Brian Henson
![]() | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
Brian Henson | |
---|---|
Born | [1] New York City, U.S. | November 3, 1963
Occupation | Puppeteer, director, producer, technician, chairman of The Jim Henson Company |
Years active | 1979–2005, 2006–present |
Spouse(s) | Ellis Flyte
(m. 1990; div. 2002) |
Children | 1 |
Parent(s) |
|
Relatives |
|
Brian David Henson (born November 3, 1963)[citation needed] is an American puppeteer, director, producer, technician, and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company.[2] He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson.
Early life[]
Brian David Henson was born in New York City, is the first born son of Jane Henson (née Nebel; 1934–2013) and Jim Henson (1936–1990). He has four siblings: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl (born 1961), John (1965–2014), and Heather Henson (born 1970). 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 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[]
Film[]
During the 1980s, Henson 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).
In 1992, Henson directed The Muppet Christmas Carol and directed the next film in the franchise, Muppet Treasure Island, in 1996. He performed the role of Dr. Phil van Neuter, the Muppet mad scientist in Muppets from Space (1999). In 2018, he directed and produced The Happytime Murders, a puppet crime-comedy film for adult audiences.
Television[]
Henson was the executive producer for several television series: Dinosaurs (1991–94), Aliens in the Family (1996), Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006), and Farscape (1999–2003). In addition to an executive producer's role, Henson played himself as the head judge on the 2014 reality TV show Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. He performed the roles of Janice and Scooter in the 2002 made-for-TV movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.
Other ventures[]
Henson is the co-creator, producer, and currently a performer in the adult-themed puppet-based variety show Puppet Up!,[3] and played various characters from that variety show on the British program That Puppet Game Show.
For 2001s "The Muppet Show Live", in addition to performing his own Muppet characters, Henson also performed one of his father's characters, The Muppet Newsman, for the first time. He reprised the role for the 2003 video game "Muppets Party Cruise".
Personal life[]
Henson married Ellis Flyte, costume designer for the 1986 fantasy adventure film Labyrinth, in November 1990.[4] They divorced in 2002. Since 2010, Henson has been married to actress Mia Sara.[5][better source needed] They have one child, a daughter born in 2005.[6]
Filmography[]
Film[]
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 | |
1987 | Jim Henson Presents Mother Goose Stories | Co-director | |
1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Second unit director/Chief puppeteer | |
1990 | The Witches | Puppeteer | |
1990 | Basil Hears a Noise | Puppeteer Executive producer |
Uncredited |
1992 | The Muppet Christmas Carol | Director/Producer | |
1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Director/Producer | |
1997 | Buddy | Executive producer | |
1999 | Muppets from Space | Dr. Phil Van Neuter/Sal Minella/Talking Sandwich Producer |
|
1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Executive producer | |
2017 | The Star | Executive producer | |
2018 | The Happytime Murders | Crab/on-screen cameo (photograph) Director; producer |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1986 | The Christmas Toy | Cruiser | TV movie |
1988–1991 | The Storyteller | Storyteller's Dog/Devil/Griffin | |
1989–1990 | The Jim Henson Hour | Storyteller's Dog/Dog the Dinosaur/ Head of the Ultragorgon | |
1990 | Basil Hears a Noise | Puppeteer Executive producer |
TV movie |
1991–1994 | Dinosaurs | Grandma Ethyl Phillips/Arthur Rizzic Executive producer |
|
1996 | Aliens in the Family | Executive producer | |
1996 | Gulliver's Travels | Co-executive producer | |
1996–1998 | Muppets Tonight | Sal Minella/Dr. Phil Van Neuter/Seymour/Nigel Writer |
|
1997–2003 | Bear in the Big Blue House | Executive producer | |
1999 | Alice in Wonderland | Executive producer | TV movie |
1999–2003 | Farscape | Executive producer | |
2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Director | TV movie |
2002 | It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | Scooter/Sal Minella/Janice Executive producer |
TV movie |
2004 | Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars | Director/Executive producer | |
2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Sal Manilla Executive producer |
TV movie |
2008 | Jim Henson's Pajanimals | Executive producer | |
2008–2009 | Sid the Science Kid | Executive producer | |
2009–2011 | Dinosaur Train | Executive producer | |
2010 | Hot Dog TV | Voice Director |
|
2013 | That Puppet Game Show | Various | |
2014 | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge | Executive producer and Head Judge | |
2020 | Prop Culture | Himself | Episode: "The Muppet Movie" |
2020 | Earth to Ned | Vincent | Episode: "I've Got a Ned Feeling About This"; Also executive producer[7] |
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Association | Nominated work | Category | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Gulliver's Travels | Outstanding Miniseries | Won | |
Muppets Tonight | Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
1997 | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Outstanding Children's Program | Nominated | ||
1997 | Satellite Awards | Muppet Treasure Island | Best Animated or Mixed Media Film | Nominated | |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Awards | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Outstanding Children's Program | Nominated | |
Muppets Tonight | Won | ||||
2019 | Golden Raspberry Awards | The Happytime Murders | Worst Picture | Nominated | [8] |
Worst Director | Nominated |
References[]
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005008/bio
- ^ "Profile at Jim Henson Company". Henson.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ "Home - Puppet Up!". Stuffedandunstrung.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/style/ellis-flyte-wed-to-brian-henson.html
- ^ https://screencrush.com/labyrinth-then-and-now/
- ^ "Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Where Are They Now?". ABC News. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- ^ Bennett, Tara (September 3, 2020). "Brian Henson beams SYFY WIRE into the world of Disney+'s alien talk show, Earth to Ned". syfy.com. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ^ "39th Razzie Nominations!". YouTube: Razzie Channel.
External links[]
- Brian Henson at IMDb
- YouTube Interview
- 1963 births
- American film producers
- American film directors
- American television directors
- Artists from New York City
- Farscape
- Henson family (show business)
- Jim Henson
- Living people
- Muppet performers
- Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Television producers from New York City
- The Jim Henson Company people