Being Elmo

Last night I watched Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey. This sweet, simple documentary about the man behind the famous Muppet is incredibly heartwarming.

Kevin Clash fell in love with Sesame Street as a nine year old when the show first aired in 1969, and became entranced with the Muppets. He just loved them so much and wanted nothing more than to create them and work with them.

He began making his own puppets, doing local puppet shows for neighborhood children, and never abandoned his hobby but instead became more and more immersed in it, developing his talents. As a teenager he managed to get work doing puppets on a local children's show, and from there his career took off.

When he began work on Sesame Street he felt that he had fulfilled his life's dream. And then he had the opportunity to develop a character for the little known small red Muppet. He brought love to the character, transforming Elmo into the most beloved Muppet and a cultural icon.

Being Elmo has wonderful early footage of the first children's shows, as well as of the Clash family, but what makes Being Elmo so special is the personality of Kevin Clash. He is such a sweet likeable man that his success fills one with naches.