View source for Caroll Spinney

{{short description|American puppeteer (1933–2019)}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Caroll Spinney
| image        = Carroll Spinney 2014.jpg
| caption      = Spinney at the 2014 [[Montclair Film|Montclair Film Festival]]
| birth_name   = Caroll Edwin Spinney
| birth_date   = {{birth date|1933|12|26}}
| birth_place  = [[Waltham, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date   = {{death date and age|2019|12|8|1933|12|26}}
| death_place  = [[Woodstock, Connecticut|Woodstock]], [[Connecticut]], U.S.
| occupation   = {{hlist|Puppeteer|cartoonist|author|artist|speaker}} <!-- as listed on his website -->
| other_names  = Ed Spinney
| years_active = 1955–2018
| spouse       = {{Ubl
  | {{marriage|Janice Spinney|1960|1971|reason=divorced}}
  | {{marriage|Debra Jean Gilroy|1979<!--As marriage ended by death of Spinney, not by death of his spouse, the year 2019 is omitted here. See instructions on [[Template:Marriage]] for more info-->}}
  }}
| children     = 3
| signature    = Caroll Spinney signature.svg
| website      = {{URL|http://www.carollspinney.com/}}
}}
'''Caroll Edwin Spinney''' (December 26, 1933 – December 8, 2019) was an American [[puppeteer]], cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing [[Big Bird]] and [[Oscar the Grouch]] on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' from its inception in 1969 until 2018.

==Early life==
Spinney was born in [[Waltham, Massachusetts|Waltham]], [[Massachusetts]], on December 26, 1933, to Chester and Margaret Spinney. He had two older brothers, Donald and David. His mother, a native of [[Bolton]], [[England]], named him Caroll despite him being male because he was born the day after Christmas. He drew and painted from childhood, and developed a love of puppeteering when he saw a performance of "[[Three Little Kittens]]" at the age of five. This motivated him to purchase a monkey puppet from a [[jumble sale|rummage sale]] three years later and put on a puppet show utilizing the monkey and a plush snake. The following [[Christmas]], his mother gave him a [[Punch and Judy]] puppet theater. He continued puppeteering throughout his childhood and adolescence and used his performances to raise money for college tuition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/9 9–11]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/9}}</ref>

After he graduated from Acton High School (subsequently [[Acton-Boxborough Regional High School]]) in [[Acton, Massachusetts]], Spinney served in the [[United States Air Force|U.S. Air Force]].<ref name=npr>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1249919|title=A Life Inside Big Bird|publisher=NPR|date=May 5, 2003|access-date=June 8, 2013}}</ref>

==Career==
===Comics and cartoons===
While in the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]], Spinney wrote and illustrated ''Harvey'', a [[comic strip]] about military life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/spinney_caroll.htm|title = Caroll Spinney}}</ref> He also animated a series of black-and-white [[cartoon]]s called ''Crazy Crayon''.<ref>{{cite web|title=I AM BIG BIRD: Exclusive CRAZY CRAYON| date=August 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAAgch5swvQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/OAAgch5swvQ| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|via=YouTube|publisher=Copper Pot Pictures|access-date=January 17, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Early puppeteering===
In 1955, Spinney relocated to [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]], where he performed in the show ''Rascal Rabbit''.<ref name=npr/> He returned to [[Boston]], joining ''The Judy and Goggle Show'' in 1958 as a [[puppeteer]] "Goggle" to [[Judy Valentine]]'s Judy. Throughout the 1960s, he performed on the Boston broadcast of ''[[Bozo the Clown|Bozo's Big Top]]'', where he played various costumed characters which included Flip Flop the Rag Doll, Mr. Rabbit, Kookie the Boxing Kangaroo as well as Mr. Lion,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/caroll-spinney-dead-dies-sesame-street-big-bird-oscar-the-grouch-1203428981/|title=Caroll Spinney, Puppeteer Behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, Dies at 85|last=Nyren|first=Erin|date=December 8, 2019|website=Variety|access-date=December 9, 2019|quote=Before joining "Sesame Street," Spinney worked at "Bozo's Big Top" in Boston following his service in the Air Force, which he joined at 19. He portrayed several characters including Kookie the Boxing Kangaroo and Mr. Lion, though he eventually left the show, winding up in Salt Lake City, performing at the fateful festival where he met Henson.}}</ref> who created [[cartoon]] drawings from the names of children participating in the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKEV7FKIeBU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kKEV7FKIeBU| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|title=I AM BIG BIRD: Exclusive THE BOZO YEARS|author=Copperpotpics|date=July 31, 2012|website=YouTube|access-date=December 9, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Through that decade, he was also a commercial artist and animator.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Spinney created a puppet duo consisting of two cats named Picklepuss and Pop, which he utilized throughout the 1960s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/18 18–19]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/18}}</ref> Many years later, Spinney's Picklepuss and Pop puppets were characters in ''Wow, You're a Cartoonist!''<ref>{{cite web|title=The Art of Caroll Spinney Comes to Pittsburgh|url=http://www.toughpigs.com/art-of-spinney-pittsburgh/|website=Tough Pigs|access-date=June 30, 2017|date=November 2010}}</ref>

===As a ''Sesame Street'' puppeteer===
[[File:Carroll Spinney and Oscar the Grouch 2014.jpg|220px|thumb|Spinney with [[Oscar the Grouch]], May 2014|alt=|left]]
[[File:10.9.10CarollSpinneyByLuigiNovi1.jpg|thumb|right|Spinney at the [[New York Comic Con]] in [[Manhattan]] in October 2010]]

Spinney first met [[Jim Henson]] in 1962 at a puppeteering festival, where Henson asked if he would like to "talk about the [[The Muppets|Muppets]]". As Spinney failed to realize the question was an employment offer, the conversation never came to pass.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|page=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/24 24]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/24}}</ref>

In 1969, Spinney performed at a Puppeteers of America festival in [[Utah]]. His show was a mixture of live actors and puppets but was ruined by an errant spotlight that washed out the animated backgrounds. Henson was once again in attendance and noticed Spinney's performance. "I liked what you were trying to do," Henson said, and he asked once more if they could "talk about the Muppets". This time, they did have the conversation, and Spinney joined the Muppeteers full-time by late 1969.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stephenson|first1=Kathy|last2=Horiuchi|first2=Vince|title=Q is for 'quiz': Celebrating 40 years of 'Sesame Street'|work=[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]|date=November 15, 2009}}</ref>

Spinney joined ''[[Sesame Street]]'' for the inaugural season in 1969. However, he nearly left after the first season because he was not getting acceptable pay, but [[Kermit Love]] persuaded him to stay.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/63 63–65]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/63}}</ref> He performed Big Bird and Oscar in [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=I AM BIG BIRD: Exclusive OSCAR IN AUSTRALIA| date=July 30, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klA6NmAHiOc |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/klA6NmAHiOc| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|via=YouTube|publisher=Copper Pot Pictures|access-date=June 30, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[China]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/82 82–83; 88]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/82}}</ref> [[Japan]], and across [[Europe]]. As Big Bird and Oscar, Spinney conducted orchestras across the [[United States|US]] and [[Canada]], including the [[Boston Pops Orchestra|Boston Pops]], and visited the [[White House]] multiple times.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/11/nyregion/public-lives-30-happy-years-as-an-8-foot-tall-yellow-bird.html|title=30 Years as an 8&nbsp;foot bird|last=Wadler|first=Joyce|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=July 1, 2017|date=November 11, 1998}}</ref> He provided the characters' voices on dozens of albums.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}

As Oscar, Spinney wrote ''How to Be a Grouch'', a [[Western Publishing|Whitman Tell-A-Tale]] picture book. With J. Milligan, he wrote the 2003 book ''The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers''. Spinney narrated the audiobook ''Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street'' by Michael Davis.<ref>{{cite book|title=Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street Audio CD – Abridged, Audiobook, CD|isbn = 1593161409}}</ref> His work has been studied by other international puppeteers who structure their performance styles after his, most evidently with full-body puppet costumes. For example, in the Chinese performance of [[Big Bird|Da Niao]] on ''[[Zhima Jie]]'', the costume is an exact physical replica of Big Bird.<ref>{{cite web|title=I AM BIG BIRD: Exclusive TRAINING CHINESE BIG BIRD| date=August 7, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_YaZmujaO4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/i_YaZmujaO4| archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live|via=YouTube|publisher=Copper Pot Pictures|access-date=June 30, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Though Big Bird and Oscar were his main characters, Spinney also performed as other characters. At one point, he created and performed Bruno the Trashman, a full-bodied puppet representing a garbage man, who also carried [[Sesame Street (fictional location)#Oscar the Grouch's trash can|Oscar's trash can]]. Bruno was used until the foam plastic of the character broke down.<ref>{{cite book|last=Spinney|first=Caroll|title=The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch)|date=2003|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/62 62]|publisher=Villard |isbn=0-375-50781-7|url=https://archive.org/details/wisdomofbigbirda00spin/page/62}}</ref> Spinney also performed as [[List of Sesame Street Muppets#G|Granny Bird]], Big Bird's grandmother. The puppet used for Granny Bird was actually a spare Big Bird puppet, and Spinney provided her voice. As Granny Bird's appearances were often alongside Big Bird (who is, as she stated, her "favorite grandson"), her voice was usually pre-recorded so that Spinney could perform Big Bird. Spinney reprised his role as Oscar the Grouch in ''[[Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian]]'' in a [[cameo appearance]] next to [[Darth Vader]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Night At The Museum 2|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/night-at-the-museum-2/cast/306359/|work=[[TV Guide]]|access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref>

On October 17, 2018, Spinney officially announced his retirement from ''Sesame Street'' after 49 years. His last performances as Big Bird and Oscar were recorded as part of the series' landmark 50th season, which aired in 2020, albeit Spinney's final recording session as his characters were ultimately not used in the broadcast version of the episode. The roles of Big Bird and Oscar were handed over to [[Matt Vogel (puppeteer)|Matt Vogel]] and [[Eric Jacobson]], respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/17/arts/television/sesame-street-big-bird.html|title=Original Big Bird, Caroll Spinney, Leaves 'Sesame Street' After Nearly 50 Years|first=Dave|last=Itzkoff|work=The New York Times|date=October 17, 2018|access-date=October 17, 2018}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' reported that Spinney was earning over $300,000 per year at the time of his retirement.<ref>{{cite news|last=Guthrie|first=Marisa|title=Where 'Sesame Street' Gets Its Funding — and How It Nearly Went Broke|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sesame-street-gets-funding-how-it-went-broke-1183032|access-date=April 20, 2019|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 6, 2019}}</ref>

===Artwork===
Some of Spinney's artwork includes the 1996 painting called ''Luna Bird'', showing [[Big Bird]] walking on the [[Moon]], and the 1997 painting ''Autumn'', showing him playing in autumn leaves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carollspinney.com/artist.html|title=Caroll Spinney|publisher=Caroll Spinney|access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> Spinney also drew the drawing of [[Mr. Hooper]] that sits near Big Bird's nest.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i3ilsEuFUkAC&q=caroll+spinney+drawing+nest&pg=PT281|title=Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street|last=Davis|first=Michael|date=December 26, 2008|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-4406-5875-4|language=en}}</ref><!-- Possible source, from Muppet Wiki: <ref>{{Cite book|title=Sesame Street Unpaved|url=https://archive.org/details/sesamestreetunpa0000borg|url-access=registration|last=Borgenicht|first=David|date=1998|publisher=Hyperion|isbn=0-7868-6460-5|location=New York|oclc=38732063}}{{page needed|date=December 2019}}</ref>-->

==Personal life and death==
Spinney had three children from his first marriage to Janice Spinney, whom he married in 1960.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/03/my-secret-life-as-big-bird-the-dark-past-and-sunny-days-of-caroll-spinney.html|title=My Secret Life as Big Bird: The Dark Past and Sunny Days of Caroll Spinney|newspaper=The Daily Beast|last=Fallon|first=Kevin|date=May 3, 2015|access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hageman|first=William|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/parenting/sc-fam-0428-big-bird-caroll-spinney-20150423-story.html|title=Caroll Spinney is Big Bird, for 45 years now|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=May 4, 2015|access-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> Spinney and Janice divorced in 1971.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Sullivan|first=Michael|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/i-am-big-bird-the-caroll-spinney-story-goes-inside-the-fluffy-feathers/2015/06/24/48e06f28-18fe-11e5-ab92-c75ae6ab94b5_story.html|title='I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story' goes inside the fluffy feathers|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 25, 2015|access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> Spinney was married to his second wife, Debra Jean Gilroy, from 1979 until his death.<ref>{{cite news|last=Coffey|first=Denise|url=http://www.courant.com/community/putnam/hc-pt-putnam-big-bird-1119-20151113-story.html|title=Big Bird Offers This Advice: Believe in Yourself|newspaper=[[Hartford Courant]]|date=November 13, 2015|access-date=August 27, 2016}}</ref> In 2015, Spinney was diagnosed with [[dystonia]], a neurological movement disorder that causes muscle contractions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dalton|first=Andrew|title=Sesame Street puppeteer Caroll Spinney dies at age 85|url=https://apnews.com/fd9a5a4a07af19ddcdb36f7d3d32bccc|access-date=December 8, 2019|work=AP News|date=December 8, 2019}}</ref>

Spinney died at his home in [[Woodstock, Connecticut]], on December 8, 2019, at the age of 85.<ref name="nytimes2019">{{cite news|first=Robert D.|last=McFadden|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/obituaries/caroll-spinney-dead.html|title=Caroll Spinney, Big Bird's Alter Ego on 'Sesame Street,' Is Dead at 85.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 8, 2019|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sesameworkshop.org/press-room/press-releases/remembering-legendary-puppeteer-caroll-spinney|title=Remembering Legendary Puppeteer Caroll Spinney|date=December 8, 2019|publisher=Sesame Workshop|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
*''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979) – Big Bird
*''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'' (1981) – Oscar the Grouch
*''Night of 100 Stars II'' (1985) – Big Bird
*''[[Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird|Follow that Bird]]'' (1985) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bruno the Trashman
*''Wow, You're a Cartoonist!'' (1988) – Picklepuss and Pop
*''[[Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey]]'' (1993) – Dog in Pound (uncredited)
*''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]'' (1999) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian]]'' (2009) – Oscar the Grouch

===Television===
*''The Judy and Goggle Show'' (1958–59) – Goggle
*''[[Bozo the Clown|Bozo's Big Top]]'' (AKA: ''Bozo's Circus'') As Ed Spinney (1959–69) – Mr. Lion, Kookie the Boxing Kangaroo, Flip-Flop the Rag Doll, various other characters
*''[[Sesame Street]]'' (1969–2018) – [[Big Bird]], [[Oscar the Grouch]], Granny Bird (voice only), Bruno the Trashman, Shivers the Penguin, Granny Fanny Nesselrode, Beautiful Day Monster (occasionally), Betty Lou (occasionally), various characters
*''[[The Flip Wilson Show]]'' (1970) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[What's My Line?]]'' (1973) — Big Bird, himself
*''[[Out to Lunch (film)|Out to Lunch]]'' (1974) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[The Electric Company]]'' (1972, 1975) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Hollywood Squares]]'' (1976, 1977) — Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' (1978) -- Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch 
*''[[The Muppet Show]]'' (1979) – Big Bird
*''[[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood]]'' (1981) – Big Bird
*''[[Big Bird in China]]'' (1983) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Don't Eat the Pictures]]'' (1983) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years]]'' (1986) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[A Muppet Family Christmas]]'' (1987) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Shalom Sesame]]'' (1987–1991) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Big Bird in Japan]]'' (1989) – Big Bird
*''[[Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration]]'' – Big Bird
*''[[Big Bird's Birthday Celebration]]'' (1991) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bruno the Trashman
*''Learn Along with Sesame'' (1996–2001) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Elmo's World]]'' (1998–2009) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Between the Lions]]'' (2001) – Big Bird
*''[[Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce]]'' (2012) – Big Bird
*''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'' (2015) – Big Bird (uncredited)
*''The Street'' (2015–2018) – Roy (final voice role)
*''[[Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration]]'' (2019) – Himself (final TV appearance)

===Video games===
*''Sesame Street: Oscar's Letter Party'' (1988) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''Let's Learn to Play Together'' (1988) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''[[Sesame Street video games#Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide and Speak|
Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak]]'' (1990) – Big Bird
*''Sesame Street: Letters'' (1991) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Numbers'' (1991) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Let's Make a Word!'' (1995) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Get Set to Learn!'' (1996) – Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: The Three Grouchketeers'' (1998) – Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Elmo Through the Looking Glass'' (1998) – Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Grover's Travels'' (1998) – Big Bird
*''Sesame Street: Baby and Me'' (1999) – Big Bird
*''Sesame Street: Elmo's Letter Adventure'' (1999) – Big Bird
*''Sesame Street: Elmo's Number Journey'' (1999) – Big Bird
*''Sesame Street: Ernie's Adventures in Space'' (2000) – Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street: Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure'' (2000) – Oscar the Grouch
*''Sesame Street Sports'' (2001) – Big Bird
*''[[Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster]]'' (2011) – Oscar the Grouch

==Awards and honors==
Spinney was honored with four [[Daytime Emmy Award]]s for his portrayals on the series and two [[Grammy Award]]s for his related recordings. Two recordings of Spinney's voice earned [[Music recording sales certification|Gold Record]] status. For his body of work, Spinney received both a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1994 and the Library of Congress' Living Legend award in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Caroll-Spinney,-AKA-Big-Bird-to-Address-Nation%27s-Pediatricians.aspx|title=Caroll Spinney, AKA "Big Bird" to Address Nation's Pediatricians|website=AAP.org|publisher=American Academy of Pediatrics|date=October 15, 2011|access-date=December 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208221413/https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Caroll-Spinney,-AKA-Big-Bird-to-Address-Nation's-Pediatricians.aspx|archive-date=December 8, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the [[33rd Daytime Emmy Awards]] in 2006, Spinney received the [[National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]]' Lifetime Achievement Award. "I am elated and amazed to receive this honor from those who are committed to the best of what television and media have to offer, for doing what I've always wanted to do."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://emmyonline.com/day_33rd_lifetime|website=emmyonline.com|title=Sesame Street's Caroll Spinney, alter ego of Big Bird and Oscar to receive National Television Academy'S Lifetime Achievement Award|publisher=The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|access-date=March 11, 2017|archive-date=August 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804015934/http://emmyonline.com/day_33rd_lifetime|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Spinney is the subject of a full-length documentary by Copper Pot Pictures called ''[[I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story]]'' that premiered at the April 2014 [[Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|last=DeMara|first=Bruce|title=Hot Docs: Inside Big Bird, and the man who (still) plays him|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2014/04/22/doc_takes_us_inside_big_bird_and_the_man_who_still_plays_him.html|newspaper=[[Toronto Star]]|date=April 23, 2014|access-date=December 24, 2015}}</ref>

Spinney was named one of [[The New Jewish Home]]'s Eight Over Eighty Gala 2016 honorees.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jewishhome.org/honorees/caroll-spinney/|title=Caroll Spinney|website=The New Jewish Home|access-date=December 8, 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.carollspinney.com/}}
* [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/spinney_caroll.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia article.]
* {{IMDb name|0818973}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=1434211|name=Caroll Spinney}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkT_e72P_IM Spinney on ''To Tell the Truth'' in 1971]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080704055732/http://www.carollspinney.net/ Official Spinney-authorized fan page]
* [http://www.iambigbird.com/ Official I Am Big Bird website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427101353/http://www.iambigbird.com/ |date=April 27, 2012}}
* {{emmytvlegends name|caroll-spinney}}
* [https://www.storymonsters.com/news/2017/1/11/caroll-spinney-brings-decades-of-sunny-days-to-sesame-street?rq=Caroll%20Spinney Caroll Spinney ~ Cover story July 2015 issue of ''Story Monsters Ink'' Magazine]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box
| before =  None
| title = [[Big Bird|Performer of Big Bird]] 
| years = 1969–2018
| after = [[Matt Vogel (puppeteer)|Matt Vogel]]}}
{{succession box
| before =  None
| title = [[Oscar the Grouch|Performer of Oscar the Grouch]] 
| years = 1969–2018
| after = [[Eric Jacobson]]}}
{{succession box
| before =  None
| title = [[List of Sesame Street Muppets#Bruno|Performer of Bruno the Trashman]]
| years = 1979–1993
| after = None}}
{{s-end}}

{{The Muppets}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Caroll Spinney
| list =
{{Daytime Emmy Award Lifetime Achievement}}
{{Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spinney, Caroll}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:American comic strip cartoonists]]
[[Category:American illustrators]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male writers]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American puppeteers]]
[[Category:Animators from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Artists from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Comedians from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Acton, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:People from Waltham, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:United States Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War]]
[[Category:People with dystonia]]