Caroll Spinney, the actor and puppeteer behind Sesame Street's Big Bird, is saying goodbye to the role as the big yellow bird which he brought to life almost 50 years ago.
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If you are reading this, chances are you grew up watching Spinney as Big Bird teach us about the big and little things in life: how to be a friend, how to count and sing and much more. Spinney, who is also leaving his role behind as Oscar the Grouch, says Big Bird taught him as much as he taught us.
"Before I came to 'Sesame Street', I didn't feel like what I was doing was very important," Spinney said in a statement. "Big Bird helped me find my purpose. Even as I step down from my roles, I feel like I will always be Big Bird. And even Oscar, once in a while!"
The puppeteer is widely respected and admired for being able to embody two of the world's most loved, but most different characters: from Big Bird's open, loving personality to Oscar's grumpy outlook on life. Spinney dabbed into puppeteering as a child and teen and even used his talent to pay his college tuition. He joined the Sesame Street Muppet cast as Big Bird during its first season in 1969. As Big Bird, Spinney traveled the world going to China with Bob Hope, and later Japan, German, France, Australia, United Kingdom and Canada.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Long-time puppeteer Caroll Spinney has announced that he is stepping down from the roles of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Spinney is pleased that his iconic roles will be carried on by puppeteers Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson. Learn more: <a href="https://t.co/BALgkIPI5q">https://t.co/BALgkIPI5q</a> <a href="https://t.co/sGMDjqLklQ">pic.twitter.com/sGMDjqLklQ</a></p>— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) <a href="https://twitter.com/sesamestreet/status/1052545714323107840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Spinney's work as Big Bird has been widely recognized. Big Bird has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, a U.S. postage stamp and in 2000 was named a living legend by the Library Of Congress.The soundtrack for the Big Bird film, Follow That Bird won a GRAMMY for Best Recording For Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken at the 28TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS.
To honor Spinney's run, here are some of the moments he shared with us as Big Bird:
Teaching us how to embrace difference with R2D2
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He partners up with the Star Wars robot to teach us something about friendship.
His ability to cheer people (or numbers up)
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There's no bigger cheerleader than Big Bird and in this scene, he helps cheer up the number 1, who's not feeling up to his reputation.
How he taught us about emotions that aren't so easy to identify sometimes
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It's not always easy figuring out how we feel, but Big Bird has been able to help us identify different emotions and feelings.
But most of all, his adventurous spirit:
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Big Bird goes on one of his biggest adventures as he tries to go back to Sesame Street after he gets sent to live with a family of dodos in Illinois.
The Lone Bellow On The Personal Note That Became A Fan Favorite
