Original child on Sesame Street

[Saginaw]

Hey there!

Last night I was doing some aimless web surfing (I had my tv on the Monday night football game, and the drone of the cheering lulled me into a deep hypnotic trance....] and came upon 'Speed Racer', my first exposure to anime.

I found some pics and articles about the 4-person cast that did the voices for the show. Three of the cast survives today (including Corinne Orr who voiced one of my first 'cartoon babe' crushes, Trixie). The cast member who passed away was Jack Curtis, whom Orr had once described as "devastatingly charming".

Curtis voiced 'Pops' Racer, Inspector Detector, and others additional voices, and was also the narrarator for the series. He was the father three children, one of whom is named Liane Alexandra Curtis who, according to the Internet Movie Database, was born in 1965. In her mini-biography there she states that she made her acting debut "on the pilot of Sesame Street at the ripe age of 4".

I find this absolutely amazing! Two programs that influenced my childhood and cherish in my adulthood are linked in such a way. Did anyone else here on the boards know about this? I sometimes wonder what happened to the other Sesame kids as well (Jon-Jon immediately comes to mind).

There is a photo available of what Ms. Curtis looks like today at Brandeis University's website. Just click on these particular links on the left hand menu bar: Research Centers, then WSRC, then Scholars Program, then Liane Curtis.

This is SOOOOOOO cool!


--Saginaw the Enlightened

 

[Smy Guiley]

Hey there!
I sometimes wonder what happened to the other Sesame kids as well (Jon-Jon immediately comes to mind).

--Saginaw the Enlightened

I've always wondered what happened to the little girl named "Joey" that said the alphabet with Kermit and said "A B C D E F Cookie Monster!" I read in Unpaved that she was a little older than the other kids, although she looked as young, and she was removed from the show because she kept shouting out the answers to skits like "One of These Things". Too smart for her own good, I guess!

later
eric

 

[jeffkjoe]

Hey there!
. In her mini-biography there she states that she made her acting debut "on the pilot of Sesame Street at the ripe age of 4".

That's weird.

Because there are only 2 little girls on the pilot of Sesame Street.

One is Sally, played by Holly Robinson-Peete, of "21 Jumpstreet" and also real-life daughter of the late Matt Robinson, who played the original Gordon from 1969-1971.

The other girl, a blonde, seems older than 4 years old. She was seen being introduced to Sally by Gordon at the beginning. She also performs "Evrybody Wash" with Mr. Hooper on the street.

So, this girl you're talking about must either

1) be in a short film of some sort, perhaps the "Milk" one or "Over, Around, and Through"

or

2) be in the unseen "test" pilot of July 1969, not the official pilot of November 1969.

 

[Saginaw]

Posted by jeffkjoe - Today at 06:06 PM
Because there are only 2 little girls on the pilot of Sesame Street.

One is Sally, played by Holly Robinson-Peete, of "21 Jumpstreet" and also real-life daughter of the late Matt Robinson, who played the original Gordon from 1969-1971.

The other girl, a blonde, seems older than 4 years old. She was seen being introduced to Sally by Gordon at the beginning. She also performs "Everybody Wash" with Mr. Hooper on the street.



First of all, I didn't know that Holly Robinson-Peete was in the pilot episode that aired! Now that's some trivia.

As for the other girl, it's a possibility that it might have been Ms. Curtis, as it's not out of the question for some producers to ask to change the appearance of actors and actresses, even at such a young age.

But even so, you may be right in that Ms. Curtis might have been in the unaired pilot; that can happen. She didn't elaborate when she filmed her part on Sesame Street, just that she made her acting debut there.



Posted by Smy Guiley - Today at 12:55 PM
I've always wondered what happened to the little girl named "Joey" that said the alphabet with Kermit and said "A B C D E F Cookie Monster!" I read in Unpaved that she was a little older than the other kids, although she looked as young, and she was removed from the show because she kept shouting out the answers to skits like "One of These Things". Too smart for her own good, I guess!



I remember the skit. Kermit seemed a little 'purterbed' at her reciting the alphabet the way she did. I wonder if the producers saw something in that?

Shouting out the answers? LOL! More like she was too smart for THEIR own good!


--Saginaw

 

[The Count]

Well, I can help you out with one of these kids. There was a Sesame Street special hosted by Bill Cosby, celebrating the Street's 20th Anniversary, called "Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting." This was supposed to be the thirteenth episode of the Jim Henson Hour, but it was aired separately and on its own. Well, during the show they had a segment with Jon-Jon's appearances on the street, and after that the real Jon-Jon appeared all grown up and as a member of the Air Force, a branch of the US military forces. Maybe you could get that special on tape or VCD via trades with a few members here on the boards.

BTW: Holly Robinson-Pete played Sally in the pilot aired episode? Thanks for the tip, she'll be added to my listings. And wow, what a small world. She's the daughter of the late Matt Robinson, the first actor to play the part of Gordon, and supposedly the wife of NY Giants player Jason Seahorn. That is, if they're still married and if he's still playing for the NY Giants.
Hope this helps and have a good day.

 

[jeffkjoe]

Well, I can help you out with one of these kids. There was a Sesame Street special hosted by Bill Cosby, celebrating the Street's 20th Anniversary, called "Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting." This was supposed to be the thirteenth episode of the Jim Henson Hour, but it was aired separately and on its own. Well, during the show they had a segment with Jon-Jon's appearances on the street, and after that the real Jon-Jon appeared all grown up and as a member of the Air Force, a branch of the US military forces. Maybe you could get that special on tape or VCD via trades with a few members here on the boards..

Yeah, John-John, who did "UP! and dowwwn" with Herry Monster, grew up to be John Williams, a member of the Air Force. But now, he's no longer in the military - he's working in computers or the like. I remember reading that in a behind-the-scenes article.

The "20 and Still Counting" special also gave an update on the kids Fanny and Shala, members of the Sesame Class of 1973.

You may remember Shala in the early skit with Ernie and Bert where they demonstrate light and heavy, and she "drops" a brick onto Ernie's hand (who's joking around).

Shala, at the time (in 1989), was a Univ. of Texas student and a track star. That puts her in her mid 30's now.

Fanny, at the time of the special's airing in 1989, was an attendee of the U. Penn's Wharton School of Business, where her major was International Business Management. Fanny was in a skit with Shala, where they demonstrated "next to" with Kermit the Frog (in 1973).

She probably is a little older than Shala, but not much.

 

[The Count]

Hey jeffkjoe, got a couple of questions for you if you could please take the time to answer them.
Thanks for posting about the kids seen in that special. I now finally have the correct spelling of John-John's name and his real name to add to my olistings. To that end, if you could, please post here the real names of the kids/actresses who played the roles of Fanny and Shola. Every little bit helps when it comes to completing my listings.
BTW: Was Shola the little girl with brownish-black hair who appeared with some of the Muppets when they were talking about a particular letter like with Bert and Ernie showing the letter X? And was she the one who wore a yellow sweater with a green diamond-patterned vest?
Anyway, please post your replies here. Thanks for your help and have a haunted day.

 

[Splurge]

Posted by jeffkjoe - Today at 06:06 PM
Because there are only 2 little girls on the pilot of Sesame Street.

One is Sally, played by Holly Robinson-Peete, of "21 Jumpstreet" and also real-life daughter of the late Matt Robinson, who played the original Gordon from 1969-1971.

So, she was on the set with Mr. Hooper.
Years later in her career, she would star in "Hanging With Mr. Cooper".

Coincidence?

 

[jeffkjoe]

Hey jeffkjoe, got a couple of questions for you if you could please take the time to answer them.
Thanks for posting about the kids seen in that special. I now finally have the correct spelling of John-John's name and his real name to add to my olistings. To that end, if you could, please post here the real names of the kids/actresses who played the roles of Fanny and Shola. Every little bit helps when it comes to completing my listings.
BTW: Was Shola the little girl with brownish-black hair who appeared with some of the Muppets when they were talking about a particular letter like with Bert and Ernie showing the letter X? And was she the one who wore a yellow sweater with a green diamond-patterned vest?
Anyway, please post your replies here. Thanks for your help and have a haunted day.

Hi Count:

I'm not sure about Shola or Fanny's last names - SORRY! They never mentioned them, perhaps to keep their anonymity?

And yes, Shola (or Shala?) was the same curly-brown hair girl who appeared in that yellow sweater and diamond vest.

 

[The Count]

Thanks jeffkjoe. But if you don't have the real names of these SS kids, then where did you get the real name of John-John from? And wouldn't it be feasible to get their names from the credits of the SS 20th Anniversary special itself? If not, then let me know. If so, then let me know how I can go about getting the info needed.
Thanks for the help and have a haunted day.