Tim Lagasse (born 1968/1969)[1] is an American puppeteer, puppet designer, actor and director. He has worked on films and television programs for Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, Disney XD, and HBO. He is known for playing the title character on Noggin's Oobi,[2] and Crash on Disney XD's Crash & Bernstein.[3]

Tim Lagasse
Lagasse on the set of Oobi in 2004
Born
Timothy Lagasse

1968 or 1969 (age 55–56)[1]
EducationUniversity of Connecticut (BFA)
Occupations
  • Puppeteer
  • puppet designer
  • actor
  • director
Years active1991–present
Websitetimlagasse.com

Lagasse has been nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards.[4] In 1991, he became the first recipient of the Jim Henson Memorial Prize in Puppetry.[5] In 1993 he was presented with a Citation for Excellence by UNIMA;[6] and later that year, received a Broadcast Design Silver Award for his series of short films, A Show of Hands.[7]

Biography

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Lagasse was born in Milford, Connecticut. He attended St. Mary's School and Notre Dame High School in West Haven,[1] and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1992[8] with a BFA in Puppet Arts.[9]

One of his earliest roles was Mr. Cook on the Nickelodeon series Allegra's Window.[1] He also played the title character on the Noggin's Oobi series, and Crash on Disney XD's Crash & Bernstein. He has performed additional characters on Sesame Street, The Muppets and the 2008 film A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.[10] In addition to his performance credits, he has built puppets for The Jim Henson Company[11] and Puppet Heap.[12]

Lagasse also teaches the art of puppetry, lecturing at the Lincoln Center Foundation and instructing students on modern puppetry techniques at the University of Connecticut's Puppet Arts Program.[13] In 2011 he offered workshops on building puppets at the University of Central Arkansas as part of Heather Henson's Handmade Puppet Dreams Film Festival.[14][15] In 2012 he traveled to Haiti with No Strings Productions as a puppet workshop trainer.[16]

Filmography

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Year Title Credit(s) Role(s) Ref.
1994–1996 Allegra's Window Principal puppeteer Mr. Cook
Tweeter
[1]
1995–1998 Nick in the Afternoon
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Puppet designer
  • Puppet coordinator
Additional puppets [17]
1995 Weinerville Guest puppeteer Coach Loogi [18]
1996-1998 Once Upon a Tree
  • Principal Puppeteer
  • Puppet coordinator
Jasper the Hare, Bleu the Cricket [18]
1996–1998 The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss Ensemble puppeteer Fox in Socks
Junior Kangaroo
Little Cat P
Sidney the Spider
[17]
1997–2006 Bear in the Big Blue House Ensemble puppeteer Jet Setter Tutter [18]
1999–2000 A Little Curious
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Puppet coordinator
  • Puppet builder
[18]
2000–present Sesame Street Ensemble puppeteer Additional puppets [19]
2000–2010 Between the Lions
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Puppet designer
  • Director
Arty Smartypants
Barnaby B. Busterfield III
Gus the Bunny
[20]
2000–2005 Oobi
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Puppet coordinator
  • Director (shorts)
Oobi
Taro
[21]
2003–2006 Chappelle's Show Puppet coordinator [22]
2003–2008 Paz
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Puppet coordinator
Paz [23]
2004 Blue's Room Puppet designer Polka Dots
Dress Up Chest
[24]
2005–2009 Johnny and the Sprites
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Director (one episode)
Basil [25]
2006–2007 It's a Big Big World
  • Principal puppeteer
  • Director (seven episodes)
Wartz the Frog
Ick the Catfish
[26]
2007 Imagination Movers Puppet designer [27]
2008 A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa Ensemble puppeteer Additional puppets [10]
2010 The Electric Company Director (ten episodes) [28]
2012–2014 Crash & Bernstein Principal puppeteer Crash [29]
2015–2016 The Muppets Ensemble puppeteer Additional puppets [30]
2017 The Muppets Take the Bowl Ensemble puppeteer Additional Muppet Performer, live show at the Hollywood Bowl, Sept. 8–10
2018 The Muppets Take the O2 Ensemble puppeteer Additional Muppet Performer, live show at the O2 Arena, Jul. 13–14
2019–2023 Helpsters Ensemble puppeteer Scatter

Awards and nominations

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Year Presenter Category/Award Work Status Ref.
1991 University of Connecticut Jim Henson Memorial Prize in Puppetry N/A Won [5]
1993 Union Internationale de la Marionette Citation for Excellence A Show of Hands Won [6]
Broadcast Design International Broadcast Design Silver Award Won [7]
2003 30th Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Single Camera Editing Between the Lions Nominated [31]
2004 31st Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design/Styling Nominated [32]
Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Editing Nominated [33]
2005 American Theatre Wing Henry Hewes Design Award Uncle Jimmy's Dirty Basement Nominated [34]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Amarante, Joe (October 5, 2012). "Milford guy's great puppet caper continues with 'Crash' on Disney XD". New Haven Register.
  2. ^ "Oobi Does It". Newsweek. October 1, 2004.
  3. ^ "Puppeteer Lagasse lends a hand on Disney XD's hit Crash & Bernstein". New York. May 6, 2013.
  4. ^ "UConn to Host National Puppetry Festival". Hartford Courant. August 3, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "UConn Puppet Arts Timeline" (PDF). Eugene O'Neill Theatre. July 1, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "41 Years of Citations – UNIMA". Union Internationale de la Marionette.
  7. ^ a b Lagasse, Timothy. "Tim Lagasse Credits". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  8. ^ Eaton-Robb, Pat (November 3, 2013). "UConn expands puppet arts program". Portland Press Herald.
  9. ^ "15th O'Neill National Puppetry Conference" (PDF). Eugene O'Neill Theatre. June 15, 2005.
  10. ^ a b "Tim Lagasse: Crash & Bernstein". Starmedia. June 4, 2014.
  11. ^ "Jane Henson's Nativity Story to Air on Christmas Eve on CBS". Puppeteers.org. December 4, 2013.
  12. ^ "Exit Row 1 – Puppet Heap". Puppet Heap.
  13. ^ Lagasse, Timothy. "About Tim Lagasse". TimLagasse.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016.
  14. ^ "Heather Henson to Bring Handmade Puppet Dreams Film Festival to UCA". University of Central Arkansas. August 19, 2011.
  15. ^ "Puppets to Invade Your Dreams". The Fountain. September 12, 2011.
  16. ^ "Associate Artists – No Strings Productions". NoStringsProductions.org. No Strings Productions.
  17. ^ a b "Who's Tremendous - Once Upon a Tree". OnceUponATree.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2002.
  18. ^ a b c d Lagasse, Timothy. "Tim Lagasse - Puppet Performer Resume". TimLagasse.com.
  19. ^ Andreeva, Nellie. "Disney XD Greenlights Live-Action/Puppet Comedy Series 'Crash & Bernstein'". Deadline Hollywood.
  20. ^ "Between the Lions Project Team". Sirius Thinking.
  21. ^ "Josh Selig, Little Airplane Productions". Gothamist.com. Gothamist. Archived from the original on April 12, 2016.
  22. ^ Mathew Klickstein (September 24, 2013). Slimed!: An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age. Penguin Publishing Group. pp. 163–. ISBN 978-1-101-61409-9.
  23. ^ "Paz - Kids First! Film Festival". KidsFirst.org. Coalition for Quality Children's Media. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  24. ^ Fresh, Anney. "Puppets - Anney Fresh".
  25. ^ "Johnny and the Sprites Cast and Crew". Disney.com. The Walt Disney Company.
  26. ^ "2015 National Puppetry Festival Attendees" (PDF). Eugene O'Neill Theatre. July 1, 2015.
  27. ^ "Exclusive 'Crash & Bernstein' Clip for Monday's Premiere". Wired. October 5, 2012.
  28. ^ Lagasse, Timothy. "The Electric Company - Tim Lagasse". TimLagasse.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016.
  29. ^ Crooks, Amy (August 9, 2013). "Tim Lagasse and Crash at the 2013 D23 Expo". Dis411.net. The Walt Disney Company.
  30. ^ Lagasse, Timothy. "The Muppets - Tim Lagasse". TimLagasse.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016.
  31. ^ "30th Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). EmmyOnline.org. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 12, 2003.
  32. ^ "31st Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations" (PDF). EmmyOnline.org. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. March 4, 2004.
  33. ^ "31st Daytime Emmy Awards Program Telecast" (PDF). EmmyOnline.org. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. May 15, 2004.
  34. ^ "2005 Henry Hewes Design Awards Nominations". BroadwayWorld.com. Broadway World. August 15, 2005.
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