Bill Barretta
Bill Barretta | |
|---|---|
Barretta in 2023 | |
| Born | William Barretta Yardley, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Relatives | Gene Barretta (brother)[1] |
William Barretta is an American puppeteer, producer, writer, director, and actor, best known for his involvement with the Muppets. He performs the Muppet characters Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Rowlf the Dog, The Swedish Chef, and Dr. Teeth. He originated the role of Louie, Elmo's dad, on Sesame Street.
Career
Barretta began performing with The Jim Henson Company in 1991, as the body performer of Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs.[2] He later developed several new characters for Muppets Tonight, including Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, and Bobo the Bear.[2]
Barretta has succeeded several of Jim Henson's roles, such as Dr. Teeth, Rowlf the Dog, and Swedish Chef.[3][4] He performed Clueless Morgan in Muppet Treasure Island (1996).[5][6] He additionally served as Muppet captain on The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted.[4][7] He played the main puppet character Phil Phillips in The Happytime Murders (2018).[8]
For Sesame Street, Bill Barretta originated the role of Elmo's dad, Louie,[9] originally appearing in direct-to-video specials. He based Louie's voice on Louis Prima's.[10]
Barretta has served as a producer on various Muppet projects, including It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005). In 2014, he served as a co-producer on Muppets Most Wanted.[11] He also served as an executive producer on the ABC series, The Muppets.[12] For Disney+, he produced Muppets Haunted Mansion[13] and co-created The Muppets Mayhem, winning a Children's and Family Emmy Award in 2023.[14][15]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Murder in the First | Man on the Street | |
| Born to Be Wild | Gorilla Team | ||
| 1996 | Muppet Treasure Island | Clueless Morgan, Blind Pew, Swedish Chef, Jacques Roach, Mudwell the Mudbunny (singing) | Performer |
| 1999 | Muppets from Space | Pepe the Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Bubba the Rat, The Swedish Chef, Rowlf the Dog, Cosmic Fish #2 | Performer |
| The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Additional Muppets | Performer | |
| 2002 | Kermit's Swamp Years | Croaker, Horace D'Fly, Roy the Frog, Turtle #2 | Performer; Direct-to-video film |
| It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Bobo the Bear, Rowlf the Dog, Swedish Chef, Lew Zealand, Howard Tubman, Additional Muppets | Performer (also producer); Television film | |
| 2005 | The Muppets' Wizard of Oz | Pepe the Prawn, Dr. Teeth, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef, Lew Zealand, Bubba the Rat, Additional Muppets | Performer (also producer); Television film |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the Prawn, Bobo, Swedish Chef | Performer |
| 2014 | Muppets Most Wanted | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Big Mean Carl, Bobo the Bear, Carlo Flamingo, Leprechaun Security Guard, Baby Boss | Performer |
| 2018 | The Happytime Murders[16] | Phil Phillips, Junkyard, Boar | Performer |
Television
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–1994 | Dinosaurs | Earl Sinclair (in-suit performer), Nick (in-suit performer), Rabid Caveman, Various | Performer |
| 1994 | Jim Henson's Animal Show | Armstrong the Chicken Hawk, Vernon the Grizzly, Baby Bear, Dullard the Aardvark, Jared the Tiger, Lazlo the Hyena, Randall the Zebra, Timothy the Owl, Vernon the Grizzly | Performer |
| 1995 | Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree | Bear | Performer; CBS special |
| 1996–1998 | Muppets Tonight | Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Pepe the Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Big Mean Carl, Clueless Morgan, Howard Tubman, David Hoggselhoff, Zippity Zap, Snookie Blyer, Ernst Stavros Gropuer, additional characters | Performer |
| 1996 | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Uncle Berklummer | Performer |
| 2001 | Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story | Thunderdell | Also writer |
| 2002–2007 | Kim Possible | Jackie the Jackal, Jilly from Jersey, Motor Ed's 'Main Bro' | Voice role |
| 2006 | Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King | Savage Commando | Uncredited |
| 2006–2010 | Sesame Street | Louie | Performer |
| 2007 | Tinseltown | Bobby | Performer (also director) |
| 2011 | Saturday Night Live | Rowlf the Dog | Performer, Episode: "Jason Segal/Florence + The Machine" |
| 2012 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Dr. Teeth | Performer |
| 2015–2016 | The Muppets | Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, Swedish Chef, Bobo the Bear, Big Mean Carl, Mahna Mahna, Howard Tubman | Performer, Director: "Dave Caplan & Jordan Reddout & Gus Hickey" |
| 2015 | Muppet Moments | Rowlf the Dog, Bobo the Bear, Pepe the King Prawn | Performer (also director) |
| 2017–2020 | Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt | Lonny DuFrane/Mr. Frumpus | 3 episodes; Actor/Puppeteer |
| 2018 | Muppet Babies | Dr. Teeth | Performer |
| 2019 | Drop the Mic | Pepe the King Prawn | 2 episodes; Puppeteer/voice |
| 2020 | Muppets Now | Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef, Howard Tubman, Big Mean Carl, Dr. Teeth, Bobo the Bear, Bubba the Rat | Performer; director and executive producer |
| 2021 | Muppets Haunted Mansion | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Johnny Fiama, Howard Tubman, Bobo the Bear, Big Mean Carl, Andy Pig, Bubba the Rat, Beautiful Day Monster, Clean Gene the Behemoth, Party Tomato | Performer; teleplay and story by, executive producer |
| 2023 | The Muppets Mayhem | Dr. Teeth | Performer; co-creator and executive producer |
| 2026 | The Muppet Show | Rowlf the Dog, Pepe the King Prawn, Dr. Teeth, Bobo the Bear | Performer |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Muppet Race Mania | Pepe the King Prawn, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
| 2000 | Muppet Monster Adventure | Pepe the King Prawn, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
| 2003 | Muppets Party Cruise | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf the Dog, Bobo the Bear, Johnny Fiama, Swedish Chef | Voice role |
Other appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Piper's Picks TV | Swedish Chef | Performer |
| 2017 | The Muppets Take the Bowl | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Mahna Mahna | Puppeteer/voice, live show at the Hollywood Bowl, Sept. 8–10 |
| 2018 | The Muppets Take the O2 | Pepe the King Prawn, Rowlf, The Swedish Chef, Dr. Teeth, Bobo, Mahna Mahna | Puppeteer/voice, live show at the O2, July 13–14 |
| 2021 | The Muppets Christmas Caroling Coach[17] | Pepe the King Prawn | Voice; theme park show at Disneyland |
| 2025 | World of Color Happiness! | Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Pepe the King Prawn, The Swedish Chef | Performer (prerecorded footage); theme park show[18] |
References
- ^ a b Hunt, Kristin (May 10, 2023). "Yardley native brings Dr. Teeth, the Swedish Chef and other Muppet characters to life". PhillyVoice. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Shane, Kryss (May 10, 2021). Creating an LGBT+ Inclusive Workplace: The Practical Resource Guide for Business Leaders. Routledge. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-000-38862-6.
- ^ Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (January 10, 2014). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-7864-5375-7.
- ^ a b Stamberg, Susan (November 21, 2011). "For Muppeteers, It Isn't Easy Being Invisible". NPR. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Radenhausen, Jim (May 18, 2023). "Muppets mania coming to Mahoning | Times News Online". Times News. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (July 14, 1999). "FILM REVIEW; Close Encounters of a Gonzo Kind". The New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Bill Barretta explains how playing a Muppet is more than a funny voice, it's a state of mind". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Travers, Peter (August 24, 2018). "'The Happytime Murders' Review: Puppet Raunchfest Is Dead on Arrival". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Tucci, Joseph (November 9, 2022). "CT puppeteer has ties with Elmo, Coldplay and stars in classic show on Disney+". CT Insider. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "Muppet Performer Bill Barretta on Pepe The King Prawn, Rowlf The Dog & His Epic Career!" – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Muppets Most Wanted: Press Kit" (PDF). The Walt Disney Studios. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2019. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (May 7, 2015). "ABC Orders Shondaland and Jenna Bans Dramas, 'Muppets' Revival, More". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ "Muppets Haunted Mansion". Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (March 27, 2023). "'The Muppets Mayhem' is ready to jam in first look at new Disney + series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (December 18, 2023). "'Sesame Street,' 'Muppets Mayhem,' Jack Black Among Winners at Children's and Family Emmy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (September 13, 2017). "Elizabeth Banks Joins Gang for 'The Happytime Murders'". Deadline. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Video: The Muppet Christmas Caroling Coach Debuts at Disney Merriest Nites". laughingplace.com. November 11, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Ace, Shannen (May 14, 2024). "PHOTOS, VIDEO: New 'World of Color Happiness!' with Muppets Pre-Show at Disney California Adventure". wdwnt.com. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Barretta.