John Henson (puppeteer)
| John Henson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
April 25, 1965 Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died |
February 14, 2014 (aged 48) Saugerties, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart attack[1] |
| Occupation | Puppeteer |
| Spouse(s) |
Gyongyi Henson (m. 2007; his death 2014) |
| Children |
Clara Henson (stepdaughter) William Henson (nephew) |
| Parent(s) |
Jim Henson Jane Henson |
| Relatives |
Lisa Henson (sister) Cheryl Henson (sister) Brian Henson (brother) Heather Henson (sister) |
John Paul Henson (April 25, 1965 – February 14, 2014) was an American puppeteer best known for his association with The Muppets.
Early years
John Henson was the son of puppeteer Jim Henson (1936-1990), best known as the creator of The Muppets, and Jane Henson (1934-2013), who assisted in the launch of the Muppets. He had four siblings: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl (born 1961), Brian (born 1963), and Heather (born 1970).
Career
John performed Muppet character Sweetums starting in 1992 following the death of Richard Hunt (who trained John Henson in performing Sweetums). The role has since been passed to different puppeteers, including David Rudman, Noel MacNeal, Rob Mills and Matt Vogel. Vogel officially assumed the role in 2009.
Death
Henson died of a heart attack on February 14, 2014, at age 48, at his home in Saugerties, New York. His family had a private funeral for him. He was cremated and his ashes were given to his family.[1][2]
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-1994 | CityKids | |
| 1996-1998 | Muppets Tonight | Sweetums |
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Sweetums |
| 1999 | Muppets from Space | |
| 2002 | It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | |
| 2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Sweetums as a Flying Monkey |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Muppets Party Cruise | Sweetums |
Miscellaneous
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Muppet*Vision 3D | Sweetums | in-suit performer |
| 2001 | The Muppet Show Live |
References
- 1 2 Muppets' John Paul Henson dies at 48
- ↑ Botelho, Craig (February 18, 2014). "John Henson -- son of the iconic Jim Henson -- dies of heart attack at 48". CNN. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
External links
- John Henson on IMDb
| Preceded by Richard Hunt |
Performer of Sweetums 1991, 1996-2013 |
Succeeded by Noel MacNeal |