Actor behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch is retiring and Twitter is emotional

Caroll Spinney worked as a puppeteer on 'Sesame Street' for 50 years.
 By 
Proma Khosla
 on 
Actor behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch is retiring and Twitter is emotional
Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on 'Sesame Street,' will retire. Credit: Larry Marano/REX/Shutterstock

Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer and voice actor behind Sesame Street greats Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, will retire from the show after 50 years of embodying these characters.

Sesame Street announced Spinney's retirement on Wednesday morning, leading to an influx of well-wishes and goodbyes from generations of Americans – all of whom grew up with Spinney's characters over the past five decades. Puppeteers Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobsen will take over.

The announcement was accompanied by a New York Times profile of Spinney, full of nostalgia for his career and characters and inspiring many to tweet their feelings about his legacy.

Mashable Image
Proma Khosla

Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You



SAG Actor Awards nominations 2026: 'One Battle After Another' and 'Sinners' dominate
A composite of stills from "Frankenstein," "Sinners," "One Battle After Another," "Marty Supreme," and "Hamnet."

'Heated Rivalry's Hudson Williams teases Season 2, explains 'c*ck sock' to Fallon
Hudson Williams and Jimmy Fallon on all fours facing each other on 'The Tonight Show.'

More in Entertainment

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!