James Maury Henson was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, filmmaker, and screenwriter who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock; and as the director of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. He was born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Maryland. Henson began developing puppets in high school. He created Sam and Friends, a short-form comedy television program, while he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics, after which he produced coffee advertisements and developed experimental films. In 1958, he co-founded Muppets, Inc., which became The Jim Henson Company. In 1969, Henson joined the children's educational television program Sesame Street where he helped to develop characters for the series. He and his creative team also appeared on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live.
| Born: | James Maury Henson, September 24, 1936, Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died: | May 16, 1990, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Education: | University of Maryland, College Park (B.S, 1960) |
| Occupation: | Puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, filmmaker, screenwriter |
| Years active: | 1954–1990 |
| Known for: | The Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock |
| Home town: | Leland, Mississippi, U.S, Hyattsville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Board member of: | Jim Henson Foundation, The Jim Henson Company (1958–1990), Jim Henson's Creature Shop (1979–1990) |
| Children: | Brian Henson, Lisa Henson, John Henson, Heather Henson, Cheryl Henson |
| Awards: | Courage Conscience Award, Emmy Award, Disney Legend Award |
| IMDb: | Jim Henson's IMDb |
About Jim Henson
Beloved puppeteer and creator of The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock. He created the iconic puppets Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch, and Bert and Ernie.
Before Fame
He created puppets for a children's show on local TV called The Junior Morning Show. Another early show was Sam and Friends, which featured prototypes of The Muppets.
Achievement
He was honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as both himself and Kermit the Frog.
Family Life
He married Jane Henson on May 28, 1959, and they raised five children together named Brian, John, Lisa, Heather and Cheryl.
Associations
His fantasy film Labyrinth, starring David Bowie, was not a commercial success, though it eventually acquired a cult following.
Information related to Jim Henson
- Musicians from Greenville, Mississippi
- Former Christian Scientists
- Fraggle Rock performers
- The Jim Henson Company people
- Muppet designers
- International Emmy Founders Award winners
- Sesame Street Muppeteers
- Muppet performers
- Film directors from Maryland
- Film directors from Mississippi
- American puppeteers
- Comedians from New York City
- Mississippi Democrats
- Peabody Award winners