Celebrating Disney Legend Richard Hunt
From Disney Magazine, January 1992
“This party is a blast!” said Goofy (or at least his Muppet version) about two seconds before Crazy Harry set off a massive explosion. Already by that point we’d seen Kermit and Piggy arguing over seating arrangements, a chorus line of monsters singing Broadway Standards, Junior Krog complaining to his parents that his “mouth feels all strange…like it’s moving slightly differently,” and Mark Hamill flirting ineffectually with Janice while Floyd laughed on the side and Animal loomed menacingly.
“The Force won’t save you from Animal, brother!” laughed Floyd.
(Image source “Fredonia.edu”)
It’s not the typical way to hold a wake for a lost friend, but then again, Jim Henson’s Muppets (and their performers) are hardly typical.
They were gathering to remember Oscar and Emmy winning Muppet Performer Richard Hunt, who gave life to such memorable characters as Scooter the Muppet Gofer, Janice of the Electric Mayhem band, Statler (one half of the heckling old men duo), and the outwardly scary but inwardly lovable monster Sweetums. And Hunt even had a hand (pun
absolutely intended) in bringing the original Miss Piggy to life before handing the now-iconic character off to Frank Oz. He provided animatronic “waldo” performance on a variety of television and movie roles, including Junior Krog in the popular Waggle Rock, and even won an Oscar playing Benny in the acclaimed
The Song of Susan.
(Image source “Henson.com”)
Hunt, who passed on early this year after a long battle with AIDS[1], was born in the Bronx in 1951 to a family of performers. After a brief stint as a local weather man, Hunt began his Muppets career providing supporting Muppet performance for
Sesame Street, commonly serving as the “right hand” for numerous Muppets, including Ernie. He’d ultimately become known for playing Sully the construction worker, Gladys the Cow, and the Right Half of the ever-bickering Two-Headed Monster. Fitting in almost immediately with the rest of the “wild and fun-loving” Muppets crew, Hunt truly hit his stride in England on
The Muppet Show, introducing the world to many of his now-iconic characters, which will be taken over by his friends David Rudman and Steve Whitmire, among others.
“We deeply miss Richard,” said Jim Henson in the opening address. “He was one of the best of us, both as a performer and as a friend. Today we honor and remember him as only the Muppets team can.”
And when you’re a member of the Muppets crew, you will definitely be remembered in a big way. And the wake, a public event to be aired Sunday the 26th of January on
The Wonderful World of Disney’s “A Salute to Richard Hunt”, is definitely BIG. And if you are expecting a sad and subtle remembrance of a lost friend then you’ll be surprised, for this is a star-studded gala event, a celebration of the life and accomplishments of a core member of the Muppets. There are songs that range from sweet to bittersweet to melancholy (but always thoughtful). There are clips of his “Best Moments”. There are guest star performances from such luminaries as Julie Andrews, Molly Ringwald, Freddie Mercury, Harry Belafonte, and Elton John.
And above all, there is the full wildness and whimsey of the Muppets on full display, with all of the Original Muppet Performers, even Jane Henson, there alongside the newer generation.
“Richard was my mentor and the man I aspired to be as a Muppet Performer,” said Kevin Clash. “He taught me not just how to be a Muppet Man, but to be a Mensch, as Bernie would say. A Muppet Mensch!” he laughed.
“How does one fill shoes as big as Sweetums’?” asked John Henson, Jim’s son, who has been filling in as the lovable monster for Richard as his health deteriorated. “How does one
not?”
(Image source “Jim Henson – The Muppet Master” on Tumbler)
And indeed, Hunt’s characters will live on in his memory, each making appearances at the event to joke and banter in self-aware, pun-plagued performances that highlight both what was great and unique about Hunt himself, and what remains great and beloved about the characters and the legacy that he leaves behind.
“Richard was always smiling and laughing,” remembered Frank Oz. “Even when the world dumped all over him, he was still a beacon of light.
“Even Statler and Waldorf laugh and sing along with Richard.”
(Image source “Jim Henson – The Muppet Master” on Tumbler)
Remember to tune in to “A Salute to Richard Hunt” on Sunday, January 26th at 8 PM (7 PM Central) on
The Wonderful World of Disney on your CBS affiliate.
[1] Yes, they say the “A” word. No, they will not address his sexuality in 1992. Yes, some assholes in the media will protest. Yes, they will mostly be seen as assholes for doing so.
en.wikipedia.org
