Steve Whitmire Biography

Fast Facts

• At age 11, wrote a letter about puppetmaking to his future boss, Jim Henson, and received a personal reply encouraging him to stick with puppeteering
• Had his big break at age 19 after impressing Caroll Spinney at a puppetry festival which led to an interview with Jim Henson
• Had his first and only musical writing credit, on the TV show Fraggle Rock, after the composer for the show found out that he was an amateur musician
• Spent a year of intensive work at a local humane society outside of Atlanta in 1987 Was handpicked to take over the puppets Kermit the Frog and Ernie after the death of Jim Henson in 1990
• Serves on the board of the Shambala Preserve, Tippi Hedren's big cat animal preserve