Caroll Spinney has sadly died.
The legendary puppeteer who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for an incredible 50 years for Sesame Street died in Connecticut after living with dystonia at the age of 85, Sesame Workshop confirmed on Sunday (December 8).
“Caroll was an artistic genius whose kind and loving view of the world helped shape and define Sesame Street from its earliest days in 1969 through five decades, and his legacy here at Sesame Workshop and in the cultural firmament will be unending. 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 site declared.
Our thoughts are with Caroll‘s loved ones at this difficult time.
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