‘Spider-Man’ Actor Passes Away at 81

Danny Seagren, the puppeteer and performer who brought Spider-Man to life in the first live-action version of the character on PBS’ The Electric Company, has passed away at the age of 81.

His family announced that Seagren, a resident of Little River, South Carolina, died on November 10.

Seagren was trained by Jim Henson and also stepped in to perform as Big Bird on Sesame Street for certain episodes, live appearances, and parades.

He created and performed puppets for a number of children’s programs, including Captain Kangaroo, Miss Peach of the Kelly School, for which he won a Daytime Emmy in 1980, and Who’s Afraid of Opera with Joan Sutherland.

A trained dancer, Seagren joined Henson’s team in 1974 and later auditioned for the role of Spider-Man on The Electric Company.

On the show, Seagren performed in pantomimed sketches called “Spidey Super Stories,” where Spider-Man often humorously took breaks from fighting crime to catch a baseball game, complete with a Mets cap over his costume. Elitz noted that the segments offered young viewers a fun introduction to the superhero, with Seagren’s Spider-Man communicating through cartoon thought bubbles instead of spoken words.

Seagren appeared in about three dozen Spider-Man segments over nearly 400 episodes, performing alongside stars like Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman. “I never felt silly,” Seagren said. “I was focused on trying to be a superhero. I really enjoyed doing it. I always looked forward to the shooting days.”

Survivors include his longtime companion, Kate Vereau, as well as his brother Stephen, sister-in-law Jill, and nephew Sean. A celebration of life is being planned, and donations in his memory can be made to the Entertainment Community Fund.

Seagren’s contributions to children’s television and early superhero media left a lasting mark, blending his skills in dance, puppetry, and performance to create memorable, playful characters.

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