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Fran Brill

Fran Brill

Actor · Born September 30, 1946 (80) · Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

Fran Brill (born 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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 30, 1946 (80)
From
Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 101 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 33% in 30 days

What are Fran Brill's films like?

Across their 24 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Family11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Family movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Short4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Short movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
35%
Society
26%
Self
23%
Ideas
14%
Power
2%
Community14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship10 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 22 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 10 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 2

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 23 · Charged 0 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 22 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 16 · Funny 6

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 22 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 22 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 21 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 4 of 4 analyzed roles.

Ally
4 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
21
Warm
20
Hopeful
4
Contemplative
4
Absurd
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy20
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Fran Brill's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Fran Brill's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

101 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 11 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Jerry Nelson: A Celebratory Birthday Animatic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Prairie Dawn (voice) / Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: 50 Years and Counting (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Prairie Dawn / Zoe / Various Characters

  • Sesame Street: M is for Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's Magic Numbers(2012)

    as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars(2012)

    as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's Music Magic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • Sesame Street: Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures(2011)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: When Families Grieve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Mae

  • Jim Henson: His Sesame Street Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Sesame Street: Elmo and Friends: The Letter Quest and Other Magical Tales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: All About Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Sesame Street: Bedtime with Elmo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Zoe (voice) (archive footage)

  • Abby in Wonderland(2008)

    as Zoe as Mousey the Hatter Helper (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: Summer Vacation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Muppet Performer (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Count on Sports (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Prairie Dawn / Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Love the Earth! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Play with Me Sesame: Let's Play Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Actor

  • Elmo's Christmas Countdown(2007)

    as Prairie Dawn / Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: Ready for School! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • A Sesame Street Christmas Carol(2006)

    as Additional Muppet Performer (voice) (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Beginnings: Exploring Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    as Prairie Dawn

  • Elmo's Potty Time(2006)

    as Prairie Dawn (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: Big Bird Sings! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: All-Star Alphabet(2005)

    as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: A Celebration of Me, Grover(2004)

    as Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: The Street We Live On! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Zoe / Prairie Dawn (voice)

  • Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?(2004)

    as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Cookie Monster's Best Bites (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Lavender Anything Muppet Girl (voice)

  • Sesame Street: A Magical Halloween Adventure(2004)

    as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Sesame Sings Karaoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Let's Eat! Funny Food Songs(1999)

    as Cereal (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Zoe

  • Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!(2002)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: Bert & Ernie's Word Play(2002)

    as Prairie Dawn / Zoe / Frosty Four Singer (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Elmo's World: Family Feature (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: Wake Up with Elmo! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Play with Me Sesame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 26 episodes · as Prairie Dawn

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World: Wild Wild West! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Zoe

  • Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Zoe / Mary (voice)

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Ilene Maxwell

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf(2000)

    as Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sheep in the Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 27 episodes · as Little Girl

  • Sesame Street: Elmo's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Zoe

  • The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland(1999)

    as Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Third Watch(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Simpson

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The West Wing(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Zoe

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Doug's 1st Movie(1999)

    as Mrs. Perigrew (voice)

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs(1999)

    as Zoe / Prairie Dawn (voice)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Unpaved (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 67 episodes · Actor

  • Sesame Street: CinderElmo(1999)

    as Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Elmopalooza!(1998)

    as Zoe / Prairie Dawn / Roxie Marie (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Big Bird Gets Lost(1998)

    as Muppet Performer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street: The Alphabet Jungle Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Fiesta! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Betty Lou / Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Quiet Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas(1996)

    as Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • City Hall(1996)

    as Angie

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: Do the Alphabet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Imagine That! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street: Kid's Guide to Life: Learning to Share (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Zoe

  • All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!(1994)

    as Prairie Dawn / Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Muppet Sing Alongs: It's Not Easy Being Green (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Clam / Frog (voice) (archive footage)

  • Sesame Street: The Best of Elmo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Prarie Dawn/Zoe (voice)

  • Sesame Street Stays Up Late!(1993)

    as Prarie Dawn / Zoe (voice)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration(1993)

    as Prarie Dawn (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years: A Musical Celebration! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Prairie Dawn

  • Billy Bunny's Animal Songs(1993)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dog City(1992)

    Show 18 episodes · as Colleen (voice) · as Terri (voice)

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Getting Ready to Read (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as "OP" Family Song (voice)

  • Doug(1991)

    Show 76 episodes · as Emily Kristal (voice)

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • Hyde in Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Betty Armstrong

  • The Tale of Peter Rabbit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Bluejay / Sparrow (voice)

  • What About Bob?(1991)

    as Lily Marvin

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street: Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Little Bird / Chicken (voice)

  • The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson(1990)

    as Additional Muppet Performer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as Leah Bartlett · as Maureen Donovan · as Mrs. Stark · as Sondra More

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Jim Henson's Memorial Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • The Song of the Cloud Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Louise (voice)

  • Dog City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Colleen Barker (voice)

  • Routed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    as Mrs. Grove

  • Lip Service (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Debbie

  • Midnight Run(1988)

    as Dana Mardukas, Jonathan's Wife

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The No Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Chicken Licken

  • My Little Pony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 65 episodes · Actor

  • The Cosby Show(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Pink Frackle / Patina / Tomato (voice)

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • My Little Pony (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Applejack (voice)

  • Old Enough(1984)

    as Mrs. Sloan

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Muppets Take Manhattan(1984)

    as Additional Muppet Performer / News Reporter (voice)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • CBS Schoolbreak Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. DiFazio

  • Oh, Boy! Babies! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Kay

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty Armstrong

  • On The Level (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 12 episodes · Actor

  • Look Back in Anger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Helena Charles

  • Amber Waves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Suze Winter

  • Being There(1979)

    as Sally Hayes

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 4 episodes · as Vazh (voice)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Just a Few Announcements (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Janice

  • Muppet Picker Upper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Janice (voice)

  • The Muppet Introduction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Janice

  • The Great Santa Claus Switch(1970)

    as Snerf (voice)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Sesame Street(1969)

    Show 3,161 episodes · as Zoe/Prairie Dawn (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

Career shape

Star power in the 91st percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 97 titles from 1969 to 2022; peak year 1979.

Biggest box office

What About Bob? (1991)

$64M worldwide

Highest rated

Being There (1979)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Doug (1991)

Film career

19692022

Peak 1979 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting97 of 97: 97 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s6 · acting1980s17 · acting1990s33 · acting2000s33 · acting2010s6 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 16th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Fran Brill's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

15thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Loved with Detractors4
  • Divisive8
  • Cult Classic7
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song? (2004)

97th percentile spread · 44% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Being There (1979)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 46. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Fran Brill work with?

People who share at least 2 of Fran Brill's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Caroll Spinney shares the most, 14.

Directors

  • J. Squires Emily12 titles · 11 as director    See all 12 shared titles with J. Squires Emily
  • Ken Diego6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Ken Diego
  • Ted May6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Ted May
  • Lisa Simon7 titles · 5 as director    See all 7 shared titles with Lisa Simon

Writers

Actors

  • Caroll Spinney14 titles    See newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Caroll Spinney
  • David Rudman13 titles    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with David Rudman
  • Jerry Nelson12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Jerry Nelson
  • Eric Jacobson9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Eric Jacobson

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles