Danny Seagren, the Jim Henson-trained puppeteer who played Big Bird on Sesame Street and portrayed the first-ever live-action Spider-Man on the kids’ show The Electric Company, has died. He was 81.
According to his DignityMemorial.com obituary, Seagren died on Monday, November 10, 2025. A cause of death was not provided. The obit said that Seagren “will be greatly missed by his family, friends and those throughout the community he loved living in.”
Born on November 15, 1943, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Seagren began working for Henson in 1968, starting out as a background performer in The Frog Prince, The Great Santa Claus Switch, and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.
He went on to star in Sesame Street, where he manned Ernie’s right hand and stepped in for Caroll Spinney to play Big Bird on several episodes, as well as playing the famous tall yellow bird on live shows and The Ed Sullivan Show.
ELECTRIC COMPANY, Valerie the Librarian (Hattie Winston), Jennifer of the Jungle (Judy Graubart), Easy Reader (Morgan Freeman), Paul the Gorilla (Jim Boyd), Fargo North Decoder (Skip Hinant), Spiderman (Danny Seagren), the Director (Rita Moreno), and Igor (Luis Avalos); Everett Collection
Seagren later portrayed Spider-Man on the Children’s Television Workshop series The Electric Company, appearing as the superhero in over 30 episodes. This marked the first live-action depiction of the beloved Marvel Comics character.
“I never felt silly,” Seagren told author Mark Elitz in a 2017 interview. “I was focused on trying to be a superhero. I think before they cast me, they saw some musclemen, but they couldn’t move. I had to be a little bit campy for the whole thing. I really enjoyed doing it. I always looked forward to the shooting days.”
He also created and controlled puppets for other children’s shows, including Captain Kangaroo, Miss Peach of the Kelly School, the PBS series Storytime, and the Joan Sutherland-starring Who’s Afraid of Opera. Seagren received a Daytime Emmy in 1980 for a Thanksgiving Day episode of Miss Peach.
Seagren is survived by his longtime companion, Kate Vereau, his brother, Dr. Stephen L. Seagren and his wife, Jill R. Seagren, and their son, his nephew Sean G. Seagren. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
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