
Brian Henson
Actor · b. 1963 · New York City, New York, USA
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.
Movies21
Movie7.3AdventureFamilyFrustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.
Labyrinth
1986 · 2.9K votes
Movie7.2FamilyComedyThe Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!
The Muppet Movie
1979 · 722 votes
Movie5.8ActionCrimeIn a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.
The Happytime Murders
2018 · 1.1K votes
Movie7.8DocumentaryFeaturing unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.
Jim Henson Idea Man
2024 · 59 votes
Movie6.7RomanceAdventureYoung Jim Hawkins and his two best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, embark on a voyage across the high seas in search of buried treasure, but soon find that not everyone onboard can be trusted.
Muppet Treasure Island
1996 · 489 votes
Movie6.7AdventureFamilyDorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, finds herself back in the land of her dreams, and makes delightful new friends, and dangerous new enemies.
Return to Oz
1985 · 1.1K votes
Movie6.4ComedyFamilyOn Halloween night, Gonzo and Pepe are challenged to face their fears and stay in the Haunted Mansion until sunrise, encountering many frightening, funny, and perhaps a little familiar, phantoms over the course of their stay.
Muppets Haunted Mansion
2021 · 251 votes
Movie6.0ComedyFamilyThe owner of a bank (Miss Bitterman) wants to own the Muppet Theatre so she can build a nightclub over it. After she tricks Pepe into giving her the only copy of the contract between her father and the Muppets, she changes it so the Muppets have very little time to pay a debt they owe. Meanwhile, the Muppets are trying to put on a Christmas show. After the Muppets are confronted by Bitterman, they make a lot of sacrifices to save up so they can keep the Theatre.
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
2002 · 110 votes
Movie6.1FamilyComedyWhen Gonzo's breakfast cereal tells him that he's the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action to rescue their friend.
Muppets from Space
1999 · 378 votes
Movie6.6RomanceComedyWhen the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
The Muppets Take Manhattan
1984 · 435 votes
Movie5.2FamilyComedyA young woman named Dorothy Gale dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, Dorothy embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both Dorothy and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
2005 · 140 votes
Movie6.9ComedyCrimeKermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
The Great Muppet Caper
1981 · 355 votes
Movie7.4DocumentaryTake a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show in television history. From the iconic furry characters to the classic songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed the world.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
2021 · 26 votes
Movie6.0DramaAn impressionable young man finds himself enslaved by a modern-day religious cult. In an effort to bring him back to reality, the boy's parents hire a deprogrammer to kidnap him and return him to his family.
Split Image
1982 · 29 votes
Movie7.6DramaDocumentaryStoryteller and Conceptual Magician Derek DelGaudio attempts to understand the illusory nature of identity and answer the deceptively simple question 'Who am I?'
Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself
2020 · 87 votes
Movie7.4DocumentaryIn the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.
Movie7.6DocumentaryA behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film, 'Labyrinth', featuring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.
Inside the Labyrinth
1986 · 20 votes
Movie7.4DocumentaryIn this episode of PBS' Great Performances, the history and legacy of puppeteer Jim Henson is explored, from his six-second commercial beginnings to a five-season run on ABC of The Muppet Show to several theatrically released films, including five Muppet movies, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth.
The World of Jim Henson
1994 · 7 votes
Movie1.0DocumentaryA retrospective look back at Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film 'Labyrinth'.
Journey Through the Labyrinth
2007 · 1 votes
Movie9.0FamilyTV MovieRowlf the Dog presents the concept of the revolutionary educational children's show, Sesame Street (1969), to Kermit the Frog.
Sesame Street Pitch Reel
1969 · 1 votes
Movie6.9FamilyComedyIt's Christmas Eve and the playroom is alive with excitement for the new toys that will arrive the next day. Balthazar, the old and wise bear, explains to the other toys that they must welcome the newcomers even though each of them may be replaced as one of the children's new favorite toys.
The Christmas Toy
1986 · 44 votes
Series11
TV7.8Sci-Fi & FantasyComedyDinosaurs follows the life of a family of dinosaurs, living in a modern world. They have TV's, fridges, microwaves, and every modern convenience.
Dinosaurs
1991 · 1.1K votes
TV6.4DocumentaryAn in-depth look at the history and pop cultural significance of horror films.
Eli Roth's History of Horror
2018 · 51 votes
TV8.0Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene. Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher. The show was broadcast during the autumn to spring seasons, with other shows such as the 8:15 from Manchester and Parallel 9 taking over during the summer months. It was preceded by Saturday Superstore, and succeeded by Live & Kicking. In 1988, when the second series started, Greene was hurt in a helicopter crash with her then boyfriend, Mike Smith. Guest presenters stood in for her including T'Pau's Carol Decker. Similarly, in 1992-93 during the final series, Schofield was starring in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was unable to present the show. A third presenter took his place. Originally, Neighbours actor Kristian Schmid took the role but soon left after problems with his work permit. Various other celebrities to stand in included Shane Richie and Robbie Williams during his Take That days.
Going Live!
1987 · 2 votes
TV7.4ComedyFamilyMuppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater. It ran on ABC from 1996 to 1998 and reruns ran on Disney Channel from 1997 to 2002.
Muppets Tonight
1996 · 41 votes
TV9.0FamilyComedyAn hour-long anthology series hosted by Jim Henson and generally included two segments. The first, MuppeTelevision, features comedy skits starring the Muppets, as well as frequent guest appearances by popular entertainers. The second often rebroadcasts original productions, primarily The StoryTeller.
The Jim Henson Hour
1989 · 11 votes
TV8.2Action & AdventureFamilyThe Storyteller, aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.
The Storyteller
1988 · 243 votes
TV6.8Action & AdventureSci-Fi & FantasyWealthy developer Jack Robinson is stunned when a gigantic human skeleton is discovered on his building site. According to a mysterious woman, it is part of a curse that has dogged his family for years. To lift the jinx placed upon him, Jack will need to visit the land in the sky - by climbing up a very tall beanstalk.
Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story
2001 · 74 votes
TV7.8DocumentaryFilm historian and prop collector Dan Lanigan reunites iconic Disney movie props with the filmmakers, actors, and crew who created and used them in some of Disney’s most beloved films. Throughout this journey, Dan will recover lost artifacts, visit private collections, and help restore pieces from the Walt Disney Archives to their original glory.
Prop Culture
2020 · 23 votes
TV8.2DramaSci-Fi & FantasyA storyteller in a labyrinth tells his dog the stories of Perseus and Medusa, Icarus and Daedalus, Theseus and the Minotaur, and Orpheus and Euridyce.
The Storyteller: Greek Myths
1991 · 108 votes
TV4.3ComedyNeil's Puppet Dreams is a web series created by The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative Banner and aired on The Nerdist Channel. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris who helped to create the series.
Neil's Puppet Dreams
2012 · 4 votes
TV7.9RealityTen aspiring creature creators competing to out-imagine one another in a series of challenges where they build everything from mechanical characters to whimsical beasts, bringing high-end creature designs to life. The contestants compete for a prize worth up to $100,000 including the opportunity for the job of a lifetime - a contract working at the world-renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge
2014 · 11 votes