How far my life's evolved in a short time" or.... "Finding Mr. Noodle."
Was watching Elmo's world last night. annoying little muppet, but Fiona's a big fan.
(How BIG a fan?
She has a Elmo chair that she refuses to sit on, and refuses to put any other toys on, jammed into the corner of her ladybug tent at the moment. It takes up like, half the freakin' tent. But you do NOT mess with the Elmo chair, thanks much.)
Anyhow, during each segment, he opens a door and they ask Mr. Noodle, or "Mr Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle" how to do something.
Mr. Noodle's a sad looking guy in a bushy wig and bushy fake 'stashe, who isn't very bright but does physical comedy very well.
How does Mr. Noodle catch a ball, play an instrument, dance, etc etc etc.
Anyhow, watching Mr. Noodle, and what little of his face that you could see, he looks vaguely familiar. But they don't do a ton of closeups, and he's heavily made up...
"Think that's the guy from Northern Exposure, the circus guy that wouldn't talk because Words were like rock's, and weighed him down so he couldn't fly?"
I love my wife, she immediately understands the reference.
(it WAS a pretty great couple of episodes)
"He kind of looks like Rick Moranis' partner in My Blue Heaven, certainly dances in the loose-limbed manner that the guy in the movie danced..."
More kudos to Wendy for getting THAT reference.
So I spend valuable internet time, doing a WIKI on Mr. Noodle. That’s what my life has come to, apparently.
And I found Mr. Noodle, and more importantly, I was right on with my guesses. I paraphrase, of course:
Bill Irwin, born 1950, famous actor and clown.
Most notably a stage actor (he’s won two Tony’s) he's also had roles over 20 movies, including Eight Men Out and My Blue Heaven, and was best known on television for his role as Enrico Ballati, "The Flying Man", on Northern Exposure, as well as Mr. Noodle, on Sesame Street.
So props to my ability to remember faces, and to Mr. Irwin, for being a great actor, dancer, and clown.
But I still dislike the little orange muppet.
As an aside, Grover, my favorite Sesame Street character, is probably pumping gas somewhere now.
I think they down-sized him when Elmo caught on.
He was the MAN, before Elmo debuted.
A lot of the old sesame street books, for example, starred Grover.
Monster at the End of the Book? Grover.
Just read one about him wanting to be a firefighter when he grows up, too.
He's not even hanging on The Street anymore.
Man, that had to be hard for him, when they brought in the new stud, and he saw his own stock drop, the new guy getting some of his plum roles, and then getting their own segment.
Maybe plastic surgery?
Try to reinvent yourself as a character actor?
What do you do when “I’m just a monster, doing my best” isn’t enough anymore?
Oh the heartache of a fickle three year old's viewing habits…
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