Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch: 40 years of Sesame Street

The man behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

Carrol Spinney has played the lovable Big Bird since 1969 and has appeared in over 4,000 episodes. He is also Oscar the Grouch who, as well all know, lives in a trash can with his pet worm, his pet elephant, his shoes, a farm, a swimming pool and a dimension gate to his home in 'Grouchland'. Spinney talks about his life as the 8ft 2in tall yellow bird in his book The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers and explains how "we can all find our inner bird or grouch".

Spinney states "Every day on Sesame Street we strive to give our innocent young audience the basis of a lifelong education. It is no accident that spending the past thirty-four years in the Bird suit teaching these lessons to others has taught me a few things, too."