Karen Prell


Karen Leigh Prell is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in Fraggle Rock.

Early life and career

Prell was born on July 26, 1959, in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films and has enjoyed a significant second career as a computer animator for such studios as Pixar and DNA. On Sesame Street, she performed Deena Monster, as well as several background and one-off characters. She performed on the show from 1980 to 1981 for seasons 11 and 12, then returned in 2019 for season 50. She also performed in the 2003 attraction Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic. Her website includes notes about working with Jim Henson and pictures of her custom puppets.
She was an animator for Geri’s Game and also worked on animation of A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2.
Prell also works as an animator with Valve.
Outside of her works on shows, Prell has made public appearances performing Red Fraggle, like appearances at Comic Con. At Dragon Con 2013, Karen Prell was joined by fellow puppeteer Kathryn Mullen as part of the 30th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock where they performed their respective characters. She returned to perform Red Fraggle again for the 2020 Apple TV+ reboot Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, and the series reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, of which she is also co-executive producer.

Personal life

Prell married fellow Muppet performer Mike Quinn. They lived for a decade in England before moving to California to work for Pixar. Since divorcing in 2004, Prell and Quinn have continued to work together on different projects, usually involving the Muppets.

Filmography

Television

  • Fraggle Rock – Red Fraggle, Wingnut Doozer, Fluffinella, Baby Tree Creature, Beastie, Gavel Doozer, Marley Fraggle, Modem Doozer, Additional Muppets
  • Jim Henson's Animal Show – Ollie the Tapir, Tizzie the Bee, Alexis the Giraffe, Arlene the Aardvark, Bernice the Warthog, Blanche the Manatee, Charlotte the Penguin, Hettie the Hedgehog, Hillary the Owl, Kasey the Kangaroo, Leah the Fruit Bat, Lydia the Ostrich, Rhonda the Raccoon
  • Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories – Yellow, , Little Boy Blue's Mother, , Topiary Peacock, Peter the Dicky , Old Mother Hubbard, Peter's Wife
  • Sesame Street – Deena, Masha, Additional Muppets
  • The Ghost of Faffner Hall – Mimi
  • The Muppet Show – Robin, , Additional Muppets
  • Fraggle Rock: Rock On! – Red Fraggle
  • Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock – Red Fraggle, Icy Joe, Queen of the Merggles

    Film

  • A Muppet Family Christmas – Red Fraggle, Maureen the Mink
  • Dreamchild – Dormouse
  • Labyrinth – Firey 2, The Junk Lady, The Worm, Helping Hands, Goblins
  • Muppet Treasure Island – Additional Muppets
  • The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show – Additional Muppets
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol – Daughter Mouse, Performer of Ghost of Christmas Past, Aretha
  • The Muppets – Additional Muppets
  • The Muppets Take Manhattan – Yolanda Rat, Frank the Dog
  • The Tale of the Bunny Picnic – Babble Bunny, Baby Bunny, Great-Grandmother Bunny

    Events

  • The Muppets Take the Bowl – Additional Muppet Performer
  • The Muppets Take the O2 – Additional Muppet Performer

    Animator

Film

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