A new biography about Muppet performer Richard Hunt will soon be released. Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography will be released on March 15, 2024. The book is written by Jessica Max Stein and chronicles the life of this talented and hilarious performer who was one of the original five Muppet performers. Throughout his four decade career, Hunt performend in The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and several Muppet movies. Mark Hamill said of Hunt, “To know him was to love him, and we do.” Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets himself, said about Hunt, “The most sensational, perpetual teenager in the world.” This book gives a look into the life of this incredible man, his life, and his impact.
Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography Official Description
Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography tells the life story of a gifted performer whose gleeful irreverence, sharp wit and generous spirit inspired millions. Richard Hunt was one of the original main five performers in the Muppet troupe. He brought to life an impressive range of characters on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and various Muppet movies, everyone from eager gofer Scooter to elderly heckler Statler, groovy girl Janice to freaked-out lab helper Beaker, even early versions of Miss Piggy and Elmo. Hunt also acted, directed and mentored the next generation of performers. His accomplishments are all the more remarkable in that he crammed them all into only 40 years.
Richard Hunt was just 18 years old when he joined Jim Henson’s company, where his edgy humor quickly helped launch the Muppets into international stardom. Hunt lived large, savoring life’s delights, amassing a vivid, disparate community of friends. Even when the AIDS epidemic wrought its devastation, claiming the love of Hunt’s life and threatening his own life, he showed an extraordinary sense of resilience, openness and joy. Hunt’s story exemplifies how to follow your passion, foster your talents, adapt to life’s surprises, genuinely connect with everyone from glitzy celebrities to gruff cab drivers – and have a hell of a lot of fun along the way.
Jessica Max Stein is a New York-based writer who teaches writing and literature at the City University of New York (CUNY). She received her M.F.A. in creative writing from Brooklyn College. Her writing has been cited in the New York Times. It has also received an Amy Award for young writers from Poets and Writers magazine and won an Ippie for Best Editorial from the Independent Press Association. Stein has published work in over 100 magazines and journals, including a long-running column at The Bilerico Project.
Funny Boy: The Richard Hunt Biography can be pre-ordered on Amazon and other book vendors. Are you excited to read this book? How much do you know about Richard Hunt? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
