Ep 23 - Muppet Performer Peter Linz

On this episode, The Barretta Brothers welcome Muppet performer Peter Linz, who performs such characters as Ernie, Herry Monster, Walter, Robin, Statler, and more.

 

Episode Outline:

• Bill and Gene discuss the upcoming America’s Got Muppet Talent contest
• Gene and Bill intentionally delay brining in Peter

Peter Linz enters – 5:35mins

• Comparing Walter with a character from The Puzzle Place
• First movie – Pet Cemetery 2
• First experiences working at Sesame Street
• Talk about his family
• Billy offers Peter some loving compliments
• The first puppet he performed at Sesame Street
• The audition process for Big Big World.
• Pip and Pop
• Hollywood Walk of Fame
• Playing Ernie and Herry Monster
• Eric Jacobson as Bert
• Joe the Legal Weasel
• Walter
• Auditioning against other Muppet performers
• Choosing Walter’s voice
• Walter wins an Oscar
• Pepe and Walter
• Is Walter Jewish?
• Passing on characters to new puppeteers
• Years of assisting other puppeteers before getting his own characters
• Various questions from the Live Youtube Chat throughout
• Shooting The Muppets (2011 movie)
• Between The Lions

 

Surprise visit by Alice Dinnean! At 55:00mins

 

• Favorite shows he has worked on
• Headcanons
• Lips
• Missing Steve Whitmire
• His acting part in Muppets From Space
• Performing Miss Piggy in Muppets From Space

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

 

PETER LINZ

Peter Linz has wanted to be a MuppetTM performer on Sesame Street since he was a child, growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. His dream came true two years out of college when he was hired as a puppeteer for Sesame Street. In addition to performing various chickens, penguins, monsters, and a multitude of other characters, Linz also gives life to Herry Monster and Ernie. Linz is also one of the six, core Disney MuppetTM Performers. He originated the newest MuppetTM, Walter, who appeared opposite Jason Segal and Amy Adams in the widely acclaimed Disney feature films The Muppets (in which he performed the Oscar-winning song, “Man or Muppet”) and Muppets Most Wanted. He also performs the characters Statler (one of the old men in the balcony), Link Hogthrob, Lips, Joe the Weasel, and Kermit’s nephew, Robin.

Linz’s other film credits include Men in Black, Muppets From Space, Pet Sematary 2, and the 2005 remake of The Producers.
In addition to his 27 seasons on Sesame Street, Linz’s other television credits include 30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bear in the Big Blue House, Lomax - The Hound of Music, Blue’s Room, The Book of Pooh, Between the Lions, It’s A Big Big World, Puzzle Place, Word World, and the ABC primetime sitcom, The Muppets, plus multiple appearances on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Good Morning America, among others. He is an original Broadway cast-member of the Tony Award winning musical, Avenue Q. Linz has led auditions and created workshops in television/film puppetry for international co- productions of Sesame Street in Germany, Mexico, China, and Jordan, and continues to do so independently in the United States and New Zealand.

 

ALICE DINNEAN

Alice Dinnean began her puppetry career in high school at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, CA. After graduating from Oberlin College, she went right back to puppets, starting at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. She has performed principal roles on Sesame Street and for various Jim Henson Company productions, including Turkey Hollow, Sid the Science Kid, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Alice has appeared in multiple Muppet productions including live performances at the Hollywood Bowl. Other favorite projects include Jack's Big Music Show, The Country Bears, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Crank Yankers, The Happytime Murders, Team America: World Police, Splash & Bubbles and Word Party.