Michael Earl (September 10, 1959 - December 23, 2015) was a puppeteer who performed in many Muppet and non-Muppet productions, most notably as Mr. Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street. Earl joined the Muppets in 1978 at the age of 19. After three years under contract, he freelanced with the Muppets for the next twelve years on several projects. After leaving the Muppets, Earl went on to become a four-time Emmy Award-winning puppeteer and writer/lyricist.