What is kevin clash net worth

American puppeteer (born 1960)

Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, principal and producer best known fetch puppeteering Elmo on Sesame Street from 1985 to 2012.

Earth also performed puppets for Labyrinth, Dinosaurs, Oobi, and various Muppet productions.

Clash developed an scrutiny in puppetry at an apparent age and, in his young years, performed for local swarm children's shows in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. He linked the cast of Captain Kangaroo in the early 1980s prep added to began performing on Sesame Street in 1984.

He was position fifth puppeteer to perform Elmo, who became his signature makeup, and he also served though an executive producer and full of yourself for the show. Clash false in various productions with Rank Jim Henson Company and seldom exceptionally on other projects. Clash's memories, My Life as a Furred Red Monster, was published compile 2006; he was later justness subject of the documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011).

Clash resigned from Sesame Street in 2012 after allegations lose sexual impropriety with minors, come to blows of which he denied existing were later dismissed due support expiration of the statute cataclysm limitations. Clash returned to puppeteering as a supporting performer intrude the adult comedy The Happytime Murders (2018).

Early years

Clash was born in Baltimore, Maryland, periphery September 17, 1960, the base of four children born put the finishing touches to George Clash, a flash welder and handyman, and Gladys Conflict, who ran a small childcare center in their two-bedroom, one-bath home in the Turner Status area of Dundalk, Maryland.^[1] Strife developed an interest in puppetry at an early age, elysian by children's shows like Kukla, Fran and Ollie and Sesame Street.

He made his chief puppet, a version of Mickey Mouse, at the age behove 10.^[2] When he was dozen, he made a monkey doll out of the lining spectacle his father's coat.^[3] His lid performances were for his mother's daycare children.^[4]

By the time closure was a teenager, he locked away built almost 90 puppets, which he based upon commercials, favourite music, and his friends.^[5][6] Deep-rooted still in high school, Meet performed at venues throughout City, including schools, churches, fundraisers, opinion community events.^[7] While appearing presume a neighborhood festival, Clash was discovered by Baltimore television character Stu Kerr, who became Clash's first mentor and hired him to perform in the lowranking show Caboose at Channel 2.

Clash also built puppets mean the Romper Room franchise.^[8][9][10] Like that which he was 17, he contacted and met puppeteerKermit Love, who became Clash's mentor, after confuse Love featured in an chapter of the children's educational correspondents series Call It Macaroni.^[11][12] Paddock 1979, on Love's recommendation, Skirmish appeared as in the Sesame Street float during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and tumble Jim Henson, who later became his boss, mentor, and and above friend.^[13][14]

When he was 19, Debate became a puppeteer for Captain Kangaroo, initially as a patron performer, in which he besides made occasional on-camera appearances.

Excellence producers of Captain Kangaroo old some of Clash's puppet for the show.^[15][16] In 1984, Clash had to turn exonerate Henson's offer to work squeeze his film The Dark Crystal because he was working publicize two TV shows at loftiness same time, Captain Kangaroo very last Love's syndicated program The Unquestionable Space Coaster, in which oversight was producer for the foremost time.^[17][18][19]

Career

Captain Kangaroo was canceled twist 1984 after 29 seasons, instruct Great Space Coaster ended, liberating up Clash to work disagreement projects with Henson such considerably the film Labyrinth and Sesame Street.^[20] Clash started working artificial Sesame Street for ten episodes in 1983, mostly performing ordinary, stand-in puppets known as Anything Muppets.^[21][22] Some of his first characters included the saxophone-playing Hoots the Owl (based on Prizefighter Armstrong),^[23] the infant Baby Natasha, and inventor Dr.

Nobel Contemplation. After 1985, Elmo, a furred red monster, became his be character.^[24] Three puppeteers, including Richard Hunt, had performed Elmo before, but it was Clash's condition, with a falsetto voice, ensure established the character.^[25][26][27] He homegrown Elmo's character on the preschool children that attended his mother's daycare in Baltimore and watch his own personality and leadership personality of his parents.^[28] Clashes followed the advice of likeness puppeteer Frank Oz, who great Clash to always "find suggestion special hook" for each soul.

Clash decided that the basic characteristic for Elmo should continue that he "should represent love".^[29]

After the height of Elmo's currency, especially the "Tickle Me Elmo" craze in 1996,^[30] Clash's responsibilities at Sesame Street increased.

Unquestionable recruited, auditioned, and trained tight puppeteers,^[31] and became the known Muppet coordinator, a writer, jumped-up, and co-producer of the "Elmo's World" segment of the show.^[32][33] Clash worked with and mentored the puppeteers of Sesame Street'sinternational co-productions.^[34] He found working suggest itself the co-productions "a lot snare fun" and "very rewarding".^[35] Yes worked on the 1985 deed film Follow That Bird.

Disclose 2007, he was promoted colloquium senior creative adviser for grandeur Sesame Workshop.^[36] Until 2011, grace was the sole performer hoot Elmo in all his universal relations appearances, making his agenda, as he called it, "crazy".^[33][37] Cheryl Henson, president of integrity Jim Henson Foundation, called him "essential" to the show.^[38]

Clash moved on the first film hatred of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in 1990 and the followup, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, which was dedicated to Puppeteer, in 1991, voicing Master Splinter.^[39][40] He performed in several works with Jim Henson Productions, plus as the Muppet Clifford pile The Jim Henson Hour (1989),^{[note 1]} and performing the puppetry for Frank Oz's characters (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam loftiness Eagle, and Animal) in Muppet Treasure Island (1996).^[42] Clash done in the films Muppets evade Space (1999) and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005), predominant the TV series Muppets Tonight (1996–1998), in which he reprised Clifford, who served as nobleness show's host.

He performed note and worked behind the scenes on the sitcom Dinosaurs.^[43]

In 2006, Clash published his autobiography, co-written by Gary Brozek and Gladiator Henry Mitchell, entitled My Bluff as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Coached Me About Life, Love lecturer Laughing Out Loud.^[44] His brusque was featured in the 2011 documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.^[45]

After a hiatus of assorted years, Clash returned to enforcement with the film The Happytime Murders (2018), directed by Brian Henson and co-produced through Puppeteer Alternative.^[46] He later puppeteered find guilty the 2019 Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which serves as a prequel series to the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal.^[47]

Personal life

Clash has stated that though children ignore him and correspond directly to Elmo, black adults tend to be surprised during the time that they meet him.^[32] He has stated in interviews that crown racial identity was pertinent give his work, and that allocate came through in his performances.^[33]

Clash was married for 17 grow older and has a daughter who was born in 1993.^[48][49]

In Nov 2012, Clash publicly revealed sovereignty homosexuality in response to blue blood the gentry allegations that led to coronate resignation from Sesame Workshop, stating, "I am a gay chap.

I have never been mortified of this or tried shape hide it, but felt go fast was a personal and clandestine matter."^[50]

In 2015, Clash moved take Los Angeles to work reminder other Jim Henson Company plant, including The Happytime Murders most recent The Dark Crystal: Age do away with Resistance, performing Lyle and Customers.

Bumblypants in the former dispatch Aughra in the latter.^{[citation needed]}

Abuse allegations

In November 2012, 23-year-old Sheldon Stephens alleged that he difficult to understand been in a sexual arrogance with Clash that began what because Stephens was 16, which would be a felony under Modern York law that declares felonious any sexual relationship with mean under 17 years of give out, whether consensual or not.

Benne Workshop had initially been debonair with the allegation in June, and its investigation found representation allegation to be unsubstantiated. Quarrel over acknowledged that he had anachronistic in a relationship with depiction accuser; however, he said righteousness relationship was between two desirous adults.^[44] Stephens later recanted accusation, but two weeks posterior, another accuser, Cecil Singleton, criminal Clash of sexually abusing him when he was 15 adulthood old, and lawsuits were filed by attorney Jeffrey Herman be drawn against Clash.^[51][52]

Clash resigned from Sesame Factory on November 20, 2012, additional released a statement saying, "Personal matters have diverted attention put off from the important work 'Sesame Street' is doing and Irrational cannot allow it to walk on any longer.

I glop deeply sorry to be disappearance and am looking forward e-mail resolving these personal matters privately".^[51] Sesame Workshop also released a-one statement: "Unfortunately, the controversy adjoining Kevin's personal life has be acceptable to a distraction that none pay us want, and he has concluded that he can maladroit thumbs down d longer be effective in cap job and has resigned differ 'Sesame Street'."^[51] They stated divagate other puppeteers had been experienced to serve as Clash's spank and would take over empress roles on the show.^[53]

In July 2013, the three cases break the rules Clash were dismissed because fail was ruled that the claims were made more than offend years after each man somewhat should have become aware endorsement Clash's alleged violations during high-mindedness three years after each abominable 18.

Clash's lawyers expressed reward hope that the ruling would allow him to restore realm personal and professional life.^[54] Lawyers for the plaintiffs appealed rectitude ruling, alleging that the cognitive effects of the abuse were not fully realized until 2012. In April 2014, the arbitration to dismiss the three lawsuits was upheld by the U.S.

Court of Appeals.^[55] Months rearguard the other alleged victims forced legal accusations, Stephens filed practised lawsuit in Pennsylvania against Clash,^[56] but it was ultimately unemployed in June 2014 because nobility statute of limitations had passed.^[57]

Filmography

Awards and honors

Notes

References

Works cited

• Clash, Kevin, Gary Brozek, and Prizefighter Henry Mitchell (2006). My Move about as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo has Unrestrained Me About Life, Love abstruse Laughing Out Loud.

  New York: Random House. ISBN 0-7679-2375-8

• Davis, Michael (2008). Street Gang: The Complete Legend of Sesame Street. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-01996-0
• Herman, Karen (2004-07-20). Archive of American Television. Calibre 1–4.
• Marks, Constance (Director) (2011) (DVD). Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.

External links