Brian Henson
Born: 1963-11-03 in New York City, New York, USA
Known For: Acting
Biography
Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New York City, the third child of Jane Henson (née Nebel; 1934–2013) and Jim Henson (1936–1990). He has four siblings: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl(born 1961), John (1965–2014) and Heather Henson (born 1970). As a child, Henson appeared in some of the filmed segments that his father produced for the PBS children's series Sesame Street. As a teenager, he built the first Muppet penguin puppet for the opening "Lullaby of Broadway" segment of a Season 3 episode of The Muppet Show. During his summer break from high school at the age of 17, Henson assisted in the production of The Great Muppet Caper (1981); skilled in the use of marionette puppets, he helped create and operate a special rigging device that allowed the Muppets to appear to ride bicycles. Several years later, after performing marionette work in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) in the scene in which rats cook food in a diner, he specialized in managing complicated special effects. Henson performed Jack Pumpkinhead in Return to Oz (1985), operated special effects for Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and was a principal performer for the Audrey II puppet in Little Shop of Horrors (1986), controlling mouth movement while others performed the lips and vines. He also performed the voice of Hoggle, one of the main characters in his father's film Labyrinth(1986), and the dog in both versions of The Storyteller (1988 and 1990). In 1992, Henson directed The Muppet Christmas Carol and directed the next film in the franchise, Muppet Treasure Island, in 1996. He performed the role of Dr. Phil van Neuter, the Muppet mad scientist character he performed on Muppets Tonight, in Muppets from Space(1999). In 2018, he directed and produced The Happytime Murders, a puppet crime-comedy film for adult audiences. Henson was the executive producer for several television series: Dinosaurs (1991–94), Aliens in the Family (1996), Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006) and Farscape (1999–2003). In addition to assuming an executive producer role, Henson served as the head judge on the 2014 reality television show Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. He performed the roles of Janice and Scooter in the 2002 television film It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. Henson returned to perform Sal Minella, a character he created for Muppets Tonight, in Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021). Henson is the cocreator, producer and performer for the adult-themed puppet-based variety show Puppet Up! and has played various characters from the show on the British program That Puppet Game Show. For The Muppet Show Live in 2001, Henson performed his Muppet characters and one of his father's characters, The Newsman, for the first time. He reprised the role for the 2003 video game Muppets Party Cruise. Henson married Ellis Flyte, costume designer for the 1986 fantasy adventure film Labyrinth, in November 1990. They divorced in 2002. In 2010, Henson married actress Mia Sara. They have one child, a daughter born in 2005. Description above from the Wikipedia article Brian Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2026
- The Mupper Show Pilot as Dr. Phil Van Neuter/Sal Minella/Nigel
2024
- Jim Henson Idea Man as Self
2022
- Tall Poppy ... (Director)
2021
- Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street as Self
- Muppets Haunted Mansion as Sal Minella
- Remembering Return to Oz as Self
2020
- Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself as Self - audience member (uncredited)
- Prop Culture as Self
- Earth to Ned ... (Executive Producer)
2018
- Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self
- The Happytime Murders as Crab
2017
- The Star ... (Executive Producer)
2015
- In Their Own Words: Jim Henson as Self - Son
2014
- Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge as Himself - Lead Judge
2013
- No, You Shut Up! ... (Executive Producer)
2011
- A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! as Self - Interviewee
2009
- Dinosaur Train ... (Executive Producer)
2008
- Sid the Science Kid ... (Executive Producer)
- Pajanimals ... (Executive Producer)
2007
- Reflections of 'The Dark Crystal' as Self
- Journey Through the Labyrinth as Self
- Bunnytown ... (Producer)
2006
- Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King ... (Director)
- Best Ever Muppet Moments as Self
2005
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz as Sal (voice)
2004
- Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars ... (Director)
2002
- I Love Muppets as Self
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie as Scooter / Janice / Sal Minella (voice)
2001
- Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story as Galaga (voice)
2000
- Rat ... (Executive Producer)
1999
- Farscape ... (Director)
- The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland ... (Executive Producer)
- Muppets from Space as Dr. Phil Van Neuter / Sal Minella (voice)
- Construction Site ... (Executive Producer)
1998
- Brats of the Lost Nebula ... (Executive Producer)
1997
- Bear in the Big Blue House ... (Executive Producer)
- Buddy ... (Executive Producer)
1996
- Gulliver's Travels ... (Executive Producer)
- Muppet Treasure Island as (voice) (uncredited)
- Muppets Tonight as Sal Minella / Seymour / Dr. Phil Van Neuter
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss ... (Executive Producer)
- Aliens in the Family ... (Producer)
- Muppet Sing Alongs: Muppet Treasure Island ... (Executive Producer)
1994
- Muppet Classic Theater as Andy Pig / Mink in 'Gotta Get That Name' (voice)
- Muppet Sing Alongs: It's Not Easy Being Green ... (Executive Producer)
- The World of Jim Henson as Self
- Jim Henson's Animal Show with Stinky and Jake ... (Executive Producer)
1993
- Muppet Sing Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs ... (Executive Producer)
- CityKids ... (Producer)
1992
- The Muppet Christmas Carol ... (Director)
- Dog City ... (Executive Producer)
1991
- Dinosaurs as Arthur Rizzic (voice)
- The Storyteller: Greek Myths as The Dog
1990
- Mother Goose Stories ... (Producer)
- Living with Dinosaurs as Dog(voice)
- Jim Henson's Memorial Service
1989
- The Jim Henson Hour
- Dolphin Cove ... (Producer)
1988
- The Storyteller as Dog / Griffin (voice)
1987
- Going Live! as Self
1986
- Labyrinth as Hoggle / Goblin (voice)
- The Christmas Toy as Cruiser (voice)
- Inside the Labyrinth as Self
1985
- Return to Oz as Jack Pumpkinhead (voice)
1984
- The Muppets Take Manhattan as Additional Muppet Performer (voice)
- Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets as Brian Henson (self)
1982
- Split Image as Jerry
1979
- The Muppet Movie as Additional Muppet Performer
1969
- Sesame Street Pitch Reel as Self
1967
- Wheels That Go as Boy