Kevin Clash, the voice behind Elmo on Sesame Street, has an estimated net worth of $4.5 million USD as of 2019. His career took off with a role in the children’s television show The Muppet Show and peaked near-immediately after he succeeded Jim Henson who died from pneumonia just two weeks before production began on Season 8 (1977).
The “kevin clash daughter” is the daughter of Kevin Clash, who was the voice actor for Elmo on Sesame Street.
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Kevin Clash’s net worth and income are unknown.
Kevin Clash has a $5 million net worth as a voice actor, puppeteer, and co-executive producer. Kevin Clash made his fortune as a puppeteer on programs like Captain Kangaroo, Caboose, and the Great Space Coaster, but he is best known for being the voice of Elmo on Sesame Street.
He was also the show’s co-executive producer and Muppet captain, as well as a puppeteer for many of the characters on Sesame Street. He was also the lead puppeteer on The Jim Henson Hour and has appeared in various Muppet and Jim Henson-related films. He was also a part in the creation of a number of these films.
Salary
What did Kevin Clash get paid to voice Elmo? The specific Elmo pay of Kevin Clash is unknown, however the majority of the big-name Sesame Street performers make between $300,000 and $500,000 per year. Sesame Street paid Caroll Spinney, the actor who portrays Big Bird, $314,072 according to their 2011 tax returns. Clash was not mentioned on the same tax return as Elmo, but as an executive producer, he was given a substantial part of Elmo’s revenues in addition to his normal income each year. This includes sales of products and DVDs.
Early Years
Kevin Clash was born on September 17, 1960, in Turner’s Station, Baltimore County, Maryland. George Clash, a flash welder, and Gladys Clash, a daycare provider, have four children. Clash’s passion with puppetry began at an early age, inspired by television entertainment of the time. Clash created his first puppet, a rendition of Mickey Mouse, when he was ten years old. He subsequently constructed a monkey puppet out of his father’s coat lining. He started performing for the children of his mother’s daycare, which she operated out of their house. By the time he was a teenager, Clash had created approximately 100 puppets. He also played in schools, churches, community events, and fundraisers across Baltimore.
Career
At the age of 16, Clash was spotted by Baltimore TV personality Stu Kerr while playing at a local event. Kerr mentored Clash and engaged him to appear on the Channel 2 program “Caboose.” Around this period, Clash started making puppets for “Romper Room.” At the age of 17, he met puppeteer Kermit Love, who suggested that Clash play Cookie Monster in the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade’s Sesame Street float. Clash met Jim Henson, who eventually became his mentor, employer, and personal friend, during this event. Clash began working as a puppeteer for Captain Kangaroo when he was 19 years old. Kevin had to reject down Henson’s invitation to work on “The Dark Crystal” in 1984 since he was also working on Captain Kangaroo and “The Great Space Coaster” at the time. Kevin was working as a producer for the first time on the latter.
Clash was freed up to work with Henson on projects like the smash film “Labyrinth” and “Sesame Street” when Captain Kangaroo was canceled in 1984 and Great Space Coaster finished. Hoots the Owl, Baby Natassha, and Dr. Nobel Price were among the first characters Clash created for “Sesame Street.”
Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown
Elmo, a fuzzy red creature, was created for Sesame Street in 1985. Elmo had previously been portrayed by three puppeteers, but it was Clash’s invention of Elmo’s particular voice and mannerisms that cemented the character’s place in popular culture. Elmo’s character was heavily influenced by the preschoolers that frequented Clash’s mother’s preschool. Clash had received some sound advice from fellow puppeteer Frank Oz, who advised him to “find one distinctive hook” for each character. Elmo’s distinguishing feature, according to Clash, should be that he “represents love.” Clash was working on the 1985 film “Follow That Bird” at the time.
Elmo’s ever-increasing popularity peaked in 1996 with the “Tickle Me Elmo” craze. Clash’s duties on the program grew, and he soon found himself hiring, auditioning, and teaching puppeteers for the performance. He was the senior Muppet coordinator, writer, director, and co-producer of “Sesame Street’s” Elmo’s World segment. Clash has performed puppetry for many other characters on “Sesame Street,” including “The Jim Henson Hour,” “Muppets from Space,” “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz,” and “Muppets Tonight.” Clash was elevated to Sesame Workshop’s Senior Creative Adviser in 2007. Clash was the only artist that played Elmo until 2011. In 2011, he was featured in the documentary “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey,” which was released in 2011.
Clash returned to puppeteering in 2018 with the film “The Happytime Murders,” directed by Brian Henson, Jim Henson’s son, after a sabbatical of many years due to sexual abuse claims (more on that below). Clash appeared in the Netflix series “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” in 2019, which is a prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson film “The Dark Crystal.”
Allegations of Abuse
Sheldon Stephens, then 23 years old, claimed in 2012 that he had been in a sexual connection with Clash since he was a kid. The connection was admitted by Clash, but he said it was between consenting adults. Cecil Singleton, another accuser, made identical claims two weeks later. In November 2012, Clash resigned from Sesame Workshop after lawsuits were launched against him. “Unfortunately, the issue surrounding Kevin’s Personal Experiences has created a distraction that none of us desire, and he has realized that he can no longer be successful in his position and has resigned from ‘Sesame Street,’” Sesame Workshop said in a statement. Later, two more accusers came forward with identical allegations.
The charges against Clash were dropped in July 2013 because they were filed more than six years after the accusers “should have been aware of Clash’s alleged offenses.” The decision to dismiss the three claims was sustained by the United States Court of Appeals in April 2014.
Personal Experiences
Clash was married to Genia Clash for 17 years. In 2003, the couple divorced. In November 2012, Clash officially disclosed his homosexuality in reaction to sexual assault charges. He explained: “I identify as a homosexual guy. I’ve never been embarrassed of it or sought to conceal it since I considered it to be a personal and private concern.” Shannon, Clash’s daughter, was born in the year 1993. He sold his Manhattan condo in June 2015 and relocated to Los Angeles.
Kevin Clash was born on May 25, 1956. He is an American actor and voice actor who has performed many roles in various animated television series, movies, and video games. Reference: kevin clash house.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do actors on Sesame Street get paid?
A: Actors on Sesame Street are paid at a minimum of $500 per episode and receive residuals from DVD sales, iTunes downloads, and merchandising.
What happened to Elmo voice guy?
A: This is a voice over actor. The last time we saw him was in the original Sesame Street TV series, which ended its run in 2008.
How much does Big Bird get paid?
A: Big Bird receives $100 a week.
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