Straight Outta Waltham: Famous Faces From Your Hometown

WALTHAM, MA - The voice behind two of the most iconic children's television characters was born in Waltham the day after Christmas in 1933.

Caroll Spinney developed a passion for puppeteering after his mother, a British native, took him to a Punch and Judy show in Blackpool, England.

Spinney met Jim Henson at a puppeteering festival, where legend has it Jim Henson asked if Spinney wanted to "talk about the Muppets." Failing to interpret the question as a job opportunity, Spinney never had the conversation with Henson.

In 1969 Spinney and Henson crossed paths again; this time, when Henson asked if he wanted to "talk about the Muppets" Spinney was mentally prepared (seeing as he had seven years to agonize over his blown opportunity).

Spinney joined Sesame Street as a full-time cast member in its inaugural season that year. He has lent his voice to several characters on the show, but his most famous are Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.

Did you know? During the 1980s there was talk of sending Big Bird into space to teach children about the space program. However, the costume was too large to fit on a shuttle, so NASA sent a schoolteacher into space instead. This led to Christa McAuliffe being selected for the doomed Challenger flight in lieu of Spinney.