The Truth About Bert And Ernie! Ever wonder how Ernie could use both hands?
On September 24, 2013
- TV History
The Truth About Bert And Ernie!
Ever wonder how Ernie could use both hands? Now we know! Here’s Jim Henson (center) with Ernie and Richard Hunt who’s working the right hand. Occasionally, Frank Oz (right) and Bert would use both hands which required another puppet. As always, they are watching the monitor in even the rehearsals like this. To the left is their “stage” that the Muppets would appear above while it hid the puppet masters.
And finally, they can get married…
Lol this feels like my life at the moment 😀
The Muppet ‘assistant’ on the left is Richard Hunt. Richard was a fine Muppet performer in his own right, handling and voicing many popular Muppet characters including ‘Sweetums’, ‘Scooter’, ‘Statler’, and ‘Janice’. Sadly, Richard died much too soon at age 40 of AIDS in 1992. I worked on SS in the 1980’s and remember all of these gifted performers well.
Richard Hunt among many others also does Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.
they made it look so effortless…. but it continues today, and I thank them so much for caring enough…
Being a Muppeteer must be a back-breaking job.
Aw, Jim Henson-gone too soon. I always loved Bert and Ernie.
I wonder if the right hand guy made sure Jim had a constant supply of deodorant.
I think curiosity steals the mind a bit we shouldn’t see that but we all way’s want to know how .
I feel like you are exposing a magic trick. You’ve spoiled the illusion…
It destroyed my childhood memories. Here in Brazil they were “Enio & Beto” and the show was a brazilian wonderful adaptation of Sesame Street; “Vila Sésamo” (1973).
Ernie is a “live hand” Muppet, while Bert is a hand-rod Muppet.
Note that Bert’s head is BIGGER than Frank Oz’s. I used to think the Muppets were a bit smaller than they are.
That’s no assistant, that’s Richard Hunt.
wait a minute…you mean Bert and Ernie were PUPPETS?!
whose not who’s (who is) sheesh