PERFORMER Will Lee DEBUT 1969

Big Bird's names for Mr. Hooper

Mr. Hooper was the elderly storekeeper on Sesame Street from 1969 until 1983.

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One of the original human cast members, Mr. Hooper ran Hooper's Store, the corner candy store on Sesame Street, where he lived in a three bedroom apartment[1] located at 33 Sesame Street.[2] CTW advisor Gerald S. Lesser, when discussing the Sesame characters and including the first season cast, originally described him as "slightly mean and abrasive but with a poorly hidden nice streak,"[3] In the first season of the show, Mr. Hooper was often seen developing bizarre inventions with outlandish names, such as a hiccup curing machine in Episode 0017 and a machine that creates ten of anything in Episode 0054 (among others).

Mr. Hooper mellowed over the years and developed a particularly close relationship with Big Bird, who bought birdseed milkshakes from him. Their friendship was occasionally frustrated by Big Bird's frequent inability to correctly say the shopkeeper's name, often calling him Mr. Looper or some similar rhyming variation. Still, Mr. Hooper had a great affection for Big Bird, even trusting him to open the store in Episode 0198.

According to Oscar, the two were also quite fond of one another. Said Oscar in a Life magazine article:

“ We actually got along very well, because when he got groceries in he'd give me the boxes and stuff like that.[4] ”

In season seven, Mr. Hooper began attending night school in order to earn his GED (Episode 0845). He explained as a youth, he was unable to finish high school being put to work at a young age. The following season, he finally graduated in Episode 1025 and considered further educational pursuits.

The character's first name was not revealed on the show until he received his GED certificate in that episode. On the diploma, his name was listed as Harold Hooper.[5] Later, a middle initial — H — was added to his name in Episode 1205 when he broke his arm (he mentions the initial again in Episode 1283).

Mr. Hooper is Jewish, sometimes speaking Yiddish (in Episode 1074, he tells Big Bird "I grew up in a neighborhood where that was the only language a lot of people spoke.") In the 1978 special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, it is established that Mr. Hooper celebrates Chanukah. Concerning his upbringing, he once sang a song, "When I Was as Little as You Are", revealing that his father owned a store and he had helped out as a child. His little brother Arnold, who made occasional visits to the street, also helped out in the family store when they were young. Mr. Hooper also has a cousin named Humperdinck (played by Lee) mentioned in Episode 0110, and a sister Emily mentioned in episodes 0096, 0160, 0746 (where she calls from Chicago), and 0879.

When actor Will Lee died in 1982, it left the producers of Sesame Street with the question of how to deal with the loss of Mr. Hooper. Dulcy Singer, executive producer at the time, said that "if we left it unsaid, kids would notice."[6] One way out was to avoid the issue of death entirely. Producers toyed with the idea of telling viewers that the character had gone away. Big Bird's performer, Caroll Spinney, said that "we didn't know what to do. [We] thought perhaps he could just retire, move to Florida or something, but then the producers thought that the best thing to do would be to actually deal with death."[7] After much discussion and research, the producers decided to have the character of Mr. Hooper pass away as well, and use the episode to teach its young viewers about death as a natural part of life and that it is okay to grieve and feel sad when a loved one passes away.

Mr. Hooper's farewell episode, Episode 1839, aired on Thanksgiving Day, 1983. This landmark episode was a turning point for the show; it was selected by the Daytime Emmys as being one of the 10 most influential moments in daytime television. Sesame Workshop's Hooper Society bequest program is named after the character. According to a 2016 online game, Mr. Hooper was born in 1908 (the birth year of actor Will Lee).

For more information about the "Mr. Hooper's death" episode, see Episode 1839.

Big Bird's names for Mr. Hooper

Posthumous mentions

Episode 1949 (1984) — David tries making an egg cream just like Mr. Hooper.

Episode 2057 (1985) — Mr. Hooper's death is mentioned during the song "Tears of Joy."

Episode 2073 (1985) — Big Bird fondly remembers Mr. Hooper and tells Piri what he was like.

Episode 2562 (1989) — One of the reasons Big Bird convinces David not to change the store sign because it reminds him of Mr. Hooper.

Episode 3976 and Episode 3978 (2001) — Big Bird directly acknowledges his drawing of Mr. Hooper as an item he keeps safe before the hurricane ravages his nest.

In the 35th anniversary special The Street We Live On (2004), Mr. Hooper is one of the people Elmo sees when Grover takes him back to before Elmo was born.

For Me, For You, For Later (2011) — Big Bird's rendering of Mr. Hooper is used in place of George Washington on dollar bills in the video.

Cookie Monster Quest online game (2016): The game text acknowledges a picture of Mr. Hooper on the wall of the store. When using the command "Look At" on the image, a text box reads "Mr. Hooper. 1908 to 1982. We Miss You Every Day."

Sesame Street at SeaWorld (2019): In the theme park's version of Hooper's Store, a framed photo of Mr. Hooper hangs on the wall behind the counter. A sign underneath reads, "Our Founder."

"I Remember" (2019) - In a throwback number to the 1972 cartoon "I Can Remember," Mr. Hooper appears in new animated scenes, working in his shop and replacing the storekeeper from the original cartoon.

The ABCs of COVID-19 (2020) - In a segment on helping children cope with losing loved ones, Big Bird recalls his own grief when Mr. Hooper died.

TV Special appearances

Book appearances

Other illustrated appearances

See also

Sources