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Caroll Spinney, the Man Behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird, Dies at 85

The beloved puppeteer brought Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life.

Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch died on Sunday at 85. The production company Sesame Workshop announced that Spinney passed away in his home in Woodstock, Connecticut, after battling dystonia, a movement disorder. Spinney had a lifelong passion for puppeteering and was integral to the show from its inception in 1969 until he retired in October 2018. “Frankly, I think if I won the lottery and won a billion dollars, I’d still want to continue doing this job,” Spinney told The Daily Beast in 2017. “I love expressing myself through it.” Spinney is survived by his wife, Debra, along with their three children and grandchildren.