Kevin Clash
Kevin Clash, a six-foot tall African American man with a deep voice, is best known as a furry, red, three-year-old monster named Elmo from Sesame Street. It's a character that he created and who has burst into the hearts of children everywhere.
Now a co-executive producer for Elmo's World as well as the performing artist who is Elmo, Kevin Clash has had a lifelong love for puppeteering. Born in 1960 in Turner's Station, Maryland, he began making puppets as a young child and was putting on shows by the time he was 9. At age 12, he was getting paid for his performances.
In high school, Kevin Clash did puppet work on a local Baltimore show called Caboose. That show's producer, Stu Kerr, helped him get a job with Captain Kangaroo right after graduation. Before long, he was hired on at Sesame Street, where he has spent nearly 30 years. He's won three Emmys as a performer and six Emmys as the co-executive producer of Elmo's World.
Kevin Clash has traveled the world helping to train puppeteers in South Africa, Australia, Germany, and other countries. In September 2006, Kevin Clash released a memoir of his life and Elmo's.
