Martin Robinson

Martin P. "Marty" Robinson (born March 9, 1954) is an American puppeteer who works for the Jim Henson Company. He also built, designed, and performed the puppets for  Little Shop of Horrors. He is best known for his work on Sesame Street, having performed the characters of Telly Monster, Mrs. Grouch (Oscar the Grouch's mother), Slimey the Worm, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Oscar's niece Irvine, and Shelley the Turtle on the show for over 30 years. He also performed the characters Riff the Cat and Clef the dad on Allegra's Window, and was an animatronic puppeteer for Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He is the puppeteer responsible for training the puppeteers on Sesame Tree. He also voiced the Cat in the Hat in the second season of The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss.

Recently, Robinson has served as a principal performer for the Sesame Street Live! tour throughout 2020, voiced Convincing John in Fraggle Rock: The Movie, played the La Choy Dragon and Big V in Muppets to the City, and returned to the world of Little Shop of Horrors for the 2021 film version, where he oversaw the construction of Audrey II (based on his designs for the original off-Broadway and Broadway revival productions) and served as its chief operator, assisted by twelve of his fellow puppeteers from the Jim Henson Company (many of whom work with Robinson on Sesame Street).

Early life
Robinson was born on March 9, 1954, in Dearborn, Michigan, and later graduated from Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.

Personal life
Robinson married Sesame Street writer Annie Evans on August 9, 2008, on the set of Sesame Street in the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Annie gave birth to twin daughters, Lyra and Ripley, on February 12, 2009. Robinson also has three grown step-children through a previous marriage.

Filmography

 * Muppet Meeting Films - Papa Luigi (Computer!)
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan - The Swedish Chef (hands), Buster the Horse, Additional Muppets
 * Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird -Telly, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Grouch Diner Patron, Additional Muppets
 * Sesame Street - Telly, Snuffy, Slimey, Monty, Buster the Horse, Dicky Tick, Vincent Twice, Old McDonald, Additional Muppets
 * Allegra's Window - Clef, Riff
 * Little Muppet Monsters - Rat, Cow, Walrus, Additional Muppets
 * The Tale of the Bunny Picnic - Farmer, Additional Muppets
 * A Muppet Family Christmas - Additional Muppets
 * Jim Henson's Play-Along Video - Crocodile, Raccoon, Additional Muppets
 * The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson - Telly, Additional Muppets
 * Muppet Sing-Alongs - Big Snort, Shark, Additional Muppets
 * Elmo Saves Christmas - Telly, Snuffy, Santa's Elf, Additional Muppets
 * Sesame Street Live! - Telly, Snuffy, Slimey, Sly the Secretary Bird (MSG only), The Emperor
 * Little Shop of Horrors - Audrey II Lead Puppeteer
 * Fraggle Rock: The Movie - Convincing John, additional Fraggles (both voice only)
 * Muppets to the City - Delbert the La Choy Dragon (voice), Big V, Thig (puppetry only), Muppaphone