Count Von Count puppeteer Jerry Nelson dies (VIDEO)
Jerry Nelson attends the 2010 AFTRA AMEE Awards at The Plaza Hotel on February 22, 2010 in New York City.
American puppeteer Jerry Nelson, the voice of Count Von Count on Sesame Street, Sgt Floyd Pepper on The Muppet Show and Gobo Fraggle on Fraggle Rock, has died.
He was 78.
No cause of death has been given, CBC News reported.
A statement on the Muppet Central website confirmed Nelson's death.
"Jerry Nelson imbued all his characters with the same gentle, sweet whimsy and kindness that were a part of his own personality,” Lisa Henson, the chief executive of The Jim Henson Company, which created the Muppets, Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street, wrote on the company’s Facebook page.
“On behalf of the Henson family and everyone at The Jim Henson Company, our deepest sympathies go out to Jerry's family and to his many fans."
The Transylvanian-accented Count Von Count, who taught children how to count, was Nelson’s most famous character. He continued to voice the purple-colored Count until his death, The Hollywood Reporter said.
Nelson also did the voices for other Sesame Street characters, including Mr Snuffleupagus and Grover’s customer Mr Johnson.
He retired from The Muppets in 2004.
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