Brian Henson

Acting

Brian Henson

Born 1963-11-03 · New York City, New York, USA

Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New York City, the third child of Jane Henson (née Nebel; 1934–2013) and Jim Henson (1936–1990). He has four siblings: Lisa (born 1960), Cheryl(born 1961), John (1965–2014) and Heather Henson (born 1970). As a child, Henson appeared in some of the filmed segments that his father produced for the PBS children's series Sesame Street. As a teenager, he built the first Muppet penguin puppet for the opening "Lullaby of Broadway" segment of a Season 3 episode of The Muppet Show. During his summer break from high school at the age of 17, Henson assisted in the production of The Great Muppet Caper (1981); skilled in the use of marionette puppets, he helped create and operate a special rigging device that allowed the Muppets to appear to ride bicycles. Several years later, after performing marionette work in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) in the scene in which rats cook food in a diner, he specialized in managing complicated special effects. Henson performed Jack Pumpkinhead in Return to Oz (1985), operated special effects for Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) and was a principal performer for the Audrey II puppet in Little Shop of Horrors (1986), controlling mouth movement while others performed the lips and vines. He also performed the voice of Hoggle, one of the main characters in his father's film Labyrinth(1986), and the dog in both versions of The Storyteller (1988 and 1990). In 1992, Henson directed The Muppet Christmas Carol and directed the next film in the franchise, Muppet Treasure Island, in 1996. He performed the role of Dr. Phil van Neuter, the Muppet mad scientist character he performed on Muppets Tonight, in Muppets from Space(1999). In 2018, he directed and produced The Happytime Murders, a puppet crime-comedy film for adult audiences. Henson was the executive producer for several television series: Dinosaurs (1991–94), Aliens in the Family (1996), Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006) and Farscape (1999–2003). In addition to assuming an executive producer role, Henson served as the head judge on the 2014 reality television show Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge. He performed the roles of Janice and Scooter in the 2002 television film It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. Henson returned to perform Sal Minella, a character he created for Muppets Tonight, in Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021). Henson is the cocreator, producer and performer for the adult-themed puppet-based variety show Puppet Up! and has played various characters from the show on the British program That Puppet Game Show. For The Muppet Show Live in 2001, Henson performed his Muppet characters and one of his father's characters, The Newsman, for the first time. He reprised the role for the 2003 video game Muppets Party Cruise. Henson married Ellis Flyte, costume designer for the 1986 fantasy adventure film Labyrinth, in November 1990. They divorced in 2002. In 2010, Henson married actress Mia Sara. They have one child, a daughter born in 2005. Description above from the Wikipedia article Brian Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Labyrinth poster
7.3

Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.

Labyrinth

1986

The Muppet Movie poster
7.2

The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!

The Muppet Movie

1979

Muppet Treasure Island poster
6.7

Young Jim Hawkins and his two best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, embark on a voyage across the high seas in search of buried treasure, but soon find that not everyone onboard can be trusted.

Muppet Treasure Island

1996

The Happytime Murders poster
5.8

In a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.

The Happytime Murders

2018

Jim Henson Idea Man poster
7.8

Featuring unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.

Jim Henson Idea Man

2024

Muppets Haunted Mansion poster
6.4

On Halloween night, Gonzo and Pepe are challenged to face their fears and stay in the Haunted Mansion until sunrise, encountering many frightening, funny, and perhaps a little familiar, phantoms over the course of their stay.

Muppets Haunted Mansion

2021

The Muppets Take Manhattan poster
6.6

When the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.

The Muppets Take Manhattan

1984

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie poster
6.0

The owner of a bank (Miss Bitterman) wants to own the Muppet Theatre so she can build a nightclub over it. After she tricks Pepe into giving her the only copy of the contract between her father and the Muppets, she changes it so the Muppets have very little time to pay a debt they owe. Meanwhile, the Muppets are trying to put on a Christmas show. After the Muppets are confronted by Bitterman, they make a lot of sacrifices to save up so they can keep the Theatre.

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

2002

Muppets from Space poster
6.1

When Gonzo's breakfast cereal tells him that he's the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action to rescue their friend.

Muppets from Space

1999

Return to Oz poster
6.7

Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, finds herself back in the land of her dreams, and makes delightful new friends, and dangerous new enemies.

Return to Oz

1985

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz poster
5.2

A young woman named Dorothy Gale dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, Dorothy embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both Dorothy and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

2005

The Great Muppet Caper poster
6.9

Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.

The Great Muppet Caper

1981

The World of Jim Henson poster
7.4

In this episode of PBS' Great Performances, the history and legacy of puppeteer Jim Henson is explored, from his six-second commercial beginnings to a five-season run on ABC of The Muppet Show to several theatrically released films, including five Muppet movies, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth.

The World of Jim Henson

1994

Split Image poster
6.0

An impressionable young man finds himself enslaved by a modern-day religious cult. In an effort to bring him back to reality, the boy's parents hire a deprogrammer to kidnap him and return him to his family.

Split Image

1982

The Christmas Toy poster
6.9

It's Christmas Eve and the playroom is alive with excitement for the new toys that will arrive the next day. Balthazar, the old and wise bear, explains to the other toys that they must welcome the newcomers even though each of them may be replaced as one of the children's new favorite toys.

The Christmas Toy

1986

Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself poster
7.6

Storyteller and Conceptual Magician Derek DelGaudio attempts to understand the illusory nature of identity and answer the deceptively simple question 'Who am I?'

Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself

2020

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street poster
7.4

Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show in television history. From the iconic furry characters to the classic songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed the world.

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

2021

Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles poster
7.4

In the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.

Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2014

Tinseltown poster
NR

This short made as a pilot by The Jim Henson Company for the Logo Network in 2007 revolves around the lives of a gay couple, Bobby and Samson (anthropomorphic pig and bull puppets respectively) balancing their romance, family and careers in Hollywood alongside a cast of supporting human characters. Was considered lost media for years until it resurfaced on Youtube on June 24th, 2026.

Tinseltown

2007

The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death poster
NR

Because of kind acts toward three beggars, an honest soldier returning from war is given a magical sack, an unbeatable deck of cards, a ruby whistle and a comparable dance, which he uses to save a kingdom and to foil Death.

The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death

1988

Muppet Classic Theater poster
7.0

Gonzo and Rizzo host a presentation in the Muppet Theater of six fairy tales performed by the Muppets. Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Robin the Frog, Gonzo and Rizzo star in the various stories. The production also marked the first appearance of Andy and Randy Pig and the Elvises, who later appeared on Muppets Tonight. Written by Jim Lewis and Bill Prady, each story also features an original song.

Muppet Classic Theater

1994

The Storyteller: Sapsorrow poster
NR

A beautiful princess seeking to escape an arranged marriage, flees to a distant kingdom and disguises herself as a loathsome hag. But then she falls in love with the new kingdom's prince.

The Storyteller: Sapsorrow

1988

The Storyteller: The Luck Child poster
NR

Seeking to avert a prophecy which foretells of a seventh son someday supplanting the current king, the unscrupulous monarch seeks out this luck child and attempts to do away with him. But those blessed with luck cannot be undone.

The Storyteller: The Luck Child

1988

Inside the Labyrinth poster
7.6

A behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film, 'Labyrinth', featuring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

Inside the Labyrinth

1986

Behind the camera

Muppet Treasure Island poster
6.7

Young Jim Hawkins and his two best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, embark on a voyage across the high seas in search of buried treasure, but soon find that not everyone onboard can be trusted.

Muppet Treasure Island

1996

Muppet Treasure Island poster
6.7

Young Jim Hawkins and his two best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, embark on a voyage across the high seas in search of buried treasure, but soon find that not everyone onboard can be trusted.

Muppet Treasure Island

1996

The Happytime Murders poster
5.8

In a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.

The Happytime Murders

2018

The Happytime Murders poster
5.8

In a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.

The Happytime Murders

2018

The Muppet Christmas Carol poster
7.4

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during nighttime visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

1992

The Muppet Christmas Carol poster
7.4

A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during nighttime visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

1992

Muppets from Space poster
6.1

When Gonzo's breakfast cereal tells him that he's the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action to rescue their friend.

Muppets from Space

1999

Grendel poster
NR

The tale of the legendary monster at the heart of the Beowulf epic poem who steps forth to tell his side of the riveting story.

Grendel

Tinseltown poster
NR

This short made as a pilot by The Jim Henson Company for the Logo Network in 2007 revolves around the lives of a gay couple, Bobby and Samson (anthropomorphic pig and bull puppets respectively) balancing their romance, family and careers in Hollywood alongside a cast of supporting human characters. Was considered lost media for years until it resurfaced on Youtube on June 24th, 2026.

Tinseltown

2007

Tinseltown poster
NR

This short made as a pilot by The Jim Henson Company for the Logo Network in 2007 revolves around the lives of a gay couple, Bobby and Samson (anthropomorphic pig and bull puppets respectively) balancing their romance, family and careers in Hollywood alongside a cast of supporting human characters. Was considered lost media for years until it resurfaced on Youtube on June 24th, 2026.

Tinseltown

2007

No artwork available
NR

A wizard decides to hold a contest among the seven witches of Todcaster to determine which witch he will marry.

Which Witch?

Tall Poppy poster
4.0

Welcome to the town of Bland, where a not-so-little girl is about to change the way we see ambition forever. A film dedicated to all the Tall Poppies behind every small business. May you never stop growing.

Tall Poppy

2022