Fran Brill (b. September 30, 1946) is an actress and puppeteer who worked on Sesame Street beginning in 1970. She was the first female puppeteer hired by Jim Henson, outside of wife Jane Henson. She is best known for performing Prairie Dawn and Zoe. Brill retired from performing in September 2014. A native of Pennsylvania, Brill began her performing career in community theater, and in 1968, while in Atlanta, she joined the cast of the playRed, White and Maddox, which ridiculed segregationist governor Lester Maddox. The show proved somewhat controversial due to its political subject matter, but transferred to Broadway in 1969, and Brill moved to New York City to join her fellow cast members, who included a youngChristopher Lloyd. The show closed in less than three months, after only 41 performances. Out of a job, Brill was seeking work as a voice-over actress and in radio commercials, when she answered an ad from Muppets Inc., auditioning performers for what she initially assumed was a voice-over assignment. As the puppeteer recalled, "In those days, 1970, it was a small operation and if you called, you could get Jim directly on the phone.... They were training people to do a Christmas special for The Ed Sullivan Show." The special aired as The Great Santa Claus Switch, and after a two week puppetry workshop with Henson, she was subsequently asked to join Sesame Street.
Series | Sesame Street: Play with Me Sesame | Prairie Dawn | 2025 |
Movie | Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street | Self | 2021-04-23 |
Movie | Sesame Street: 50th Anniversary Celebration! | Self | 2019-11-09 |
Movie | Tully | Zoe | 2018-05-04 |
Movie | Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched | Herself | 2017-03-12 |
Movie | I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story | 2015-05-06 | |
Movie | Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey | Self | 2011-10-21 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Elmo's Music Magic | 2011-09-06 | |
Movie | Jim Henson: His Sesame Street Story | 2009-12-12 | |
Movie | Sesame Street: Elmo's Christmas Countdown | Prairie Dawn / Zoe (voice) | 2007-12-23 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Elmo's Potty Time | Prairie Dawn (voice) | 2006-08-22 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Big Bird Sings! | Zoe (voice) | 2005-02-01 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Sesame Sings Karaoke | Zoe | 2003-08-05 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Let's Eat! Funny Food Songs | Cereal (voice) | 2003-01-01 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves | Zoe | 2003-01-01 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Bert & Ernie's Word Play | Prairie Dawn / Zoe / Frosty Four Singer (voice) | 2002-05-31 |
Series | Sheep in the Big City | Little Girl | 2000-11-17 |
Movie | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Zoe (voice) | 1999-10-01 |
Movie | Doug's 1st Movie | Mrs. Perigrew (voice) | 1999-03-26 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Elmopalooza! | Zoe / Prairie Dawn / Roxie Marie (voice) | 1998-02-20 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Fiesta! | Betty Lou / Zoe (voice) | 1997-12-01 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Do the Alphabet | Zoe (voice) | 1996-02-06 |
Movie | City Hall | Angie | 1996-02-16 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas | Zoe (voice) | 1996-12-24 |
Movie | The World of Jim Henson | Self (archive footage) | 1994-11-23 |
Movie | Muppet Sing Alongs: It's Not Easy Being Green | Clam / Frog (voice) (archive footage) | 1994-02-18 |
Movie | Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! | Prairie Dawn / Zoe | 1994-05-18 |
Series | Dog City | Terri (voice) | 1992-09-26 |
Movie | What About Bob? | Lily Marvin | 1991-05-17 |
Series | Doug | Emily Kristal (voice) | 1991-08-18 |
Movie | Hyde In Hollywood | Betty Armstrong | 1991-07-05 |
Movie | The Tale of Peter Rabbit | Bluejay / Sparrow (voice) | 1991-06-11 |
Series | The Jim Henson Hour | 1989-04-14 | |
Movie | Dog City: The Movie | Colleen Barker (voice) | 1989-05-05 |
Movie | Midnight Run | Dana Mardukas | 1988-07-20 |
Series | My Little Pony | 1986-09-15 | |
Movie | Old Enough | Mrs. Sloan | 1984-08-24 |
Movie | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Additional Muppet Performer / News Reporter (voice) | 1984-06-27 |
Movie | Amber Waves | Suze Winter | 1980-03-09 |
Movie | Being There | Sally Hayes | 1979-12-19 |
Movie | The Great Santa Claus Switch | Snerf (voice) | 1970-12-05 |
Series | Sesame Street | 1969-11-10 | |
Series | Sesame Unpaved | 1969-11-10 |