John Thaw

It is believed that he was shortly due to have received a knighthood when he died from esophageal cancer at the age of 60 in 2002. After Jim Henson died in 1990, Whitmire became the new voice of Kermit the Frog and Ernie. Thaw was awarded the CBE in 1994. Whitmire performed in the films The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal, then on the television show Fraggle Rock. Thaw was eventually cured a year before his death. He worked with puppets after he graduated from high school, and eventually got a job working on The Muppet Show in 1978. In her 2004 autobiography Sheila Hancock revealed the extent of Thaw's alcoholism that had started in the late 1970s and caused problems in their marraige and the gaps in Thaw's career in the early 1980s and later 1990s . Born near Atlanta, Georgia, he became interested in puppetry in his childhood.

Thaw has two daughters, Abigail Thaw from his first marriage, and Joanna Thaw from his second. He is currently the voice of the famous Sesame Street Muppets, Kermit the Frog and Ernie, which were originally voiced by Jim Henson. He married actress Sheila Hancock in 1973 whom he remained with until his death in 2002. Steve Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is a puppeteer. In 1964 Thaw married Sally Alexander, but they divorced four years later. Thaw has appeared in a number of films, including Cry Freedom, which received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Chaplin for director Richard Attenborough.

His only screen project not considered a popular success was the BBC series 'A Year in Provence'. Thaw also tried his hand at comedy with his own sitcom called Home to Roost (1985 - 1988). He subsequently played liberal barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995 - 1999, with a special in 2001). He won two BAFTA awards for Inspector Morse.

Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two roles: the hard-bitten Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the television series (and two films) The Sweeney (1975 - 1978), which established him as a major star in the United Kingdom, and as the quietly-spoken, introspective and bitter detective Inspector Morse (1987 - 2001), with specials in 1995 - 1998 and 2000. His first film role was a bit part in the 1962 adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner starring Tom Courtney. On leaving RADA Thaw was awarded a contract with the Liverpool Playhouse. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he was a contemporary of Tom Courtney.

Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in West Gorton, Manchester. John Thaw (January 3, 1942 - February 21, 2002) CBE, was a British actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 - 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles.