Happy Birthday, Elmo!

He may have been shy as a boy, but the appealing Kevin Clash didn't shy from media interviews about his job. A 1996 appearance on an Oprah segment, "Real People Behind Big Names" gave Clash more visibility than ever before. He gave more televised interviews, but probably the most unusual exchange he ever had was being interviewed by Elmo himself in a Random House book segment promoting his autobiography, "My Life as a Furry Red Monster." In that ... more 

He may have been shy as a boy, but the appealing Kevin Clash didn't shy from media interviews about his job. A 1996 appearance on an Oprah segment, "Real People Behind Big Names" gave Clash more visibility than ever before. He gave more televised interviews, but probably the most unusual exchange he ever had was being interviewed by Elmo himself in a Random House book segment promoting his autobiography, "My Life as a Furry Red Monster." In that interview, Clash said a producer once wanted him to tone down Elmo's laugh, but he couldn't do it. "...I was aware that Elmo's laugh teetered precariously on the brink of over-the-top. I also thought that was part of the charm," he wrote in his book. less