John E Kennedy Headshot

John E. Kennedy (The Amazing Mumford)

John E. Kennedy is a lifelong puppeteer who began performing at age three, meeting and working with Jim Henson at the age of 22.

John E. Kennedy is a lifelong puppeteer who began performing at age three, meeting and working with Jim Henson at the age of 22.  

He has been a member of Sesame Street since 1994, and currently performs The Amazing Mumford, a character originated by Jerry Nelson. John most recently performed on the HBO Max Series The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo and the Apple TV+ series Helpsters. In addition, he has authored two puppet-making books (Puppet Mania and Puppet Planet), and has been a puppet captain, a choreographer, and a musician.  As a puppet builder, Kennedy has represented Jim Henson’s exhibits around the world with his puppet kits; he has also instructed young puppeteers on cruises, camps, and festivals.  He lives in Winter Garden, Florida with his wife, Julie, and creates custom puppet characters for theme parks and performs music with his band, Johnny K Band.