Noel MacNeal

Actor and writer, also director · Born September 15, 1961 (65) · Harlem, New York, USA

Noel MacNeal (born September 15, 1961), sometimes credited as Noel McNeal or Edward Noel MacNeal, is an American puppeteer, actor, director and writer of children's television who has performed since the early 1980s. He was the voice and puppeteer of Bear on Bear in the Big Blue House. He also starred as Kako on Oobi, Leon MacNeal on The Puzzle Place and as Magellan on Eureeka's Castle. He is also the resident puppeteer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, portraying puppet characters such as "Mr. Nutterbutter". Description above from the Wikipedia article Noel MacNeal, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: September 15, 1961 (65)
From: Harlem, New York, USA
Works as: Actor and writer, also director
Titles: 22 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What are Noel MacNeal's films like?

Across a limited sample of 4 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight

Society

41%

Ideas

32%

Bonds

14%

Self

Morality

Community3 Friendship2 Hope2

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Mentoras Bear in Bear in the Big Blue House (1997)
Allyas Puppeteer (Noel MacNeal) in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful

Warm

Triumphant

Absurd

Hopeful

Other

How their films linger

Feel-good3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Noel MacNeal's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (4).

Also on these channels

Howdy1 title, show their title on Howdy
PBS KIDS1 title, show their title on PBS KIDS

Subscription and free streaming for Noel MacNeal's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

Live Long (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
as Ivy
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur(2023)
Show 1 episode · as Dr. Madness (voice)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows
The Muppets Take the O2(2018)
as Additional Muppet Performer (voice)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt(2015)
Show 1 episode · as Puppeteer #1
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver(2014)
Show 7 episodes · as Dog Paws Puppeteer · as Funky Monkey · as Jeff · as Mascot · as Mr. Nutterbutter · as Polar Bear, Cat Puppeteer · as Puppeteer · as Puppeteer / Voice Over (voice) · as Totes McGoats · as Unicorn Puppeteer
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows
Sesame Street: Singing with the Stars(2012)
Actor
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Old Dogs(2009)
as Muppet
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa(2008)
as Sweetums / Additional Muppets (voice)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Studio DC: Almost Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Show 2 episodes · as Sweetums, Bear
Elmo's Christmas Countdown(2007)
as Additional Muppet Performer (voice)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol(2006)
as Additional Muppet Performer (voice) (archive footage)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
30 Rock(2006)
Show 1 episode · as Puppeteer
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
Blue's Room(2004)
Show 17 episodes · Actor
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows
Bear in the Big Blue House: Potty Time With Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
as Bear
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?(2004)
as Additional Muppet Performer
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Bear in the Big Blue House LIVE! - Surprise Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
as Bear
Cyberchase(2002)
Show 1 episode · Story
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows
Bear in the Big Blue House: Everybody's Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
as Bear (voice)
Bear in the Big Blue House - Party Time with Bear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
as Bear (voice)
Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf(2000)
as The Wolf (voice)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Bear in the Big Blue House Heroes of Woodland Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)
as Bear
Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
as Bear
Oobi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Show 100 episodes · as Kako (voice)
Elmopalooza!(1998)
as Additional Muppet (voice)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Bear in the Big Blue House(1997)
Show 117 episodes · Director · Writer · as Bear
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas(1996)
as Elf (voice)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Cosby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Kids for Character (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
as Leon MacNeal
The Puzzle Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Show 75 episodes · as Leon MacNeal (voice)
Gullah Gullah Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
Show 1 episode · Writer
The Magic School Bus(1994)
Show 2 episodes · Writer
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows
Sesame Street Stays Up Late!(1993)
as Additional Muppet Performer(voice)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration(1993)
as Muppet Performer (voice)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
as (voice)
Eureeka's Castle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)
Show 26 episodes · as Magellan, Webster
Jim Henson: Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
as Additional Muppet Performer (voice)
Jim Henson's Little Muppet Monsters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Show 13 episodes · Actor
Follow That Bird(1985)
as Board of Birds (voice)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Cosby Show(1984)
Show 1 episode · as Cheese (voice)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
The Great Space Coaster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Show 50 episodes · Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 78^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles from 1981 to 2025.

Highest rated

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (2014)

Midcredits 93^rd

Film career

19812025

Top draw in 1 MovieCove title.

1997Screen debut· Bear in the Big Blue House
2008First film· A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting37 of 40 · 62^ndDirecting1 of 40Writing4 of 40

By decade

1980s6 · acting1990s11 · 9 acting · 3 crew2000s17 · 16 acting · 1 crew2010s4 · acting2020s2 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Who does Noel MacNeal work with?

People who share at least 2 of Noel MacNeal's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Lisa Simon shares the most, 2.