Meet the Man Behind Elmo

"Always have fun and try to make everyone laugh." - Elmo

Wise words from an adorable red Muppet. Elmo made a special guest appearance at the Archive's 2004 interview with puppeteer Kevin Clash, greeting everyone and offering the above as advice for aspiring Muppets. Not a bad piece of advice for us all.

Kevin Clash, better known to many as the man behind Sesame Street's Elmo, spoke to the Archive for two hours about his early interest in puppetry and how he got involved with shows like Captain Kangaroo and Sesame Street. Selections from the interview are featured in the new documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, out today, November 4th. The film follows Clash's path from constructing puppets as a 9-year-old boy in Baltimore, to creating Elmo and traveling the world with one of the most beloved Muppets of all time.

Below are some clips from Kevin Clash's interview:

On how he became Elmo's puppeteer:

On working with Elmo - Elmo makes a special appearance!

On developing Elmo's character:

View Kevin Clash's full interview at: http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/kevin-clash

Learn more about Being Elmo and where to see the film at: http://beingelmo.com/