San Antonio performer tapped for ‘The Muppet Show’ anniversary special

A Texas native will soon make their return to your television screen. And it’s a true full-circle moment.

University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) professor Bradley Freeman Jr. is continuing their adventure on Sesame Street by appearing in a reboot of The Muppet Show, set to release in 2026 as a Disney+ special, the Hollywood Reporter cites. Announced late last month, the event will serve as a backdoor pilot aimed at birthing a new season of the iconic ‘70s television series.

Freeman was asked to hold space for the filming dates before he even knew what he’d be dedicating his hours to, he told MySA.

“I started to hear rumblings, and it wasn’t officially confirmed for me until about two weeks before I was on set, and I only got the shooting script a few days before,” he said. After being notified of his selection for the special, which debuts during the project’s 50th anniversary and stars ACL headliner Sabrina Carpenter, he went out to celebrate – by taking a long walk. He called a few family members and friends, but mainly took time to think about “all of the things that had to come together” for his dream to come true.

It’s not Freeman’s first rodeo. In 2021, he played 5-year-old Wesley Walker and his father, Elijah – Black characters introduced as a part of the show’s racial justice initiative and the “ABCs of Racial Literacy” series. His acquisition of those roles was the product of talent, luck and risk.

“There was an invitation sent out to only a few puppeteers, asking if we could send in a video to The Muppets Studio, and they’d determine if our skill level as performers was what they were looking for,” Freeman said. “After I sent in my video, I got a call saying I was not going to be attending the workshop. They liked the video so much that they just hired me from there.”

Freeman was 23 then. This time around, the San Antonian will appear more often.

“As Muppet performers, we fill many roles; sometimes we’re leading the scene as a character, or assisting other puppeteers when they need an extra hand,” he explained. Other times. They’re puppeteering items that you’d never expect to need a human behind them, like a door or an inner tube.

“You’ll see my work in nearly every scene, and hopefully you won’t even know I was there,” he said.

It’s difficult for Freeman to pinpoint only one childhood memory of the show. What stands out to him today is recalling searching for his puppets as soon as an episode began. He’d puppeteer alongside his future colleagues, imagining he was a part of the action.

“I was thinking about that while sitting on set doing the real thing,” Freeman said. “I felt (and feel) like the luckiest fan in the world.”

The Muppets, in all their colorful, silly glory, do more than just keep children entertained on a rough day. Adults and young ones alike are pulled into a new world, one absent of their daily responsibilities and pressures.

“The people who watch take those moments to step away from all of the troubles they have and join me and my friends in a world where everything is okay,” Freeman said. “I’m very happy to be a part of that for people.”

Still, dreams come with their own set of challenges. Freeman is often traveling between New York, Los Angeles and Texas, making it hard for him to lock down plans for the month.

“I’m never certain where I am going to be, even a week from that moment,” Freeman said, though he has gotten to see several parts of the country. “Over the past couple of years, I’ve worked in over 20 states. Which is a nightmare for taxes, but incredibly fun to experience,” he said.

Freeman has just over two decades of experience in his craft, making him the best person to teach the UTSA course, “Children’s Media: From Script to Screen.” It first launched in fall 2024 and centers around the experience of being on a set, “the different personalities that were in charge,” and “how to advocate for yourself and your ideas.” Depending on how his schedule plays out, it may return next fall.

Though it took some time for his wishes to come to fruition, he hopes aspiring puppeteers can find joy outside of their roles, too.

“I don’t need Sesame Street to be happy. I can find so many other incredible kinds of success,” he said. “Find fulfillment in other aspects of your life; it makes the difficult path to success in this business much easier to handle.”

This article originally published at San Antonio performer tapped for ‘The Muppet Show’ anniversary special.