Ryan Dillon

Ryan Dillon (born May 25, 1988) is an American puppeteer known for his work as an ensemble muppeteer for the Jim Henson Company. He has been a part of the Sesame Street franchise since 2005, appearing on all four seasons of the new CBeebies and co-productions of Sesame Street, The Furchester Hotel, and The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo as Elmo. In addition, Dillon played Cooper and Paul Ball for the interactive series Sesame Street TV for Xbox Kinect. In 2017, he received a nomination for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dillon caught the attention of Sesame Street producers during an audition while still in high school. He took time off from school during his senior year to participate in the shooting for Season 37 in 2005. Since 2013, he has taken over the role of Elmo, succeeding Kevin Clash.