Jerry Nelson

A key figure in Jim Henson's team of Muppeteers, Jerry Nelson delighted children for over four decades as such beloved characters as Count von Count, Sherlock Hemlock, The Amazing Mumford, Lew Zealand, Emmet Otter and dozens of other in such critically acclaimed series and features as "Sesame Street" (PBS, 1969- ), "The Muppet Show" (ITV/syndicated, 1976-1981), "The Muppet Movie" (1979) and "Fraggle Rock" (HBO, 1983-87). Nelson's versatile voice could give life to virtually any character, from the sweetly number-obsessed Count and the babbling, combative Two-Headed Monster, which he performed with frequent collaborator Richard Hunt, to a host of animals, humans, monsters and even inanimate objects, all of whom displayed unique personalities and impeccable comic timing. Nelson handled Muppets great and small to every Henson-produced project from "The Muppet Show" until 2002, when health complications forced him to scale back his involvement. However, he and his vast menagerie of characters remained not only television favorites but also lifelong friends to millions of children and adults, which was surely the highest compliment paid to a puppeteer.