Dundalk's Kevin Clash

	Stats: Date of Birth: September 17, 1963 Background: Puppeteering Kevin began building puppets when he was 10, and started performing at age 12. He began by doing shows in his Baltimore neighborhood and eventually worked his way up to the city's Harbor Front. In the mid-1980's, one of the TV shows Kevin was performing on caught the attention of Muppet designer Kermit Love, who got Kevin involved with Sesame Street. There his performance as Elmo earned him an Emmy. Kevin also supplies the magic behind the Muppet's newest character, Clifford, who hosts Muppets Tonight.
	The Man Behind the Muppet Kevin Clash talks about being Elmo and a good dad. by P.J. Tanz Live and in personñit's Elmo! As I enter the Queens, New York, studio where the Sesame Street show is taped, I can see the furry red monster in front of the 1-2-3 building, singing and dancing to a song about numbers. Sesame Street Parents has sent me here to interview Elmo's significant other, Kevin Clash. The 35-year-old Clash is the man behind several of the show's popular characters, including Baby Natasha, Hoots the Owl, and Benny the Bunny. I watch as the scene is filmed and my focus shifts from the energetic puppet to Clash, the six-foot-tall puppeteer crouched below the camera's eye, manipulating Elmo. For the first time, I see Elmo as a puppet, a hollow construction of foam and fur, and I worry that the wonderful illusion of the Muppets has been shattered for me. When the taping is over, Clash introduces himself to me. His voice is cool and mellow, and I'm amazed to think that this could be the voice behind Elmo's. The little red monster was a minor character before Clash began working with him in 1984. "When I got Elmo, I knew exactly what I wanted to do," he recalls. Clash's mother ran a day-care program when he was young, and he drew on these memories to shape Elmo's character of a curious 3 1/2-year-old Muppet who turns learning into a game. Clash has recently found a new source of material for Elmo's character: his three-year-old daughter, Shannon. "Elmo's sensitivity to people's feelings is something I picked up from her," he explains. Taping Sesame Street in New York means that Clash must spend a lot of time away from his wife, Genia, Shannon, and his home in Baltimore. But like many working parents, he is determined to remain close to his family by focusing on the time they spend together. Last year on Father's Day, Shannon and Genia traveled to London to celebrate the holiday with Clash, who was on location making a film. "Shannon gave me a paintable tie," he recalls. "The two of us had a great time decorating it." This year, Clash secretly hopes he'll get another gift that he and Shannon can enjoy together. Since Father's Day comes only once a year, watching Sesame Street helps Shannon, who has seen her dad perform in person, feel close to him when he is away. "Shannon thinks of Elmo as a friend of mine who happens to be with me all the time," Clash laughs. He and Genia are not concerned about shaking Shannon's belief in Elmo. "She doesn't think about the fact that I make the puppet come to life," her dad explains. "Like all children, she uses her imagination, and then the magic is there." After the interview, I stay to watch Clash film the next scene. I listen to Elmo's sweet voice, watch him bounce around the Street, and feel relieved. Although I can see Clash operating the puppet from below, somehow, like Shannon, I look at Elmo's soft, furry face and the magic is still there. P.J. Tanz is a Sesame Street Parents consulting editor.

Voiceography

Title	Character(s)	Program
"The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland"	Elmo	Puppet/Live Action Film
"Dinosaurs"	Baby Sinclair Howlin' Jay	Puppet Series
"Dog City"	Eliot	Puppet/Animated Series
"Elmo Saves Christmas"	Elmo	Puppet/Live Action Film (Direct-to-Video)
"For Our Children"	Baby Sinclair	Puppet/Live Action Film (Direct-to-Video)
"The Great Space Coaster"	Goriddle Gorilla	TV Series
"The Jim Henson Hour"	Leon Clifford	Puppet/Live Action/Animated Series
"Labyrinth"	Firey 1	Puppet/Live Action Film
"Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree"	?	Puppet/Live Action TV Special
"Muppet Treasure Island"	Polly Spa'am Black Dog Real Old Tom	Puppet/Live Action Film
"Muppets Tonight!"	Clifford Craniac Mulch	Puppet/Live Action Series
"Sesame Street"	Elmo Hoots the Owl The Duck Benny the Bunny Baby Natasha Kingston Livingston III	Puppet/Live Action Series
"The Tale of the Bunny Picnic"	Father Bebop	Puppet TV Special
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"	Splinter	Puppet/Live Action Film
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze"	Splinter	Puppet/Live Action Film
"The Torkelsons"	Elmo	Live Action Series

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