Karen Prell (puppeteer)

Karen Leigh Prell (born July 26, 1959) is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in Fraggle Rock.

Early life and career
Prell was born on July 26, 1959 in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street, she performed Deena Monster, as well as several background and one-off characters. She performed on the show from 1980–1981 for seasons 11 and 12, then returned in 2019 for season 50. She also performed in the 2003 attraction Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic. Her website includes notes about working with Jim Henson and pictures of her custom puppets.

She was an animator for Geri’s Game and also worked on animation of A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2.

Prell also works as an animator with Valve.

Outside of her works on shows, Prell has made public appearances performing Red Fraggle, like appearances at Comic Con. At Dragon Con 2013, Karen Prell was joined by fellow puppeteer Kathryn Mullen as part of the 30th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock where they performed their respective characters. She returned to perform Red Fraggle again for the 2020 Apple TV+ reboot Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, and the upcoming reboot of the series, of which she is also co-executive producer.

Prell's recent credits include Sesame Street Live! (as an additional Muppet performer), Fraggle Rock: The Movie (reprising her series role as Red Fraggle), Lego Sesame Street: Sesame Super-Heroes (as the voice of Super-Fraggle, Red Fraggle in a Superman-esque persona), and the 2021 film remake of Little Shop of Horrors (as a principal puppeteer on Audrey II, the man-eating plant; Prell operated the head and mouth of the plant during the "Feed Me" number).

Personal life
Prell married fellow Muppet performer Mike Quinn. They lived for a decade in England before moving to California to work for Pixar. Since divorcing in 2004, Prell and Quinn have continued to work together on different projects, usually involving the Muppets.

Television

 * Fraggle Rock – Red Fraggle, Wingnut Doozer, Fluffinella, Baby Tree Creature, Beastie, Gavel Doozer, Marley Fraggle, Modem Doozer, Additional Muppets
 * Jim Henson's Animal Show – Ollie the Tapir, Tizzie the Bee (1994–1995), Alexis the Giraffe, Arlene the Aardvark, Bernice the Warthog, Blanche the Manatee, Charlotte the Penguin, Hettie the Hedgehog, Hillary the Owl, Kasey the Kangaroo, Leah the Fruit Bat, Lydia the Ostrich, Rhonda the Raccoon
 * Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories – Yellow Gosling, Little Boy Blue's Mother (in "Boy Blue"), (in "Boy Blue"), Topiary Peacock (in "Dicky Birds"), Peter the Dicky (in "Dicky Birds"), Old Mother Hubbard (in "Mother Hubbard"), Peter's Wife (in "Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater")
 * Sesame Street – Deena, Masha, Additional Muppets
 * The Ghost of Faffner Hall – Mimi
 * The Muppet Show – Robin (episode 108), Additional Muppets
 * Fraggle Rock: Rock On! – Red Fraggle
 * Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Red Fraggle, Icy Joe, Queen of the Merggles (puppetry)

Film

 * A Muppet Family Christmas – Red Fraggle, Maureen the Mink
 * Dreamchild – Dormouse (puppeteer)
 * Labyrinth – Firey 2 (lead puppeteer), The Junk Lady (puppeteer), The Worm (puppeteer), Helping Hands, Goblins (puppetry only)
 * Muppet Treasure Island – Additional Muppets (uncredited)
 * The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show – Additional Muppets
 * The Muppet Christmas Carol – Daughter Mouse, Performer of Ghost of Christmas Past, Aretha
 * The Muppets – Additional Muppets
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan – Yolanda Rat, Frank the Dog
 * The Tale of the Bunny Picnic – Babble Bunny, Baby Bunny, Great-Grandmother Bunny
 * Stuart Little 2: Puppeteer
 * Fraggle Rock: The Movie: Red Fraggle, Wingnut Doozer, Modem Doozer, Fluffinella
 * Little Shop of Horrors (2021 film) - Audrey II Principal Puppeteer

Video Games

 * Mickey Mouse & Bugs Bunny's Kombat Showdown: Andy Panda (also Character Reference Puppeteer)
 * Lego Sesame Street: Sesame Super-Heroes: Super-Fraggle

Events

 * The Muppets Take the Bowl – Additional Muppet Performer (live show at the Hollywood Bowl, 8–10 Sept. 2017)
 * The Muppets Take the O2 – Additional Muppet Performer (live show at the O2 Arena, 13–14 Jul. 2018)
 * Sesame Street Live! - Additional Muppet Performer (live show tour, 18 Feb. - 13 Nov. 2020)

Film

 * Geri's Game
 * A Bug's Life
 * Toy Story 2 (additional storyboard artist)
 * For the Birds
 * Monsters, Inc.
 * The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (character animator)
 * Son of the Mask
 * The Ant Bully (character animator)
 * Enchanted (character animator)

Video Games

 * Team Fortress 2
 * Left 4 Dead
 * Left 4 Dead 2
 * Portal 2 (lead animator on Wheatley and corrupted cores)
 * Half-Life: Alyx
 * Lego Sesame Street: Sesame Super-Heroes (lead animator on Super-Fraggle)