Performers who Left Due to Lack of Recognition

[minor muppetz]

In Caroll Spinney's autobiography, he mentions that he's known many performers who stopped being performers because they didn't ge tmuch recognition. Now, does anybody happen to know who some of these performers are?

I know the reasons why quite a few performers stopped performing, with other reasons. I don't know if John Lovelady is still performing these days, but he continued performing after leaving the Muppets, and I doubt Spinney would have known him that well. Brian Meehl stopped performing to become a writer (though he did continue performing for at least ten years after leaving Sesame Street, performing regular roles on Eureeka's Castle and Dog City, and performing occassionally on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss).

When I first read about him I thought that Michael Earl might have been one of these performers, but he is still a puppeteer, though not always with Henson. He has said that he was under contract for three years, 1978-1981, and then he worked on-and-off with Henson over the years. I don't know if he chose to stop performign Snuffy and other characters or what, so it is odd that he'd perform for Henson again (and I think he also performed in later Sesame productions). I don't think his departure had to due with his contract ending, as most Muppet performers are freelance.

I wonder if Camille Bonora might be one of these performers. She performed for Henson for a long time, and then suddenly stopped, and I'm not sure if she's still performing or not.

 

[ploobis]

In Caroll Spinney's autobiography, he mentions that he's known many performers who stopped being performers because they didn't ge tmuch recognition. Now, does anybody happen to know who some of these performers are?

I know the reasons why quite a few performers stopped performing, with other reasons. I don't know if John Lovelady is still performing these days, but he continued performing after leaving the Muppets, and I doubt Spinney would have known him that well. Brian Meehl stopped performing to become a writer (though he did continue performing for at least ten years after leaving Sesame Street, performing regular roles on Eureeka's Castle and Dog City, and performing occassionally on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss).

When I first read about him I thought that Michael Earl might have been one of these performers, but he is still a puppeteer, though not always with Henson. He has said that he was under contract for three years, 1978-1981, and then he worked on-and-off with Henson over the years. I don't know if he chose to stop performign Snuffy and other characters or what, so it is odd that he'd perform for Henson again (and I think he also performed in later Sesame productions). I don't think his departure had to due with his contract ending, as most Muppet performers are freelance.

I wonder if Camille Bonora might be one of these performers. She performed for Henson for a long time, and then suddenly stopped, and I'm not sure if she's still performing or not.

I myself have always wondered what ever happened to Camille Bonora! She was a good performer.

 

[Beauregard]

Could it have been Louise Gold? Fans love her, but did non-fans else even know who she was?

Although, I suppose his autobiography was only about SS performers, and I don't think she was ever on there, right?

 

[minor muppetz]

Although, I suppose his autobiography was only about SS performers, and I don't think she was ever on there, right?

Gold did perform on Sesame Street for five years after Henson's death. It seems she mostly performed in productions made in the UK. Heck, it seems like the english and canadian performers rarely travel to the US to perform, while US performers have traveled around the world to perform their characters. But that's probably something for a different thread.

 

[Skekayuk]

Could it have been Louise Gold? Fans love her, but did non-fans else even know who she was?

Although, I suppose his autobiography was only about SS performers, and I don't think she was ever on there, right?

I don't think it would have been her. From what I've read and heard, she's nearly always been actress as well as puppeteer.
I certainly recall reading somewhere that she left Spitting Image because she didn't want go back to being a "full time puppeteer". Ok that wasn't a Henson production, but it is a puppet programme.

And incidentally Louise Gold most certainly did do Sesame Street, in the early 1990s. And the segments she did definitely had her doing fairly major roles within a sketch (even if they were usually characters that were only used once or twice).

As for whether non-fans had even heard of musical-theatre-fans who know of her as a singer-actress, and don't know that she's also a famous puppeteer.

 

[Nick22]

i love louise gold! but what happened to eren ozker? im sure its a dumb question. right? but i always wondered why she only did season 1

 

[minor muppetz]

i love louise gold! but what happened to eren ozker? im sure its a dumb question. right? but i always wondered why she only did season 1

After season 1 she got married and chose to stay in the united states as opposed to working on TMS in the united states. I believe that she did continue performing up until her death, though mostly non-Henson puppet productions. I think she formed a puppetry union.

 

[Skekayuk]

After season 1 she got married and chose to stay in the united states as opposed to working on TMS .

TMS was filmed at Elstree Studios in London (in Britain), and so when Erin left they decided to have a UK puppeteer as Erin's replacement. And that was why they got Louise Gold on the team.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Louise Gold played frazzles mother! Just thought it was interesting how Marty gave Frazzle a British accent if you listen closely enough.

 

[Skekayuk]

And Louise gave Frazzle's Mother a lovely cockney accent.