Henson, Brian 1963–

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HENSON, Brian 1963–

PERSONAL

Born 1963 in New York, NY; son of James Maury (a puppeteer) and Jane Anne (maiden name, Nebel) Henson; married Ellis Flyte (a fashion designer), November, 1990. Education: Attended Phillips Academy, Andover, MA, and the University of Colorado. Avocational Interests: Skiing, squash, cars, dogs, and traveling.

Addresses: Office—The Jim Henson Company, 1416 N. La Brea Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028. Agent—Endeavor, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Manager—Industry Entertainment, 955 South Carrillo Dr., 3rd Fl., Los Angles, CA 90048.

Career: Puppeteer, puppeteer coordinator, director, producer, special effects specialist, and actor. Jim Henson Productions (later known as The Jim Henson Company), president and chief executive officer, 1991–.

Member: Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Association of Cinematography and Television Technicians, Equity (United Kingdom).

Awards, Honors: Emmy Award, best directing in a children's series, 1991, for Jim Henson's "Mother Goose Stories"; Scientific and Engineering Award (with others), Academy Awards, 1992; Fantafestival Award, best direction, 1993, for The Muppet Christmas Carol; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding variety, music or comedy series, 1996, and Emmy Award (with Dick Blasucci), outstanding children's program, 1998, for Muppets Tonight!; Emmy Award (with Robert Halmi, Sr., and Duncan Kenworthy), outstanding miniseries, 1996, for Gulliver's Travels; Gemini Award nomination, best children's program or series, Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, 1996, for Jim Henson's "Dog City"; Golden Satellite Award nomination (with Martin G. Baker), best motion picture—animation or mixed media, International Press Academy, 1997, for Muppet Treasure Island; Emmy Award nominations (with others), outstanding children's program, 1997, 1998, both for The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss; Daytime Emmy Award nomination (with Jocelyn Stevenson), outstanding children's program, 1999, for Animal Show; Daytime Emmy Award nomination (with Mitchell Kriegman and Alex Rockwell), outstanding pre-school children's series, 2000, for Bear in the Big Blue House; Audience Award, Gerardmer Film Festival, 2002, for Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story.

CREDITS

Film Work:

Puppeteer, The Great Muppet Caper, Universal, 1981.

Puppeteer and Muppet special effects, The Muppets Take Manhattan, TriStar, 1984.

Puppeteer, Return to Oz (also known as The Adventures of the Devil from the Sky and Oz), Buena Vista, 1985.

Puppeteer and (uncredited) animatronic puppeteer: reindeers, Santa Claus: The Movie (also known as Santa Claus), TriStar, 1985.

Principal puppeteer, Little Shop of Horrors, Warner Bros., 1986.

Puppeteer and puppeteer coordinator, Labyrinth, TriStar, 1986.

Puppeteer, The Witches, Warner Bros., 1990.

Chief puppeteer and second unit director, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, New Line Cinema, 1990.

Producer and director, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Buena Vista, 1992.

Producer and director, Muppet Treasure Island, Buena Vista, 1996.

Executive producer, Buddy, Columbia, 1997.

Producer, Muppets from Space, Columbia, 1999.

Executive producer, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Columbia, 1999.

Director and executive producer, The Power of the Dark Crystal, Odyssey Motion Pictures, 2006.

Film Appearances:

Voice, The Great Muppet Caper, Universal, 1981.

Jerry, Split Image (also known as Captured), Orion, 1982.

Voice of Jack Pumpkinhead, Return to Oz (also known as The Adventures of the Devil from the Sky and Oz), Buena Vista, 1985.

Voice of Hoggle and Goblin, Labyrinth, TriStar, 1986.

Andy Pig, Muppet Classic Theater, 1994.

(Uncredited) Voice, Muppet Treasure Island, Buena Vista, 1996.

Voice of Dr. Phil Van Neuter, Sal Minella, and Talking Sandwich, Muppets from Space, Columbia, 1999.

Television Work; Series:

Producer and puppeteer, Dinosaurs, ABC, 1990–94.

Executive producer, Jim Henson's "Dog City," Fox, 1992.

Executive producer, CityKids, ABC, 1993–94.

Executive producer, Jim Henson's "Secret Life of Toys," The Disney Channel, 1994.

Executive producer, Aliens in the Family, ABC, 1996.

Producer and executive producer, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, 1996.

Executive producer and puppeteer, Muppets Tonight!, ABC, 1996, then The Disney Channel, 1997–.

Executive producer, B.R.A.T.S. of the Lost Nebula, syndicated, 1998.

Executive producer, Bear in the Big Blue House, 1998.

Executive producer, Family Rules, UPN, 1999.

Executive producer, Farscape (also known as Far Horizon), Sci-Fi Channel, 1999.

Television Work; Miniseries:

Executive producer, Gulliver's Travels, NBC, 1996.

Director and executive producer, Jack and the Bean-stalk: The Real Story, CBS, 2001.

Director and executive producer, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (also known as The Farscape Miniseries), Sci-Fi Channel, 2004.

"Battleground," Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, TNT, 2006.

Television Work; Movies:

Executive producer and Muppet performer, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, NBC, 2002.

Executive producer, The Muppets' "Wizard of Oz," ABC, 2005.

Executive producer, Horse Power, Cartoon Network, 2005.

Television Work; Specials:

Muppet performer, Henson's Place, 1984.

Cruiser, The Christmas Toy (also known as Jim Henson's "The Christmas Toy"), 1986.

Puppeteer co-ordinator, Inside the Labyrinth (documentary), 1986.

Puppeteer, The Dream Is Alive: The 20th Anniversary Celebration of Walt Disney's World, 1991.

Executive producer, CityKids, ABC, 1993.

Muppet performer and himself, "The World of Jim Henson" (documentary), Great Performances, PBS, 1994.

Television Work; Pilots:

Executive producer, Legacy, NBC, 1997.

Executive producer, Masters of Horror and Suspense, NBC, 1999.

Television Work; Episodic:

Puppeteer, "Hans My Hedgehog" (also known as "The Grovelhog"), The Storyteller, NBC, 1987.

"Fearnot," The Storyteller, NBC, 1987.

Puppeteer, "The Luck Child," The Storyteller, NBC, 1988.

Executive producer, "CityKids," The ABC Saturday Morning Special, ABC, 1992.

Puppeteer, "Daedalus and Icarus" (also known as "The Greek Myths"), Jim Henson's "The Storyteller," HBO, 1997.

Puppeteer, "Orpheus and Eurydice" (also known as "The Greek Myths"), Jim Henson's "The Storyteller," HBO, 1997.

Puppeteer, "Perseus and the Gorgon" (also known as "The Greek Myths"), Jim Henson's "The Storyteller," HBO, 1997.

Puppeteer, "The Three Ravens," Jim Henson's "The Storyteller," HBO, 1997.

Puppeteer, "Theseus and the Minotaur" (also known as "The Greek Myths"), Jim Henson's "The Storyteller," 1997.

Director, "Exodus from Genesis," Farscape, Sci-Fi Channel, 1999.

Also directed episodes of Jim Henson Presents "Mother Goose Stories" (also known as Jim Henson's "Mother Goose Stories"), The Disney Channel; Muppets Tonight!; and Dinosaurs, ABC, between 1990 and 1994.

Television Appearances; Series:

Various characters, Sesame Street (also known as Les Amis de Sesame, Canadian Sesame Street, Open Sesame, Sesame Park, and The New Sesame Street), 1969–.

Voice of storyteller's dog and other characters, The Storyteller (also known as Jim Henson's "The Storyteller"), 1988.

The Jim Henson Hour, 1989.

Voice of Grandma Ethyl Phillips, Dinosaurs, ABC, 1991.

Voice of Seymour, Sal Manilla, Dr. Phil Van Neuter, Nigel, and other characters, Muppets Tonight!, ABC, 1996, then The Disney Channel, 1997–98.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Voice of the dog, The Storyteller: Greek Myths (also known as Jim Henson's "The Storyteller": Greek Myths), 1990.

Voice of Galaga, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, CBS, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Doug, Living with Dinosaurs, 1989.

Voice of Scooter, Sal Manilla, and Janice, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, NBC, 2002.

Voice of Crazy Harry and Sal Manilla, The Muppets' "Wizard of Oz," ABC, 2005.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Voice of Cruiser, The Christmas Toy (also known as Jim Henson's "Christmas Toy"), ABC, 1986.

Fearnot, NBC, 1987.

Himself, "The World of Jim Henson" (documentary), Great Performances, PBS, 1994.

Himself, I Love Muppets, BBC, 2002.

Himself, Zippy and George's Puppet Legends (documentary), 2005.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Voice of the storyteller's dog, "Hans My Hedgehog" (also known as "The Grovelhog"), The Storyteller, NBC, 1987.

Voice of Arthur Rizzo, Dinosaurs, ABC, 1991.

Voice of Aubrey Molehill, Dinosaurs, ABC, 1991.

Himself, "Puppeteering: No Strings Attached," Movie Magic, Discovery Channel, 1994.

Himself, Showbiz Today, CNN, 1995.

Also appeared as voice of death, The Storyteller, NBC; in The Jim Henson Hour.

RECORDINGS

Video Games:

(Film clips director) Muppets Treasure Island, 1996.

Voice of Sal and Van Neuter, Muppet Race Mania, Midway Games, 2000.

Voice of Sal Minella, Janice, Scooter, and the newsman, Muppets Party Cruise, 2003.

WRITINGS

Television Miniseries:

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, CBS, 2001.

Television Pilots:

Legacy, NBC, 1997.

Contributor to periodicals, including Inc.

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

Broadcasting & Cable, November 27, 2000, p. 72.

Entertainment Weekly, March 8, 1996, p. 30.

New York Times, December 25, 1995.

People Weekly, May 31, 1991, pp. 94-96.

Playthings, June, 1994, p. 66.