Kevin Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer whose characters include Elmo, Clifford, Splinter, and Hoots the Owl. He currently serves as Sesame Street Muppet Captain and co-executive producer.
In the fall of 2006, Kevin Clash released an autobiography titled My Life as a Furry Red Monster.
Due to the merchandising deal he struck with toy manufacturers, he is the highest-paid Muppeteer ever. The "Tickle Me Elmo" doll, for instance, was one of the largest-selling dolls in history.
Unlike most of the other Muppeteers, he rarely appears without Elmo. One of the few instances in which he appeared on television as himself was on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in an episode entitled "The Faces Behind The Famous Names". This episode also featured Marc Jacobs, the lady behind the Jimmy Choo shoe empire, and the woman who inspired the creation of the Barbie doll (the daughter of one of the founders of Mattel, Inc.).
