Rowlf the Dog from the Jimmy Dean days. I loved that puppet and would love to find one, if anybody out there has one.

Do you have any other hobbies?

I am an animal lover and my wife and I have eight cats. Plus I help out any way that I can at an animal preserve for big cats in Los Angeles called the Shambala Preserve. It is a refuge for many species of big cats, lions, tigers, cougars, cheetah, etc. to live out their lives in the event they are rejected by zoos, animal parks, circuses, etc. It is run by actress and conservationist Tippi Hedren, most well-known for her roles in the Hitchcock films "The Birds" and "Marnie". It is by far my favorite charity. They do outstanding work and are one of the only places like this in existence.

I have often said that if I weren't a puppeteer, I'd probably do something in construction. I enjoy very much carpentry and renovating houses.

Is there an official Muppet fan club?

There WAS an official Muppet fan club back during the Muppet Show days and it even published a newsletter, but that was a long time ago. I don't think anything like that exists now, and I'm not aware of plans to start one. The closest thing to that might be the Henson web pages. There IS an official address for the Muppets that fans can write to. It is "The Muppets, P.O. Box 20726, New York, NY 10023-1488."

Image of Rowlf © The Jim Henson Company
Artist - Gina

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