Jim Boyd (actor)

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Jim Boyd is an American actor, born in Philadelphia.

Boyd spent four years in the Air Force and studied at the American Academy for Dramatic Arts.

He did voice work (along with Wayland Flowers and Cleavon Little) for puppets on The Surprise Show, a children's program that aired locally in the New York City area in the late 1960s. The puppets used on the show, called Aniforms, had been developed by puppeteer Morey Bunin.

In 1971, the Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) contacted Boyd because they wanted to use Aniforms in a television show that became known as The Electric Company. During the first season, Boyd’s voice was used extensively, especially for the character J. Arthur Crank (who was just an angry voice at the time). Boyd was unseen until season two, when he became a regular cast member, appearing on-camera until the show stopped production in 1977.

Boyd is often confused with Mississippi-born Jimmy Boyd, singer of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," who was also an actor. The Internet Movie Database mistakenly lists the two men as the same person, combining their television and film credits, but a correction order has been submitted there.