Danny Seagren, First Live-Action Spider-Man and Jim Henson Puppeteer, Dead at 81

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Danny Seagren, a puppeteer best known for occasionally playing Big Bird on Sesame Street and being the show’s first live-action performer, has died at 81. His family announced his passing on November 10th through the Dignity Memorial website.

Born in Minneapolis in 1943, Bob Seagren moved to New York City to build his career. There, he met Jim Henson, who was just starting out and looking for someone to learn puppetry. Henson gave Seagren a puppet and asked him to practice for appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. After training with Henson, Seagren worked on promotional events for Sesame Street, and even stepped in as Big Bird when the original performer, Caroll Spinney, couldn’t make it – including appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and in parades. He also appeared on other children’s programs like Captain Kangaroo and Miss Peach of the Kelly School (which he created and won an Emmy for), as well as Who’s Afraid of Opera. In 1974, while working with Henson on The Muppets, he learned that PBS’ The Electric Company needed someone to play a silent Spider-Man.

For his audition, Seagren showed up in full costume and hatched a plan to impress producer Andrew Ferguson. He climbed onto a filing cabinet and leaped onto Ferguson’s shoulder, then onto a table as Ferguson entered the room. Seagren remembered that Ferguson didn’t necessarily scream, but immediately exclaimed, “Oh, my God! You got the job!” This memorable audition earned Seagren a place in entertainment history as the first actor to portray the iconic superhero in live action.

Danny Seagren’s Spider-Man Legacy and Beyond

Although many versions of Spider-Man exist, the original portrayal by Seagren was quite unique. He played Spider-Man during the final years of The Electric Company in short, silent skits called Spidey Super Stories. These colorful, 2-3 minute segments used early green screen technology and comic book imagery to capture the feel of Spider-Man. Seagren’s Spider-Man battled creative villains like The Spoiler, Funny Bunny, Mr. Measles, and The Birthday Bandit, and even shared the screen with actors like Morgan Freeman.

Even when he wasn’t at work, Mr. Seagren never stopped being Spider-Man. I remember seeing him at baseball games all the time, still in costume! It was amazing – he really made kids’ days, and I think he inspired a lot of us to become comic book fans. He once told me what it felt like to play the part, and…

You know, I never once felt embarrassed playing the part. I was completely locked in on becoming a superhero! I heard they’d looked at a lot of guys with muscles, but they couldn’t move convincingly. I definitely had to lean into the campy side of things, which was a blast, honestly. I really loved the whole experience and always couldn’t wait for the days we were filming.

During his 400 episodes on The Electric Company, Peter Seagren played Spider-Man in nearly 40 different scenes. His portrayal was so popular, it even led to a Spider-Man comic book spin-off! For years after the show ended, he continued to appear at fan conventions, and once shared the stage with Adam West and Burt Ward, the stars of Batman.

Our thoughts are with Seagren’s family and friends at this time.

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2025-11-28 23:48