James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, actor, animator, creative producer, and director who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and as the director of The Dark Crystal ... (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), as well as creating the puppets for Sesame Street (1969). Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Maryland, Henson began developing puppets in high school. He created Sam and Friends (1955–1961), a short-form comedy television program on WRC-TV, while he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, in collaboration with fellow student Jane Nebel. Henson and Nebel co-founded Muppets, Inc. – now The Jim Henson Company – in 1958, and married less than a year later in 1959. Henson graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics. In 1969, Henson joined the children's television program Sesame Street (1969–present) where he helped to develop Muppet characters for the series. He and his creative team also appeared on the first season of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (1975–present). He produced the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show (1976–1981) during this period. Henson revolutionized the way puppetry is captured and presented in video media, and he won fame for his characters – particularly Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, and the characters on Sesame Street. During the later years of his life, he founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. He won the Emmy Award twice for his involvement in The Storyteller (1987–1988) and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). Henson died in New York City from toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. At the time of his death, he was in negotiations to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company, but talks fell through after his death. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and was named a Disney Legend in 2011. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jim Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Sesame Street: Bert & Ernie's Word Play
2002
as Kermit the Frog / Bip Bippadotta / Lavender Anything Muppet in Fat Cat (voice) (archive footage)
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
1994
as Kermit the Frog / Ernie (archive footage)
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
1993
as Ernie / Kermit the Frog / Guy Smiley (archive footage) (voice)
The Muppets at Walt Disney World
1990
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Swedish Chef / Link Hogthrob (voice)
Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly!
1990
as Ernie / Singer / Kermit the Frog (archive footage) (segment "One Banana") (voice)
Muppet Studios Presents: You're the Director
1988
as Kermit the Frog / Swedish Chef / Rowlf the Dog / Link Hogthrob (voice)
Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
1986
as Ernie / The King (Bedtime Stories & Songs) (voice)
Sesame Street: Learning About Letters
1986
as Ernie/Kermit the Frog/King Peter the Persnickety (voice)
1985
as Kermit The Frog / The Swedish Chef / Waldorf / Link Hogthrob / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / The Newsman
1984
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Swedish Chef / Ernie / Granny / Horse & Carriage Rider / Link Hogthrob / The Newsman (voice)
Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets
1983
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf the Dog / Waldorf / Zeke (voice)
1981
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf the Dog / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Swedish Chef / The Muppet Newsman
1979
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Doc Hopper's Men / Link Hogthrob / Swedish Chef (voice)
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
1979
as Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Waldorf / Dr. Teeth / The Swedish Chef (voice)
| Organization | Category | Movie |
|---|
as Kermit the Frog, Waldorf, Rowlf the Dog, Link Hogthrob, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, The Newsman (voice)
Episodes: 120
First Aired: Sep 05, 1976
as Cantus the Minstrel, Convincing John, Additional Muppets (voice)
Episodes: 24
First Aired: Jan 10, 1983
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 18 | 21 | 15 |
| 2024 | 6 | 14 | 23 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 | 19 | 39 | 6 |
| 2024 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 | 14 | 31 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Rank
| Year | Month | Avg Rank | Max Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | 586 | 255 |
| 2024 | 6 | 443 | 53 |
| 2025 | 9 | 956 | 872 |
| 2025 | 12 | 483 | 454 |
| 2026 | 1 | 745 | 681 |
| 2026 | 2 | 484 | 430 |