Elmo was a very different monster when he first appeared on Sesame Street

The modern version of Elmo, the popular red monster from “Sesame Street”, didn’t debut on the show until 1985, when the series was just beginning its 17th season. At first, Elmo was a support monster, but he grew in popularity over the next few years. By time Tickle-Me-Elmo toy hit toy stores in 1996, Elmo was a legitimate pop culture phenomenon in its own right. He became the star of “Sesame Street” and was featured in his own segments. The writers of “Sesame Street” knew it they needed to kiss Elmoeven if it meant the series had to evolve. They were grateful that more people were listening to “Sesame Street,” but Elmo’s limited emotional maturity demanded that the show be less varied and less dynamic for all children.

Elmo, as any child can tell you, has a high-pitched voice, a furry body, and seems to possess the mental character of a three-and-a-half year old. Elmo is innocent and simple, and requires a lot of guidance from the other “Sesame Street” characters, especially when he is confused or frustrated. The monster was voiced and operated by Muppet performer Kevin Clash until 2012, when a scandal ended Clash’s career. The character was taken over by Ryan Dillon, who has played the role ever since. He even had his own movie once, directing “Elmo’s Adventures in Grouchland” in 1999.

Elmo, however, had appeared on “Sesame Street” before its modern version in 1985. It appears that the Muppet Workshop built the furry red creature that would come to be known as Elmo as early as 1980. Caroly Wilcox designed the puppet, and it was built for a musical segment called “We’re All Monsters.” Elmo fans will be surprised to learn that ur-Elmo had a low, gruff voice.

“We’re All Monsters,” like most segments of “Sesame Street,” is devoted to overlooking superficial differences and getting along with one’s peers. Or, in this case, other monsters. Several monsters appear on the screen, and note that each of them is a different color. One is blue, the other green, the other gray and the other red. But they should get along because they’re all monsters. They all like to play together, and this doesn’t have to take into account whether some monsters are fat, thin, short or tall. The unnamed Elmo appears on screen with a low, gruff voice, sounding a lot like a 50-year-old New York taxi driver.

However, once the Elmo puppet was built, puppeteers used it frequently, and Elmo became a regular background monster in many “Sesame Street” sequences. From its inception until approximately 1984, puppeteer Brian Muehl operated Elmo. It was from this era that Elmo also got his name, although he rarely did anything other than sing or appear on camera. Richard Hunt took over the operation of Elmo in 1984 and played the character for about a year until he became frustrated with his design. Obviously, it was difficult for him to operate. The story goes that a frustrated Hunt strangled the Elmo puppet and threw it at a young Kevin Clash, eager to get rid of it. Clash took over Elmo, and the rest is history. It was Clash who felt that way Elmo should be a sweet and kind characterand not just a background monster. The personality got stuck.

That’s where, thanks to the grace of Jim Henson, Elmo went. He could very well have been a gruff-talking taxi driver. It was born from constant evolution over several years.