A puppeteer is a person who manipulates a puppet or marionette, either by the use of strings, wires or their hands, for a stage production or film. Usually, the puppeteer also provides the voice for the puppet, but this is not always the case. Some puppets require multiple puppeteers to operate them.

Two of the most famous modern puppeteers are Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Their work has entertained children for decades on the popular Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and The Muppet Show television series. (The puppets used by these puppeteers are usually called Muppets).

Henson and Oz also frequently worked in film, including directing and puppeteer work in the 1982 film The Dark Crystal and the 1986 film Labyrinth. Oz is also well known for his work with the puppet of Yoda in the popular Star Wars movie series and as a director of movies such as the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Another puppeteer is Gerry Anderson who used a puppet system called Supermarionation to a number of successful science fiction television shows like Thunderbirds

Notable puppeteers

• Bil Baird
• Trace Beaulieu (Mystery Science Theater 3000's Crow T. Robot)
• Edgar Bergen (Charlie McCarthy and others)
• Michael Ian Black (The Pets.com sock puppet)
• Fran Brill (Prairie Dawn , Zoe, Little Bird, Roxie Marie )
• Kevin Clash (Elmo on Sesame Street)
• Phillip Huber (Puppets for Being John Malkovich)
• Wayland Flowers (Madame)
• Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog, Ernie, and many others)
• Shari Lewis (Lamb Chop and others)
• Lewis Mahlmann (Director of Children's Fairyland puppet theater 1967-1990)
• Kevin Murphy (Mystery Science Theater 3000's Tom Servo)
• Jerry Nelson (Dr. Julius Strangepork, Herry Monster)
• Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Yoda, Bert, Fozzie Bear, Grover, Cookie Monster and many others)
• Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood)
• Peter Schumann (Bread & Puppet Theater)
• Caroll Spinney (Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street)
• Winston Tong (1978 Obie Award winner for Puppetry)

Famous people who also were puppeteers:

• Goethe
• Alfred Jarry
• Jean Cocteau
• Peter Brook

See also

• List of famous puppets
• Larry Niven's Known Space science fiction stories in which Puppeteers are an alien race.