Ryan Dillon
Ryan Dillon | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 25, 1988 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Puppeteer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Employer | The Jim Henson Company |
| Known for | Performing Elmo |
Ryan Dillon (born May 25, 1988) is an American puppeteer. He has performed Elmo on Sesame Street since 2013. He has served as a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company and The Muppets.[1][2]
Early life and career
Dillon was born on May 25, 1988, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a young puppeteer, he came to the attention of Sesame Street producers when he attended an audition as a high school student. In 2005, he took time away from school during his senior year to participate in the production of season 37. In 2013, he succeeded Kevin Clash as the performer for Elmo following Clash's resignation from Sesame Street in November 2012. Beginning in 2019, he succeeded Richard Hunt as Don Music.
Dillon has taught classes in television puppetry at Pennsylvania State University, and various schools and centers in the United States.[3] He has served as a puppet performer for Kraft MilkBite commercials, Julie's Greenroom, The Muppets Take the Bowl, The Muppets Take the O2, the Nickelodeon webseries Ask Sylvia, and John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean (2010).
In March 2017, Dillon was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.[4][5]
Filmography
| Years | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–present | Sesame Street | Elmo, Don Music | |
| 2014–2017 | The Furchester Hotel | Elmo, Guinea Pig (ep. 12), Mail Bird (ep. 68), Christmas Elf on Phone (ep. 68), Mr. Peckwood (ep. 74), Cat Bride (ep. 96) | |
| 2016 | The Toycracker: A Mini-Musical Spectacular | Elmo | TV short; uncredited |
| 2020 | Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration | Don Music, Elmo, Lefty the Salesman, Roosevelt Franklin (puppetry only) | |
| 2020–2021 | The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo | Elmo | |
| 2022–present | Mecha Builders | Mecha Elmo | |
| 2026 | The Muppet Show | Guest Starring Muppet Performer |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Puppeteer Performance | Sesame Street | Won | [6] |
| 2025 | Nominated | [7] |
References
- ^ Ng, Gwendolyn (5 October 2017). "Meet Ryan Dillon, the new man behind Sesame Street puppet Elmo". Star2.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- ^ "Ryan Dillon". Puppeteer Bios. Sesame Street. Archived from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "Ryan Dillon Resume". DillyPuppets.com. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "Ryan and Elmo Red Carpet Interview". DailyMotion. May 7, 2016. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (March 22, 2017). "Daytime Emmy Nominations: 'Young and the Restless' Tops List; THR Scores Nom". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 27, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ Coates, Tyler (November 2, 2023). "Children's & Family Emmy Awards: Disney Dominates Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Children's & Family Emmy Nominations Revealed – Full List" (PDF). theemmys.tv. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
External links
- Ryan Dillon at IMDb