Brian Henson
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| Brian Henson | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1963 New York City |
| Occupation | Puppeteer, director, producer and technician |
| Spouse(s) | Ellis Flyte (1990–2002) Mia Sara (2010–present) |
| Parent(s) | Jim Henson (1936–1990) Jane Henson (1934–2013) |
| Relatives | Lisa Henson (born 1960) Cheryl Henson (born 1961) John Henson (1965–2014) Heather Henson (born 1970) |
Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company.[1] The son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson, Brian was born in New York City.
Contents
Early life
Brian Henson was the middle child and first born son of Jane Henson and Jim Henson. As a child, he made several cameo appearances in some of the filmed segments his father produced for the PBS children's series Sesame Street, most notably in various segments of the "Number Song Series." As he got older, he built the very first Muppet penguin puppet for the opening "Lullaby of Broadway" segment of a season three episode of The Muppet Show, guest starring Gilda Radner. During his summer break from high school in 1980, he assisted in the bicycle sequence from The Great Muppet Caper (1981). He helped create and operate a special rigging device that was created to allow the Muppets to ride bicycles, since he was skilled in the use of marionette puppets. A few years later, he similarly operated a marionette of Scooter riding a bicycle in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984).
Career
1980s
During the 1980s, Henson wanted to make a name for himself and find work without his father's help. As a result, he performed Jack Pumpkinhead in Return to Oz (1985), operated special effects for Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), and was a principal performer for the Audrey II puppet in Little Shop of Horrors (1986), controlling mouth movement while others performed the lips and vines. In addition, he also performed the voice of Hoggle, one of the main characters in his father's film Labyrinth (1986) and the Dog in both versions of The Storyteller (1988 and 1990).
1990s
He briefly took over the Muppet roles of Scooter and Janice after the death of Richard Hunt in 1992.
He directed The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992 and Muppet Treasure Island in 1996, the first Muppet films produced after Jim Henson's death.
He performed the role of Dr. Phil van Neuter, the Muppet mad scientist who tries to suck out Gonzo's brain, in Muppets from Space (1999).
He was the producer of the TV series Dinosaurs, Aliens in the Family, and Bear in the Big Blue House. His most visible recent project was the cult sci-fi series Farscape.
2000s
Henson is the co-creator, producer, and currently a performer in the Off-Broadway puppet-based variety show geared toward adults called Stuffed and Unstrung.[2] He also plays various characters on That Puppet Game Show.
Henson for the live show, "The Muppet Show Live", from 2001, in addition to performing his own Muppet characters, also performed one of his father's characters, The Muppet Newsman, for the first time, the second time being the 2003 video game "Muppets Party Cruise".
2010s
Henson is the executive producer and plays himself as the head judge for the reality TV show Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge where contestants compete for $100,000 and a job working at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Personal life
Henson has been married to actress Mia Sara since 2010. They have a daughter named Amelia Jane Henson.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Great Muppet Caper | Muppet performer | Also made a cameo appearance |
| 1984 | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Muppet performer | Uncredited |
| 1985 | Return to Oz | Jack Pumpkinhead | |
| 1985 | Santa Claus: The Movie | Animatronic puppeteer | |
| 1986 | Little Shop of Horrors | Principal puppeteer | |
| 1986 | Labyrinth | Hoggle/Goblin | |
| 1986 | The Christmas Toy | Cruiser | TV movie |
| 1987 | Jim Henson Presents Mother Goose Stories | Co-director | |
| 1988-1991 | The Storyteller | Storyteller's Dog/Devil/Griffin | TV series |
| 1989 | The Jim Henson Hour | Storyteller's Dog/Dog the Dinosaur | TV series |
| 1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Second unit director/Chief puppeteer | |
| 1990 | The Witches | Puppeteer | |
| 1991-1994 | Dinosaurs | Grandma Ethyl Phillips/Arthur Rizzic Executive producer |
TV series |
| 1992 | The Muppet Christmas Carol | Director/Producer | Film |
| 1996 | Aliens in the Family | Executive producer | TV series |
| 1996 | Gulliver's Travels | Co-executive producer | TV miniseries |
| 1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Director/Producer | Film |
| 1996-1998 | Muppets Tonight | Sal Minella/Dr. Phil Van Neuter/Seymour/Nigel Writer |
TV series |
| 1997-2003 | Bear in the Big Blue House | Executive producer | TV series |
| 1999 | Muppets From Space | Dr. Phil Van Neuter/Sal Minella/Talking Sandwich Producer |
Film |
| 1999-2003 | Farscape | Executive producer | TV series |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Executive producer | Film |
| 2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Director | TV movie |
| 2002 | It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | Scooter/Sal Manilla/Janice Executive producer |
TV movie |
| 2004 | Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars | Director/Executive producer | TV series |
| 2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Sal Manilla Executive producer |
TV movie |
| 2008 | Pajanimals | Executive producer | TV series |
| 2008-2009 | Sid the Science Kid | Executive producer | TV series |
| 2009-2011 | Dinosaur Train | Executive producer | TV series |
| 2010 | Hot Dog TV | Voice Director |
TV series |
| 2013 | Ventrilocompany Studios Update | Co-executive producer | TV series |
| 2013 | That Puppet Game Show | Various | TV series |
| 2014 | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge | Executive producer and Head Judge | TV series |
Future projects
Henson is co-producing The Power of the Dark Crystal and Fraggle Rock: The Movie. However, both projects are currently on hold.
| Preceded by | Performer of Scooter 2002 - 2003 |
Succeeded by Rickey Boyd |
| Preceded by | Performer of Janice 2002 - 2003 |
Succeeded by Tyler Bunch |
