Kevin Clash, the man behind the puppet

Kevin Clash performing for local children in Baltimore in 1975.

Just something to read for the weekend. This week in the New York Magazine we found an interesting interview with Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo and the subject of a new documentary called Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. We talked about it before on DocGeeks – still hoping the film will come to Europe sometime soon.

The article drew our attention because of its great opening line: “Ever since puppeteer Kevin Clash put his hand up Elmo’s backside in 1985, his little red monster has been stealing the show on Sesame Street.” The NY Magazine talks to Clash about his 30 years on the Street, why he wanted to make a documentary, and the appeal of Elmo to audiences worldwide.

It’s a remarkable thing, being famous for being someone else. Of course, soap stars suffer from this daily, but puppeteers do not even have the chance to show the world their face. As an audience we see puppets, the quality of a puppeteers work depends on his ability to stay invisible. Then why, as the NY Mag points out, make yourself the focus of a documentary after all these years?

For the answer to these questions and more, read the full article in the New York Magazine. If you are lucky enough to live in the US, then check out the documentary’s website here for screening info.