For the last 27 years, Elmo has been a part of every child's education.
With his unique giggle and comical comments, this international icon continues to spotlight the television series Sesame Street.
Unknown to most, this character was created 15 years prior to his well-known persona, and in 1985 was re-imagined by 6-foot tall colorful black puppeteer, Kevin Clash.
A native of Baltimore, Clash started his journey in high school with puppet shows for the neighborhood children.
With his larger than life attitude, Clash entertained numerous children and was a staple of the black community here in Baltimore.
Discovered by CBS in the mid-‘70s, Clash appeared on a local television station with highly positive reception, and by the end of his high school years, was named "the most likely to become a millionaire" in his school yearbook.
In the early ‘80s, Clash met with Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets and a long-time hero of Clash's, and was offered a position on Sesame Street as a puppeteer.
After many notable characters, such as Hoots the Owl and Dr. Nobel Price, he eventually became a regular on the show.
Richard Hunt, a fellow puppeteer, had been having trouble with a certain red puppet and just could not get the character's persona to work for him.
Frustrated after a long day of struggling with this, he entered the break room, tore the puppet from his arm and threw it into Clash's lap saying, "See what you can do."
Clash picked up this red fur ball and shaped the voice we so love today.
Clash's story is vibrantly told through a documentary that was released last week titled, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, a Submarine Deluxe Release.
A fantastic film, Being Elmo chronicles Clash's expedition into the world of Sesame Street and his eventual symbiotic relationship with the beloved character, Elmo.
In an interview The News-Letter had with Clash, he described Elmo as an embodiment of love. Whether it's giving hugs or kisses, Elmo just wants to love everyone.
His natural joy forces us to see past the puppet's fleece outer layer, and reveals a person with a real voice.
Asked about his inspiration for all his characters, Clash points to his parents and the positive influence they have on him. With very little difficulty in creating all these characters, he still believes in creation from within.
In regard to his own inspiration, Clash said that it can be found everywhere. "It can be anywhere," he said enthusiastically. "It can be anything."
He believes in the creativity inside every person, and recommends that so-familiar form of sitting in a blank room for inspiration.
Due to the moderately unscripted nature of Sesame Street, Clash is able to speak to the children of the world through Elmo, allowing us to understand who Clash really is.
His family states in the film that Clash feels most comfortable when he is Elmo. At the Baltimore premiere of the film, most of the audience was filled with family and friends.
Being so close to his life, one was able to see the film as a truly inspirational story that influenced everyone who had ever had any relationship with Clash.
After hearing him speak after the The Charles Theatre screening last week, first as himself, and then as Elmo, the audience was able to see that Elmo and Clash are the perfect match.
When asked about one idea he wished to press the world with, he relayed his belief in the potential of every person's dreams, and with a few final words, he unwittingly described his own life with, "Just go for it."
