# Martin P. Robinson

Martin P. Robinson (born March 9, 1954) is an American puppeteer who works for the Jim Henson Company. He is best known for his work on Sesame Street, having performed the characters of Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimey, Oscar's niece Irvine, Buster the Horse, and Shelley the Turtle for over 40 years. He performed the characters Riff the Cat and Clef the dad on Allegra's Window, and was an animatronic puppeteer for Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

## Early life

Robinson was born on March 9, 1954, in Dearborn, Michigan. His father was a hydraulics engineer and his mother was a teacher. He grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1974. Robinson originally intended to become a character actor, but work was scarce. He later toured with a marionette company, eventually working under puppeteer Bil Baird.

## Personal life

Robinson married Sesame Street writer Annie Evans on August 9, 2008, on the set of Sesame Street in the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York. Evans gave birth to twin daughters on February 12, 2009. Robinson also has three children from a previous marriage and two grandchildren. He and his family live in Redding, Connecticut.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Production | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Swedish Chef (hands), Buster the Horse, Additional Muppets | Performer |
| 1985 | Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Board of Birds Member, Grouch Diner Patron, Additional Muppets | Performer |
| 1990 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Leonardo | Facial assistant |
| 1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Telly Monster, Laundromat Manager, Little Ricky | Performer |
| 2008 | A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa | Crazy Harry, Additional Muppets | Performer, voice |

### Television

| Year(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
| 1981–present | Sesame Street | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Slimey the Worm, Buster the Horse, Irvine, Mrs. Grouch, Dicky Tick, Vincent Twice, Old MacDonald, Freddy, Additional Muppets | Performer |
| 1983 | Don't Eat the Pictures | Mr. Snuffleupagus | Performer; Television special |
| 1985 | Little Muppet Monsters | Rat, Cow, Walrus, Additional Muppets | Performer |
| 1986 | The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years | Telly Monster | Performer (uncredited); Television special |
| 1986 | The Tale of the Bunny Picnic | Farmer, Additional Muppets | Performer; Television special |
| 1987 | A Muppet Family Christmas | Additional Muppets | Performer; Television special |
| 1988 | The Transformers | Powermaster Optimus Prime | Puppeteer (season 5) |
| 1990 | The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson | Telly Monster, Additional Muppets | Performer; Television special |
| 1994–1996 | Allegra's Window | Riff, Clef | Voice, performer |
| 1996 | Elmo Saves Christmas | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Santa's Elf, Additional Muppets | Performer; Television special |
| 1998 | The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | The Cat in the Hat | Performer (season 2) |
| 2002 | Between the Lions | Grandpa Lion | Performer, Episode: "Out in Outer Space" |
| 2009, 2013 | Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | Mr. Snuffleupagus, Additional Muppets | Performer; 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Good Morning America | Telly Monster | Performer; 1 episode |
| 2015 | Saturday Night Live | Mr. Snuffleupagus | Voice (uncredited) |
| 2019–2023 | Helpsters | Mr. Primm | Performer |
| 2020 | The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo | Telly Monster, Freddy | Performer |
| 2021 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Octopus | Puppeteer #1; 1 episode |

### Video games

| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Sesame Street: Numbers | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus | Voice role |
| 1996 | Get Set to Learn! | Telly Monster, Martian | Voice role |
| 1998 | The Three Grouchketeers | Telly Monster | Voice role |
| 2001 | Sesame Street: Sports | Telly Monster | Voice role |
| 2001 | Sesame Street: Letters | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus | Voice role |
| 2011 | Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster | Slimey the Worm | Voice role |
| 2012 | Kinect Sesame Street TV | Telly Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Martian | Voice role |

### Other appearances

| Year(s) | Production | Role | Notes |
| 1981 | Muppet Meeting Films | Papa Luigi | Short film |
| 1982, 2003 | Little Shop of Horrors | Audrey II | Puppeteer in the original 1982 off-Broadway and 2003 Broadway productions |
| 1988 | Jim Henson's Play-Along Video | Crocodile, Raccoon, Additional Muppets | Performer; Direct-to-video series |
| 2003 | Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic | Telly Monster | Performer, theme park film |