Big Bird: The Indispensable Muppet of Sesame Street

Excellent documentary follows that bird’s career.

The Muppets dominated my childhood. As a young kid, I’d regularly watch a block of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Muppet Show, and it was pure fun throughout.

Jim Henson created or helped create the greatest children’s television shows of all time. And he brought on the right people who made them even better. Among Henson’s many wonderful talents, his ability to recruit and encourage other talent should not be overlooked. One character has been the heart and soul of Sesame Street since its early years, and it’s not a character Henson ever played.

I’m speaking, of course, of Big Bird.

My sister Erin alerted me to a 2014 documentary about the man within the bird—I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story. Naturally, I had to watch.

The documentary is both fascinating and heartfelt. Big Bird may be the soul of Sesame Street, but Caroll Spinney is the soul of Big Bird. Spinney also gave voice to the grouchy side of the street, talking trash as Oscar the Grouch.

If you’re a Muppet fan past or present, this 86-minute documentary is well worth your time. Spinney died in 2019 at 85 years old, and he certainly led a remarkable life and touched countless people, many of whom never knew his real face.

Some of the stories are amusing, such as how Spinney initially met his future wife Debra on three separate occasions, not realizing that the same woman was catching his eye each time.

Some are alarming. I had no idea that Spinney was invited to join the Challenger mission.

Some are relatable. Spinney struggled as a Muppeteer in his early days, and he came close to giving up. Thank goodness he didn’t. That would have deprived generations of children of a dear friend.

Spinney, obviously, found his footing as Big Bird, and his performance truly is remarkable. Children can both look up to and relate to Big Bird, and they retain affection for him even as adults. Big Bird is an overgrown 6-year-old who’s always learning, sometimes from his own mistakes, and his warmth and kindness invite children of all backgrounds to learn alongside him. Other characters may be funnier (including Oscar, who’s a great foil for everyone else), but Big Bird exemplifies what Sesame Street is all about.

The documentary also goes into the logistics of operating Big Bird, which required incredible coordination and physical endurance. And while operating that feathered apparatus, Spinney pulled off performances like this one, in which Big Bird learns about death:

Keep in mind, Spinney played the character into his eighties. It was only during his last few years on Sesame Street that he limited himself to voicing his characters, but he also physically performed Big Bird and Oscar until 2015.

Only one Muppet has eclipsed Big Bird’s popularity on Sesame Street, and that’s Elmo.

Elmo emerged after my time, which biases me in favor of Big Bird. To be fair to the little red fellow, he resonates with preschoolers. That can’t be denied, and if he helps children learn, then that’s great.

But there’s a key difference between Elmo’s appeal and Big Bird’s appeal. Elmo is very specifically targeted to early childhood. To anyone older, he can easily become grating. As an uncle, I’ve seen “Elmo’s World” clips when the kids were each the right age. They loved it; I could barely get through it. Though clearly entertaining to its very young target audience, it feels like a different show than Sesame Street, one that should have been spun off into its own thing.

Big Bird isn’t grating. Big Bird is like a childhood friend you remember fondly without a shred of embarrassment, no matter how many years or decades it’s been since you watched the show. People of all ages warm to Big Bird.

Caroll Spinney created a beloved character that will long outlive him. Matt Vogel has taken over, after apprenticing for many years. Vogel is also featured in the documentary, and it’s reassuring to know that Spinney’s own mentee is carrying on. Just as Steve Whitmire kept Kermit the Frog alive after Jim Henson’s death, Vogel is keeping Big Bird alive for today’s children.

The specifics of Big Bird will change with Vogel and subsequent performers. No one will ever be able to replicate the original, but there will always be a part of Spinney in the character’s DNA.

Big Bird is the indispensable Muppet of Sesame Street, and Caroll Spinney was its indispensable man for decades.