Big Bird puppeteer Caroll Spinney on his long, tall career

You can either listen to Jian's chat with Caroll Spinney by clicking on the listen button, or watch it in the window below the article. 

Jian speaks with Caroll Spinney, subject of the new documentary film I Am Big Bird, which is playing at Toronto's Hot Docs film festival this week. 

For almost 50 years, the now 80-year-old puppeteer has performed the roles of Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch and his dedication and inspiration have entertained and educated generations of children.

Spinney spoke about being handpicked back in 1969 to join Jim Henson's Sesame Street project.

"He said, 'I want to build a large, goofy bird and a grouch who lives in trash,'" Spinney recalled.

"He said do you want to work for me? I said yeah."

Spinney also told Jian about being less famous than the characters he portrays, what it's like to be "the soul" of two beloved children's puppets, and about the first moment he realized Big Bird was more than just an extension of himself.

"One time, Big Bird was literally attacked by a bunch of college students," he said.

Feathers were torn from the puppet's chest. One student tried to remove one of Big Bird's eyes.

"I realized how I'd felt about him. It was like my little boy had been attacked and wrecked," he said.