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 puppeteered Junior Gorg in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route.

Velez had never puppeteered before joining the Jim Henson Company. In Henson puppeteer workshops starting in the 1980s he was 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 Christmas Countdown

Non-Henson Credits

 * Pappyland: Turtle Lou