Kevin Jeffrey Clash, commonly known as Kevin Clash, is a famous American voice actor, comedian, television director and producer, as well as a puppeteer. To the public, Kevin Clash is perhaps best known for his work on the children’s television series called “Sesame Street”. Clash joined the cast of Matt Robinson, Bob McGrath, Will Lee and Loretta Long among others in 1984, as the voice of several notable characters on the show, including Hoots the Owl, Benny Rabbit, Elmo and Clifford. Created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, “Sesame Street” has become one of the most influential television series in the American culture, carrying a great impact on television industry in general and, more importantly, making great contributions to children’s education. “Sesame Street” has also been praised by critics, and even made it to the list of “50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time”, compiled by “TV Guide” magazine. For his voice acting in the show, Kevin Clash was rewarded with numerous Daytime Emmy Awards in 1990, 2005, 2007 and 2009-2013. Overall, he has received approximately 27 Emmy Awards, and one Primetime Emmy Award. In addition to his voice acting, Kevin Clash became notable for his autobiographical book entitled “My Life as a Furry Red Monster”, which was published in 2006.
Kevin Clash Net Worth $12 Million
A well-known voice actor, as well as a puppeteer, how rich is Kevin Clash? According to sources, Kevin Clash’s net worth is estimated to be $12 million, the majority of which he has accumulated through his appearances on television screens.
Kevin Clash was born in Maryland, United States. Ever since his childhood, Clash was interested in becoming a puppeteer, as he frequently watched such shows as “Sesame Street” and “Fran and Ollie”. His interest manifested in making puppets, of which Clash made 90 while he was still in high school. Eventually, Clash came into contact with Kermit Love, who was a famous actor and puppeteer at the time. With Love’s help, Kevin Clash received an opportunity to be featured on his favorite “Sesame Street” parade, where he portrayed the character of Cookie Monster. Seeing this as a career opportunity, Clash decided to become a puppeteer. Consequently, he landed a spot on a children’s television series called “Captain Kangaroo”, in which he served as a guest performer, as well as “The Great Space Coaster” series.
Around the same time he became friends with Jim Henson, a famous artist, cartoonist and puppeteer, with whom he later worked on many television projects. Besides “Sesame Street”, their notable work was a musical adventure film, where Henson served as a director and George Lucas was an executive producer, called “Labyrinth”. The film, starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, gained a cult following over the years, and was featured in such magazines as “Total Film” and “Empire”.
In regards to his personal life, in 1986 Kevin Clash married Genia Clash, with whom he spent 17 years until their divorce in 2003. Together, they have a daughter Shannon. In 2012, Clash came out as gay.
