Jim Henson: Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer, artist, cartoonist, inventor, playwright, actor, director, and producer (24 September  1936 - 16 May 1990). When he joined the children's educational television program Sesame Street in the 1970s and contributed to the creation of the series' characters, he rose to fame. He also had an appearance on Saturday Night Live, a sketch comedy program. He created The Muppet Show in 1976 after abandoning preparations for a Broadway production. He became famous for his creations, especially Ernie and Kermit the Frog, and he worked on Sesame