Gabriel Velez

 Gabriel Velez  is a Muppeteer  & actor who has worked periodically on Muppet projects since the early 1980s. He is probably most famous for providing the voice of Osvaldo, el Gruñón  , the Puerto Rican counterpart of  Oscar the Grouch  of Sesame Street. Velez also Muppeteer ed Junior Gorg in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route.

Velez had never actually puppeteered before joining the Jim Henson  Company. In Henson   puppeteer  workshops starting in the 1980s, he was both taught & trained in the art of  Muppetry  by  Caroll Spinney  ,  Richard Hunt  ,  Frank Oz  ,  Jim Henson  , Jane Henson & Kermit Love.

In - house company training & Velez ' s ability to mimic voices has led him to audition for opportunities to back up the established Muppet characters.

Muppeteer Credits

 * SESame Street:  Osvaldo, el Gruñón 
 * Muppet Meeting Films
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan
 * A is for Asthma: Dani
 *  Elmo  ' s Christ mas Countdown

Non - Henson Credits

 *  Pappyland  : Turtle Lou