For more than 60 years, the genius of Jim Henson has delighted countless fans across the world.
His influence and legacy ran to almost unimaginable depths, from creating “The Muppets” and “Sesame Street” to directing classic fantasy films like “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”
Henson’s life was cut tragically short when passed away after a brief illness in 1990 when he was 53 years old. But nearly 30 years later, his influence continues to echo throughout Hollywood and beyond.
“I miss Jim, always. Jim did not just influence us creatively: He changed us as human beings,” longtime collaborator Frank Oz tells GOOD. “In an odd way, the man I speak to you as right now is partly a result of Jim.”
Henson and Oz were nearly inseparable from the 1960s until Henson’s death. Among their nearly countless creations are two of American culture’s most iconic duos: Kermit the Frog (Henson) and Miss Piggy (Oz); and Bert (Oz) and Ernie (Henson).
[quote position="full" is_quote="true"]He was a singular human being.[/quote]
Like so many of their characters, Bert and Ernie were seemingly worlds apart yet simultaneously the closest of friends. They had unique personalities and profound differences but worked through those differences in ways that made millions laugh and learn.
“I’ve learned so much from Jim in how one’s reaction is more important than the action that causes it,” Oz says. “If something bad happens, how you react to it is much more important than what happened. And Jim always responded to it with equanimity. He was a singular human being.”
When we spoke with Oz in New York, coincidentally on the 28th anniversary of Henson’s passing, the loss of his friend and collaborator is something that clearly still affects him deeply.
But Oz says Henson himself wasn’t weighed down by his own mortality:
“He was never afraid of death. I was in an airplane with him once. He was in the window seat and I was next to him in the aisle seat. He was working in his notebook.
I look outside and notice the engine is on fire. I said, ‘Jim, the engine is on fire.’
And he looks out and says, ‘Hmm,’ and goes back to his notebook. He knew there was nothing he could do about it. He told me, ‘Either the pilot is taking care of it or they aren’t. So, it’s fine.’
That’s equanimity.”
To help celebrate his continuing legacy and influence, the Skirball Cultural Center’s exhibit, “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited,” celebrates his life and those who worked most closely with him, including Oz.
Check out some behind-the-scenes photos of Henson at work throughout the years and some of his iconic puppets from the Skirball’s exhibition:
[new_image position="standard large" id="null"]Installation view of “The Jim Henson Exhibition: Imagination Unlimited.” Photo courtesy of Jim Bennett.[/new_image]
