David Rudman (b. ca 1963)^[1] is a core Sesame Street performer who performs Baby Bear, Davey Monkey, Humphrey & Chicago the Lion. Rudman, since 2001, has also become Cookie Monster's new main performer - however, Cookie Monster's original performer, Frank Oz, who has, for the most part, moved on to focus on directing, still voices Cookie Monster along w/ Bert & Grover a few times a year. Rudman has also voiced a number of Grouch related characters.

Rudman first started working with the Muppets in a summer internship with the Muppet Workshop in 1981, when he was 18 years old. Richard Hunt helped him get a job as a Muppet performer, & also acted as his mentor, just like Jerry Nelson did for him when he started in the Muppet business ^[2]. The next year, he graduated from Highland Park High School in Chicago. Then, after Hunt's passing in 1992, Rudman has assumed the roles of Sully, Sonny Friendly & the right (horns up) half of the Two Headed Monster, & he, once, provided the voice of Dip the Cat in 1992 following Hunt's death. Outside of Sesame Street, he has also taken over performing Scooter & Janice in recent new Muppet productions.

With his brother Adam, he's produced Jack's Big Music Show for their Chicago-based company Spiffy Pictures. He has also written & directed live-action films & cartoons for Sesame Street, MTV, Nickelodeon & Comedy Central. His work in TV commercials include ads for Coke, McDonald's, Cheerios, Disney World, the National Wildlife Federation & most notably as Fingerman for a series of Ziploc bag commercials.

He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2004 for "Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series" for his work on Sesame Street as Baby Bear & Cookie Monster

Muppeteer Credits

• Muppet Characters: Scooter & Janice (both 2008 - present)
• The Muppets Take Manhattan
• Little Muppet Monsters: Boo Monster
• Labyrinth: Goblins (puppetry only)
• The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: Snort, The Snail
• A Muppet Family Christmas: Miss Piggy's Photographer
• Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along: Farmer Lear
• Neat Stuff To Know & To Do: Danny, Dino Vet, Skipping Stones, Snake Charmer
• Wow, You're a Cartoonist!: Mookie
• Sesame Street: 20 & Still Counting
• The Jim Henson Hour: "The Song of the Cloud Forest"
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello (face)
• The Cosby Show: Sweetums, Boo Monster
• The Muppets at Walt Disney World
• Muppet*Vision 3D: Roy & Max
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
• Dinosaurs
• Muppets Tonight
• Sesame Street: Airplane, Andre, Athena, Baby Bear, Beachball, Betty Bowl of Plastic Fruit, Mr. Bricklayer, Bud, Chicago the Lion, Cookie Monster (2001 - present), Cranky, Det. John Munch, Lavender Ed, 1 of the 4 Grouches Named Moe, Davey Monkey, Dip the Cat (1992), Fearful, Flo Bear, Gary Grouch (1989), Hammy Swinette, Herry Monster's, Granny, Humphrey, Log, The Man in Brown, Norman, Patrick, Pipe Organ, School, Sully (1992 - 1999), Sonny Friendly (1992 - 2000), 1 of the String Beans, Two Headed Monster (right head, 1992-present), Tyrone, Umeko's Friends, Velma Blank, Yip Yip Martians
• Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse: Mr. Monster
• The Muppet Christmas Carol: Old Joe (puppetry only), Peter Cratchit, The Swedish Chef, Wander McMooch, Beggar
• City Kids: Frankie Frank & Muppet Coordinator
• Dog City: Bowser, Bram, Colonel Claghound
• Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree: Ned Mouse (puppet/voice)
• Muppet Sing-A-Long: It's Not Easy Being Green
• Billy Bunny's Animal Songs: Percival Bear, Gopher, Termite, Frog, Waiter Penguin
• Muppet Meeting Films: Big Head, Jones, Simley Gimley, others
• A New Baby in My House: Courtier
• Sesame Street Stays Up Late!: Baby Bear
• Elmocize: one of the Twister Sisters
• Muppet Time: Milton
• Aliens in the Family: Bobut
• Elmopalooza: Sparky, Baby Bear, Two-Headed Monster, Penguin
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Baby Bear Alarm Clock Bird, Caterpillar, Pestie, Colander Stenchman, Grouch Ice Cream Customer, Various Grouches
• Play With Me Sesame
• Elmo's World: Happy Holidays: Orange Gold Caroler
• The Street We Live On
• A Magical Halloween Adventure: Pumpkin, Gray Surprise Monster
• Happy Healthy Monsters
• A Green & Red Christmas
• Elmo's Christmas Countdown
• Studio DC: Almost Live!: Janice
• Studio DC: Almost Live!: Scooter & Janice
• Abby in Wonderland
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: Scooter, Janice & Luncheon Counter Monster
• The Muppets: Scooter, Janice, Miss Poogy, Wayne

Trivia

• Characters of Richard Hunt's David Rudman has performed once or consistently are:
  • Two Headed Monster (right head, 1992 - present)
  • Sonny Friendly (1992 - 2000)
  • Sully (1992 - 1999)
  • Scooter (2008 - present)
  • Janice (2008 - present)
  • Dip the Cat (1992)
  • Sweetums (The Cosby Show (1990)

External links

• IMDb
• Official Site
• David Rudman on the Grouches Wiki
• David Rudman on the Oscar the Grouch Wiki

Sources

1. ↑ In a Chicago Public Radio interview from May 21, 2004, Rudman says he was 5 when Sesame Street started.
2. ↑ Rudman, David The MuppetCast episode 41