Richard Hunt (August 16, 1951 - January 7 1992) was an American puppeteer best known for his association with The Muppets. His Muppet characters included Scooter, Janice, Beaker, Statler, Sweetums, and Crazy Harry. He also performed many characters on Sesame Street, including Placido Flamingo, Don Music, and an early Elmo.

Following his death, the role of Beaker was inherited by Steve Whitmire, that of Statler by Jerry Nelson, and that of Sweetums by John Henson.