Bill Barretta is an American puppeteer, producer, writer, director and actor, best known for performing The Muppets characters Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear and Johnny Fiama. He originated the role of Louie, Elmo's dad, on Sesame Street. Barretta additionally inherited the roles of Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef, and Dr. Teeth after the death of Jim Henson.
Bill Barretta | |
|---|---|
 Barretta in 2023 | |
| Born | Yardley, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Relatives | Gene Barretta (brother)[1] |
Career
editBarretta began performing with The Jim Henson Company in 1991, as the body performer of Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs.[2] He later developed several new characters on Muppets Tonight, including Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, and Bobo the Bear.[2]
Barretta has taken over several of Jim Henson's roles, such as Dr. Teeth, Rowlf the Dog, and Swedish Chef.[3][4] His muppet film debut was in the 1996 Muppet Treasure Island as Clueless Morgan.[5] He had several roles in Muppets from Space (1999)[6] and served as Muppet captain on The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted.[4][7] He played the main puppet character Phil Phillips in The Happytime Murders (2018),[8] which won a Houston Film Critics Society best worst film award.[9]
For Sesame Street, Bill Barretta originated the role of Elmo's dad, Louie,[10] in 2006. At first, Louie only appeared in a few direct-to-video specials, becoming a regular character later on. Barretta based Louie's voice on Louis Prima's.[11] In 2010, Tyler Bunch took over the role after consulting with Barretta. In an interview, Barretta explained that he had to fly to New York for every appearance on Sesame Street, so once Louie started to appear more often, it was much more practical for a New York-based puppeteer to take over the role.[11]
Barretta has served as a producer on various Muppet projects, including It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005). In 2014, he served as a co-producer on Muppets Most Wanted.[12] He also served as an executive producer on the ABC series, The Muppets.[13] For Disney+, Barretta produced Muppets Haunted Mansion[14] and co-created The Muppets Mayhem, which won a Children's and Family Emmy Award in 2023.[15][16]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Film credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Murder in the First | Man on the Street | Live-action role |
| 1995 | Born to Be Wild | Gorilla Team | Live-action role |
| 1995 | Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree | Bear | Puppeteer/voice |
| 1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Clueless Morgan, Blind Pew (puppetry; hands), Swedish Chef, Jacques Roach, Mudwell the Mudbunny (singing) | Puppeteer/voice |
| 1999 | Muppets from Space | Pepe the Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Bubba the Rat, The Swedish Chef, Rowlf the Dog, Cosmic Fish #2 | Puppeteer/voice |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Additional Muppet performer | Puppeteer |
| 2002 | Kermit's Swamp Years | Croaker, Horace D'Fly, Roy the Frog, Turtle #2 | Puppeteer/voice; Direct-to-video |
| 2002 | It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Bobo the Bear, Rowlf the Dog, Swedish Chef, Lew Zealand, Howard Tubman, additional characters | Puppeteer/voice; TV movie |
| 2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Pepe the Prawn, Dr. Teeth, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef, Lew Zealand, Bubba the Rat, additional characters | Puppeteer/voice; TV movie |
| 2010 | When Families Grieve | Louie | Puppeteer/voice; TV movie |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the Prawn, Bobo, Swedish Chef | Puppeteer/voice |
| 2014 | Muppets Most Wanted | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Big Mean Carl, Bobo the Bear, Carlo Flamingo, Leprechaun Security Guard, Baby Boss | Puppeteer/voice |
| 2018 | The Happytime Murders[17][failed verification] | Phil Phillips, Junkyard, Boar | Puppeteer/voice |
Television
edit| Television credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year(s) | Television | Role | Notes |
| 1991–1994 | Dinosaurs | Earl Sinclair (in-suit performer), Nick (in-suit performer), Rabid Caveman, various characters | Performer |
| 1994 | Jim Henson's Animal Show | Armstrong the Chicken Hawk, Vernon the Grizzly, Baby Bear, Dullard the Aardvark, Jared the Tiger, Lazlo the Hyena, Randall the Zebra, Timothy the Owl, Vernon the Grizzly | 7 episodes; Puppeteer/voice |
| 1996–1998 | Muppets Tonight | Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Pepe the Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Big Mean Carl, Clueless Morgan, Howard Tubman, David Hoggselhoff, Zippity Zap, Snookie Blyer, Ernst Stavros Gropuer, additional characters | Puppeteer/voice |
| 1996 | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Uncle Berklummer | 1 episode; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Thunderdell | TV-mini series; live-action role, 2 episodes |
| 2002–2007 | Kim Possible | Jackie the Jackal, Jilly from Jersey, Motor Ed's 'Main Bro' | Voice role |
| 2006 | Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King | Savage Commando | TV mini-series; Live-action role |
| 2006–2010 | Sesame Street | Louie (Elmo's dad) | Puppeteer/voice in Episode 4160 and direct-to-video specials |
| 2007 | Tinseltown | Bobby | TV series short; Puppeteer/voice Also director |
| 2011 | Saturday Night Live | Rowlf the Dog | 1 episode; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2012 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Dr. Teeth | 1 episode; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2014 | Piper's Picks TV | Swedish Chef | 1 episode; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2015–2016 | The Muppets | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, Swedish Chef, Bobo the Bear, Big Mean Carl, Mahna Mahna, Howard Tubman, additional characters | Puppeteer/voice Also director; 1 episode |
| 2015 | Muppet Moments | Rowlf the Dog, Bobo the Bear, Pepe the King Prawn | TV series short; Puppeteer/voice Also director |
| 2017–2020 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Lonny DuFrane/Mr. Frumpus | 3 episodes; Actor/Puppeteer |
| 2018 | Muppet Babies | Dr. Teeth | 1 episode; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2019 | Drop the Mic | Pepe the King Prawn | 2 episodes; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2020 | Muppets Now | Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Howard Tubman, Big Mean Carl, Dr. Teeth, Bobo the Bear, Bubba the Rat | Also director and executive producer |
| 2021 | Muppets Haunted Mansion | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Johnny Fiama, Howard Tubman, Bobo the Bear, Big Mean Carl, Andy Pig, Bubba the Rat, Beautiful Day Monster, Clean Gene the Behemoth, Party Tomato | Also teleplay and story by, and executive producer |
| 2023 | The Muppets Mayhem | Dr. Teeth | Also co-creator and executive producer |
Video games
edit| Video games | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Muppet Race Mania | Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
| 2000 | Muppet Monster Adventure | Pepe the King Prawn, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
| 2003 | Muppets Party Cruise | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
Events
edit| Event credits | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Event | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | The Muppets Take the Bowl | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Mahna Mahna | Puppeteer/voice, live show at the Hollywood Bowl, Sept. 8–10 |
| 2018 | The Muppets Take the O2 | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Mahna Mahna | Puppeteer/voice, live show at the O2, July 13–14 |
| 2021 | The Muppets Christmas Caroling Coach[18][failed verification] | Pepe the King Prawn | Voice, theme park show at Disneyland during Disney Merriest Nights |
References
edit- ^ a b Hunt, Kristin (May 10, 2023). "Yardley native brings Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef and other Muppet characters to life". PhillyVoice. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Shane, Kryss (May 10, 2021). Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace: The Practical Resource Guide for Business Leaders. Routledge. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-000-38862-6.
- ^ Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (January 10, 2014). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-7864-5375-7.
- ^ a b Stamberg, Susan (November 21, 2011). "For Muppeteers, It Isn't Easy Being Invisible". NPR. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Radenhausen, Jim (May 18, 2023). "Muppets mania coming to Mahoning | Times News Online". Times News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (July 14, 1999). "FILM REVIEW; Close Encounters of a Gonzo Kind". The New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Bill Barretta explains how playing a Muppet is more than a funny voice, it's a state of mind". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Travers, Peter (August 24, 2018). "'The Happytime Murders' Review: Puppet Raunchfest Is Dead on Arrival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Darling, Cary (January 4, 2019). "'The Favourite,' 'Roma' tie as Houston Film Critics' favorite films". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Tucci, Joseph (November 9, 2022). "CT puppeteer has ties with Elmo, Coldplay and stars in classic show on Disney+". CT Insider.
- ^ a b "Muppet Performer Bill Barretta on Pepe The King Prawn, Rowlf The Dog & His Epic Career!" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Muppets Most Wanted: Press Kit" (PDF). The Walt Disney Studios. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 7, 2015). "ABC Orders Shondaland and Jenna Bans Dramas, 'Muppets' Revival, More". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ "Muppets Haunted Mansion". Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (March 27, 2023). "'The Muppets Mayhem' is ready to jam in first look at new Disney + series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (December 18, 2023). "'Sesame Street,' 'Muppets Mayhem,' Jack Black Among Winners at Children's and Family Emmy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 13, 2017). "Elizabeth Banks Joins Gang for 'The Happytime Murders'". Deadline. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Video: The Muppet Christmas Caroling Coach Debuts at Disney Merriest Nites". laughingplace.com. November 11, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
External links
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