NBC News — The Connecticut-based puppeteer who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street” for decades has died.
Caroll Spinney, of Woodstock, Connecticut, died at the age of 85 at his home on Sunday, according to a statement from the show. Officials said he had been living with Dystonia for some time.
Sesame Street posted on Facebook that “since 1969, Caroll’s kind and loving view of the world help shape and define Sesame Street.”
“His enormous talent and outsized heart were perfectly suited to playing the larger-than-life yellow bird who brought joy to countless fans of all ages around the world, and his lovably cantankerous grouch gave us all permission to be cranky once in a while. In these characters, Caroll Spinney gave something truly special to the world,” the post continued.
