BH
Photo of Brian Henson

Brian Henson

Actor, Producer, Director, Additional CreditsBorn November 3, 1963 (61 years)
Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson.

Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New York City, the third child of Jane Henson (née Nebel; 1934–2013) and Jim Henson (1936–1990). He has four siblings: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl(born 1961), John (1965–2014) and Heather Henson (born 1970).

As a child, Henson appeared in some of the filmed segments that his father produced for the PBS children's series Sesame Street.

As a teenager, he built the first Muppet penguin puppet for the opening "Lullaby of Broadway" segment of a Season 3 episode of The Muppet Show. During his summer break from high school at the age of 17, Henson assisted in the production of The Great Muppet Caper (1981); skilled in the use of marionette puppets, he helped create and operate a special rigging device that allowed the Muppets to appear to ride bicycles. Several years later, after performing marionette work in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) in the scene in which rats cook food in a diner, he specialized in managing complicated special effects.

Henson performed Jack Pumpkinhead in Return to Oz (1985), operated special effects for Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and was a principal performer for the Audrey II puppet in Little Shop of Horrors (1986), controlling mouth movement while others performed the lips and vines. He also performed the voice of Hoggle, one of the main characters in his father's film Labyrinth(1986), and the dog in both versions of The Storyteller (1988 and 1990).

In 1992, Henson directed The Muppet Christmas Carol and directed the next film in the franchise, Muppet Treasure Island, in 1996. He performed the role of Dr. Phil van Neuter, the Muppet mad scientist character he performed on Muppets Tonight, in Muppets from Space(1999). In 2018, he directed and produced The Happytime Murders, a puppet crime-comedy film for adult audiences.

Henson was the executive producer for several television series: Dinosaurs (1991–94), Aliens in the Family (1996), Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006) and Farscape (1999–2003). In addition to assuming an executive producer role, Henson served as the head judge on the 2014 reality television show Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. He performed the roles of Janice and Scooter in the 2002 television film It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.

Henson returned to perform Sal Minella, a character he created for Muppets Tonight, in Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021).

Henson is the cocreator, producer and performer for the adult-themed puppet-based variety show Puppet Up! and has played various characters from the show on the British program That Puppet Game Show.

For The Muppet Show Live in 2001, Henson performed his Muppet characters and one of his father's characters, The Newsman, for the first time. He reprised the role for the 2003 video game Muppets Party Cruise.

Henson married Ellis Flyte, costume designer for the 1986 fantasy adventure film Labyrinth, in November 1990. They divorced in 2002. In 2010, Henson married actress Mia Sara. They have one child, a daughter born in 2005.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Brian Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Labyrinth
  • Farscape
  • Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
  • Gulliver's Travels (1996)
  • Jim Henson's The Storyteller
  • Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
  • Split Image
  • Brats of the Lost Nebula
  • Living with Dinosaurs

Known For

  • The Muppet Christmas Carol
  • Muppet Treasure Island
  • Labyrinth
  • Farscape
  • Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars
  • Muppets from Space
  • Dinosaurs
  • The Happytime Murders
  • Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
  • Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
  • Jim Henson's The Storyteller
  • The Star
  • Bear in the Big Blue House
  • Gulliver's Travels (1996)
  • The Storyteller: Greek Myths
  • Muppets Tonight
  • The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
  • The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell
  • Dinosaur Train

Featured Videos

    Filmography

    2025
    2023
    2021
    Muppets Haunted Mansion · as Sal Minella
    2020
    Earth to Ned (TV Series) · as Additional Puppeteer
    2018
    2012
    Neil's Puppet Dreams (TV Series) · as Jumper
    2006
    Puppet Up! Uncensored · as Various
    2005
    The Muppets' Wizard of Oz · as Sal (voice)
    2003
    Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (TV Series) · as Crazy Harry
    2002
    It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie · as Scooter / Janice / Sal Minella (voice)
    2001
    Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (TV Series) · as Galaga (voice)
    1999
    1999
    Muppets from Space · as Dr. Phil Van Neuter / Sal Minella (voice)
    1999
    Farscape (TV Series) · as Dr. Edmund Johnston
    1996
    Muppets Tonight (TV Series) · as Sal Minella / Seymour / Dr. Phil Van Neuter
    1996
    Muppet Treasure Island · as (voice) (uncredited)
    1994
    Muppet Classic Theater · as Andy Pig / Mink In 'gotta Get That Name' (voice)
    1991
    Dinosaurs (TV Series) · as Arthur Rizzic (voice)
    1991
    The Storyteller: Greek Myths (TV Series) · as The Dog
    1990
    1990
    The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson · as The Storyteller's Dog
    1987
    1987
    Jim Henson's The Storyteller (TV Series) · as Dog (voice)
    1986
    The Christmas Toy · as Cruiser (voice)
    1986
    Labyrinth · as Hoggle / Goblin (voice)
    1985
    Return to Oz · as Jack Pumpkinhead (voice)
    1984
    The Muppets Take Manhattan · as Additional Muppet Performer (voice)
    1984
    Henson's Place · as Brian Henson (self)
    1982
    1981
    The Great Muppet Caper · as Muppet Performer
    1979
    The Muppet Movie · as Additional Muppet Performer
    1971
    Great Performances (TV Series) · as Muppet Performer
    1969
    Sesame Street (TV Series) · as Boy With Three Peas

    Take Plex everywhere

    Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
    See the full list of supported devices