Carroll Spinney is a very kind man.
That is the best way I can describe the core point conveyed in the absolutely wonderful documentary I am Big Bird. Released in 2014, I am Big Bird is a surprisingly moving look at the man who has played both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for over forty-five years. At a surface level, Spinney’s story is a simple one: discovered by Jim Henson, he was hired to help bring Henson’s new children’s series Sesame Street to life in 1969. But that rather simple tale contains many moments of sadness, success and pathos.
Spinney originally thought he couldn’t do the job, and his early efforts at “finding” both characters were failures (early footage shows just how different they were from the versions audiences grew to know and love). Then he finally figured it out, and worked with the producers and writers to make Big Bird a big naive kid, a surrogate for all the children watching. And he made Oscar more grouchy and green (he started out as orange). It worked, and how.
Today many of us do not remember how big (pun unintended) Big Bird was. He was (again, pun unintended) HUGE and for a while the Children’s Television Workshop made millions off his likeness and merchandising. Big Bird went to China, and traveled other parts of the world for other specials. He appeared on Bob Hope specials, had his own movie, and there was even plans for Spinney as Big Bird to ride on the Space Shuttle.
On that last point NASA changed their mind… and decided that a teacher should fly into space instead. On the Challenger.
That surprising story is among many of the points covered in the film, and I was surprised and much that was revealed. I never thought a documentary about Big Bird would make me weep, but this one did. Repeatedly. When they replayed the scene when Big Bird learned about Mr. Hooper’s death… When they played Big Bird singing “It’s not Easy Being Green” at Jim Henson’s funeral. And so on.
Bring a hankie.
Throughout his life, with all it’s peaks and valleys, Spinney remained a mostly positive cheer-filled man who is still playing the role… Elmo-mania meant his role was curtailed over the past fifteen years, which allowed him to semi-retire and in more challenging scenes Big Bird is played by a younger actor. But Spinney is still the heart of the character, is still Big Bird, and in his seventies he still brings joy to children around the world.
Highly recommended.