Matt Vogel, the puppeteer who took over the role of Big Bird last year, talks about being the "best version" of the iconic character he can be: "You really feel the weight of it." By Benjamin ...

Matt Vogel When Matt Vogel was first introduced to Caroll Spinney, who originally played Big Bird, Spinney said,”‘Vogel’? That’s ‘bird’ in German. This may be the job for you!” ...

Big Bird, Kermit the Frog, Count von Count, these characters are Muppet icons, and Matt Vogel plays them all. He started in 1996 as an understudy to Caroll Spinney who famously played Big Bird on ...

Matt Vogel, Spinney's apprentice, will take over Big Bird. "I always thought, 'How fortunate for me that I got to play the two best Muppets?' Playing Big Bird is one of the most joyous things of ...

Now 80 years old, Spinney has a dedicated understudy, Matt Vogel, who assists in the role of Big Bird. Spinney remains spry but the physical aspect of the job sometimes requires assistance.

Another bonus: Big Bird is played by Matt Vogel, who grew up in KCK. Cheryl Williams, exhibit supervisor for Kaleidoscope, started off by asking how Big Bird liked KC. “Oh, Cheryl, I love it ...

He stopped doing the puppeteering for Big Bird in 2015 and now only provides the voices for him and Oscar. His apprentice, Matt Vogel, will succeed him in the Big Bird role. Vogel also plays ...

Other puppeteers will carry on in Spinney’s place — it is some comfort to know that Matt Vogel, who began performing Big Bird in body last year when Spinney was no longer able to, had been his ...

“Inside, it is completely disorienting because everything inside glows yellow,” said Matt Vogel, the longtime Big Bird apprentice who has taken over for Spinney. “But you have a monitor on ...

Spinney’s apprentice, Matt Vogel, will succeed him in the Big Bird role.