March, 2003
Absent Friends
Lynne
Thigpen Dies Here's some very sad
news: Lynne
Thigpen, the Tony-winning actress known to Muppet fans as the voice of Luna
on Bear in the Big Blue House, died on March 12th, 2003 of a heart attack at
the age of 54. Thigpen was better known to the rest of the world for her stage
work, her current role on the TV series The District, and her role as the
Chief on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? -- but everybody who
knows Bear loves Luna. We'll miss her.
Michael
Jeter Dies More sad news... It's
been a tragic month for gentle children's show actors. Michael Jeter, the actor
known to Elmo's World fans as Mr Noodle's brother, Mr Noodle, died on March 30th,
2003 in his home. He was 50 years old. There's a nice obituary for Jeter on Playbill.com.
Personally, I have to add that Mr Noodle's brother, Mr Noodle, was my favorite
of the Noodles -- that sounds like faint praise, I know, but I really loved him.
He was vulnerable and sweet and very very funny, and every time I've watched
Elmo's World, I've always looked forward to seeing him. He did other things, of
course -- he won a Tony Award for Grand Hotel and an Emmy Award for Evening
Shade -- and he courageously came
out as HIV-positive in 1997 to help advocate for more responsible portrayals
of HIV and AIDS on television. Michael Jeter was an amazing guy, and a fantastic
Noodle. We only get one of him in the universe. I'll miss him.
Grover and Fozzie attend Puppet Conference