Iconic Puppeteer Behind Big Bird Retiring After Nearly 50 Years

WOODSTOCK, CT – The man behind two of your favorite friends who live on Sesame Street has announced he will be retiring, leaving them in the hands of two capable puppeteers who will work to carry on their legacies.

Carol Spinney of Woodstock announced Wednesday he will be stepping down from the roles of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, two beloved characters from the iconic children's television program. He has performed both roles since the show's premiere in 1969, retiring after nearly 50 years as the characters.

“Big Bird brought me so many places, opened my mind and nurtured my soul,” Spinney said in a press release. “And I plan to be an ambassador for Sesame Workshop for many years to come. After all, we’re a family! But now it’s time for two performers that I have worked with and respected – and actually hand-picked for the guardianship of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch – to take my alter-egos into their hands and continue to give them life.”

Developing a love of puppetry at an early age, Spinney explored puppeteering throughout his childhood and adolescence. He even used money from his performances to pay his college tuition.

After performing as a professional puppeteer throughout the 1950's and 1960's, Spinney attended a puppetry festival in 1962, where he crossed paths with Jim Henson. An acclaimed puppeteer and eventual television icon and filmmaker, Henson would of course go on to create and portray the iconic character Kermit the Frog among countless others.

While developing the colorful citizens of "Sesame Street," Henson thought Spinney’s unique combination of talent and heart would be perfect for the show’s larger-than-life role of Big Bird. Spinney agreed, and has been performing with the show ever since its first season in 1969.

Spinney's time as Big Bird has taken him on a number of amazing adventures, including visiting China with Bob Hope in 1979 and dancing with the Rockettes. Big Bird has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress in 2000.

Everyone's large feathered friend even starred in his own film, "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird," in 1985.

“Caroll has been one of the leading lights of "Sesame Street" from the very beginning,” Sesame Workshop Co-Founder Joan Ganz Cooney said in a release. “His genius and his talent made Big Bird the most beloved yellow feathered friend across the globe. But the sheer artistry of Caroll is that he also brought Oscar to life and made him the most lovable Grouch in the world.”

Aside from puppetry, Spinney is also an accomplished author and visual artist. Over time, he has received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, six Emmys, two Gold Records and two Grammy honors. His life and career have been documented in the 2014 film "I Am Big Bird."

Big Bird and Oscar will be left in good hands (literally), with "Sesame Street" Puppet Captain Matt Vogel taking over the role of everyone's favorite feathered friend himself. Vogel currently also portrays Count von Count on the show, and is also the current performer of Kermit the Frog.

Oscar the Grouch will be taken over by Eric Jacobson, who also performs Grover and Bert on the show. He is also known for portraying various famous Muppets, including Fozzie Bear, Animal and the iconic diva Miss Piggy.

“Before I came to Sesame Street, I didn’t feel like what I was doing was very important. Big Bird helped me find my purpose,” Spinney said in a release. “Even as I step down from my roles, I feel I will always be Big Bird. And even Oscar, once in a while! They have given me great joy, led me to my true calling – and my wonderful wife! – and created a lifetime of memories that I will cherish forever.”

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Photo credits: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File