Life on the Lot with Raymond Carr, from Splash and Bubbles!

In honor of Black History Month, Jim Henson’s Family Hub recently sat down with Raymond Carr to discuss his experiences as a puppeteer for numerous productions, including Splash and Bubbles and the upcoming Disney+ production, Earth to Ned. Read more to see how he got his start in puppetry from a young age and what he’s up to now!

Welcome! It’s so exciting to be chatting with you today. Could you tell us more about how first knew you were interested in pursuing a career as a puppeteer, and what steps led you to where you are today?

I got my start in the church performing with my brother and parents in the children’s ministry. Believe it or not my parents were clowns and clowns! They tried to get my brother and I to dress up, but we decided that we’d rather hid behind the puppet stage instead. I always had a creative impulse, but I was too shy to get out in front of people. So performing behind a puppet stage gave me the perfect opportunity to flex my creative muscle.

On Splash and Bubbles, Dunk and his friends go on a variety of undersea adventures. As you get to know Dunk’s character, what traits do you both have in common? What traits are different?

Much like Dunk, “I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m just doing it”. I am an artist, and for the longest time I never had any real training, but that never stopped me from doing it anyway. Also, like Dunk, I’m a big fan of my neighborhood and my friends. I love showing new people all the cool spots in town and introducing them to my favorite people. Unlike Dunk, I haven't figured out how to puff up yet.

Let’s take it back a few years now. The Jim Henson Family Hub is all about celebrating family, community and togetherness. What was your favorite childhood activity to do growing up, and how do you like to spend time with your family today?

I used to love making up sketches and choreographing songs with my family. We would make a basic structure and improvise the rest. It was always a blast to come up with the silliest ideas together as a crew.

As we celebrate Black History Month, what ways do you hope to make a splash in the puppeteering world?

When I was growing up there wasn’t many people who looked like me doing the weird stuff I loved doing. There are several reasons for that, but I hope that we are able to encourage young black kids (and children of all races) to dream big, weird and wild! Exercising unique imagination can benefit you no matter what you do in the future. We shouldn't let anyone limit our creative interest based on the color of our skin. You can explore anything you want creatively. Let your wild mind flow!

What progress do you hope the puppeteering and media industries make within the next 10 years?

Some of the technology we used in Splash and Bubbles was truly unique and groundbreaking. I am very excited to see where our industry goes as we blend computer-generated elements with puppetry techniques.

What role models in your life inspire you to reach your creative and personal goals?

To this day my parents are still a major inspiration. They are have reinvented themselves countless times and use their imagination to touch people all over the world. Though I am no longer involved in the church, I am extremely proud of who they are and all the people they’ve helped.

Kevin Clash and Noel McNeal were the first black puppeteers I’d ever seen on television and seeing someone who looked like me inspired me to pursue my dreams. They still inspire me today.

Do you have any other projects coming up that you’re excited to share about?

I’ve already had the honor of working on several projects this year with the Jim Henson Company, I am very excited to have been a part of the new Disney + series Earth to Ned. Also, I was able to direct a film I wrote last year called Joyriders. It’s a movie about three black teenagers from Atlanta who discover an alien spaceship and take it on a joy ride through the city.