Puppetry seems like a jovial profession, but per The Hollywood Reporter, it’s anything but for some employees.
The Jim Henson Company is the biggest name in puppetry — there’d be no Muppets without it. But its puppet wranglers say they’ve been unfairly treated for years and are pushing to unionize.
They not only build puppets, but act as their hair, makeup, costume, and props department. A 2018 Market Watch video shows a busy “Sesame Street” wrangler repairing and touching up puppets on set.
The job is so specified that there are ~25 full-time wranglers worldwide, yet they’ve never had a union.
Wranglers told THR that they’re often seen as “lesser than” puppeteers, who are members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood’s union for performers.
The Henson Company — now headed by founder Jim Henson’s children, Brian and Lisa Henson — has denied these accusations via its attorneys.
… it’s not clear which one the wranglers would join.
SAG would put them with puppeteers. But others feel like they should go into a craft union with costumers, while still others think a props union would be best.
There are pros and cons to each, but given recent concerns around Hollywood’s working conditions, insiders say it’s the perfect time to finally negotiate.
BTW: A puppet wrangler explains how the puppets in Broadway’s “Avenue Q” work.