Michael Earl has been secretly entertaining millions of people for 30
years. A four-time Emmy Award-winner and Jim Henson Protege, Michael
performed the original "Shrek" character in a motion-capture
development test film for DreamWorks, and puppeteered lead characters
in Paramount Pictures' "Team America" - the all-marionette feature
written and directed by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park. He is
the co-creator, writer, lyricist and puppet star of PBS' "Ticktock
Minutes" - winner of 12 Emmys, two Parents' Choice Awards and numerous
other honors.
Earl began his professional career at age five acting in a Curad
Bandaid TV commercial. Two years later he was tapped to be the original
"Is It Soup Yet?" kid for Lipton. The spot ran for three years, the
first in a series of wildly popular commercials that over the next
decade became one of the most successful ad campaigns in history.
Michael's other childhood interests included music and magic, but his
passion for puppetry is what propelled him toward his emerging goals.
At 18, Michael moved from his hometown of Livermore, California to New
York City where he quickly landed a job working for world-renowned
puppetry pioneer Bil Baird, creator of the marionettes for the movie
"The Sound of Music." At 19, Michael won the role of Mr. Snuffle-upagus
on "Sesame Street" (replacing Jerry Nelson, the originator, 1978-81,
Seasons 10, 11 & 12) also creating the roles of Forgetful Jones and
many others. Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimey, Poco Loco, Polly
Darton and the Honkers are among his dozens of Muppet characters still
seen and enjoyed by millions of children daily. His other Muppet
credits include "The Muppet Movie," "The Muppets Take Manhattan," "John
Denver & The Muppets," "Little Muppet Monsters," "The Jim Henson Hour,"
"The 30th Anniversary Muppet Special," "Sesame Street's 20th
Anniversary Special" and "Dinosaurs." He also appeared (as a puppet
Alien) opposite Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in "Men In Black II."
A New York-trained actor/singer/dancer, he has appeared in and/or sung
on numerous television commercials (M&M's, Pepsi, Crest, Kit Kat,
Planter's, Fandango, etc...), movies, stage and TV shows. He has acted
with Whoopi Goldberg, danced with Gregory Hines and clowned with Victor
Borge. For the Broadway stage, Michael created the role of Noel Petard
in Sid & Marty Krofft's critically acclaimed "A Broadway Baby." His
other stage work includes Audrey II in "Little Shop of Horrors"
("You'll marvel at Earl's skill!" - LA Times) and his 1998 biographical
musical one-man show "Pure Imagination!," which he wrote and performed
in Los Angeles and New York to much acclaim.
Michael is a seven-time Emmy nominee and in 1995, won his first Emmy
Award for his performance as Dr. Ticktock in "Ticktock Minutes,"
produced by Mississippi Educational Television. In subsequent years he
was awarded three more Southern Regional Emmys for his lyric writing
(in collaboration with composer Randy Klein) on the PBS interstitials,
which are currently distributed on CD and DVD by BMG Music.
Earl has mentored and/or coached many of today's most successful TV and
film puppeteers. He has served as a puppetry consultant to such
entertainment companies as MCA/Universal, Warner Bros. and Disney,
working one-on-one with the Vice President of Disneyland Entertainment
to conceive, develop and write puppet- and non-puppet live events. He
has toured the U.S. giving concerts for children and their families,
combining his talents as a singer, songwriter and puppeteer.
In 1997 he created, wrote, co-produced and performed five educational
puppet videos for City of Hope National Medical Center which are
currently being used by pediatric nurses to help prepare young cancer
patients for treatment. Over the years, he has worked one-on-one with
countless children and adults, teaching them puppet making and
performance through such organizations as the Los Angeles Department of
Cultural Affairs, Mark Taper Forum/Music Center, Kaiser, California
Youth Theatre, L.A.'s Best, Puppeteers of America, L.A. Inner City
Arts, Beverly Hills Parks & Recreation, The Sycamores, L.A. Unified
School District, Art Share L.A., Hollywood Arts Council and the Los
Angeles Human Relations Commission.
In 2002, Michael created the "Puppet Power!" program through California
Youth Theatre, where he taught, built, directed and produced the first
annual Ivar Puppet Festival, involving 150 L.A. Unified School District
teens from two different high schools building dozens of giant 15-foot
puppets they performed at the Ivar Theatre in Hollywood. The event was
a sold-out success and covered by the L.A. Times and the L.A. Daily
News.
Michael Earl lives in Los Angeles where he teaches an on-camera course
in TV puppetry. He is also creating new TV, film and theatre
entertainments designed to perpetuate the spread of wonder in the
world...as well as encourage, instruct and strengthen children of all
ages through the imaginative use of music and puppetry.
