1. Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on Broadway.
18 Facts About Kermit Love
1. 2.
Kermit Love was best known as a designer and builder with the Muppets, in particular those on Sesame Street.
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Kermit Love was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother following his mother's death when he was three years old.
4.
Kermit Love began his theatrical career working as a marionette maker for a federal Works Progress Administration theater in Newark, New Jersey in 1935.
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Kermit Love was a costume designer for Broadway and other stage productions as in the 1930s, including the Mercury Theatre troupe with Orson Welles.
6.
Kermit Love appeared on stage in a bit part as a student for the 1937 play Naught Naught 00.
7.
Kermit Love worked with many of the great figures of mid-century Broadway and American ballet.
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Kermit Love was the costumer for the Agnes de Mille ballet Rodeo, for the Kurt Weill musical One Touch of Venus, and for Merce Cunningham's The Wind Remains and Jerome Robbins's ballet Fancy Free.
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From this, Kermit Love went on to build Oscar the Grouch and then Big Bird after a drawing was designed by Henson.
10.
Kermit Love accompanied the Big Bird costume when it traveled overseas for appearances.
11.
Kermit Love portrayed Willy, the hot dog vendor, on Sesame Street.
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Kermit Love puppeteered on the special Julie on Sesame Street.
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Kermit Love co-designed many of the Sesame Street puppets for the early international productions.
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One of his specials was watched by a young Kevin Clash, whose parents contacted Kermit Love and told him about their son.
15.
Kermit Love worked as a mentor to Clash and introduced him to Jim Henson, and helped Clash get jobs on children's shows The Great Space Coaster and Captain Kangaroo.
16.
Kermit Love appeared as Santa Claus on the cover of New York magazine in December 1982,1984, and 1985.
17.
Kermit Love died on June 21,2008, of congestive heart failure and pneumonia in Poughkeepsie, New York.
18.
Kermit Love was survived by Christopher Lyall, his partner of 50 years.