#Barney cast full#
#Barney cast series#

Bob West was the first individual hired to portray the character, however he was too tall for the costume that was already made. Originally the character was intended to be performed by one person in terms of doing the voice and being in the costume (similar to Big Bird). See Also: Barney Through the Years Portrayal Historyīarney the Dinosaur with David Voss, the original body actor.

When the mouth was closed, the costume actor could not see anything, even for some variations of the costume, Barney would have its eye mechanism or blinking mechanism. For the performer to walk around, the actor would look through Barney's mouth for vision. Inside the costume could get up to over 120 degrees. The costume would weigh about seventy pounds, but was later shaved down to fifty pounds with the final costume.

The color was adjusted, and was given a lighter purple / magenta color. īarney was originally a dark purple color, however, on camera appeared blue. The attributes first designed were approach-ability, “hug-ability,” and playfulness. Suzanne Lockridge (left) & Irene Corey (right) with two Barney suits.Īround a table, the television show’s producers, creator, and then art director, Jamie Conner considered the possibilities for how the costume design would look, initially thinking of a plush dinosaur that closely resembled a Tyrannosaurus-Rex. Co-creator Dennis DeShazer came up with the name Barney. Some concept names for Barney were Cosby, Colby, and Danny. The colors purple, green, and yellow were selected by art director Jamie Ruth Conner simply because they were trendy colors in the late 1980s. Her design for Barney was approved by the producers and creators.

#Barney cast series#

John Grable, the director of the original Barney and the Backyard Gang series asked art director Jamie Ruth Conner to design a plush dinosaur that a child would easily be able to embrace. After producers rejected her designs, she handed the construction of the costume over to her niece Suzanne Lockridge and moved on to other projects. The original design attemps of Barney by Irene Corey depicted a fierce T-Rex. Kathy Parker, a fellow teacher-turned-mother who had helped Sheryl create the character, agreed to the change, but on the condition that he was not to appear menacing (a realistic t-rex would have scared her daughter Kaitlin). Patrick was fascinated by a dinosaur exhibit at a museum, particularly the Tyrannosaurus rex. When that was proven to be too hard, he became a teddy bear who came to life. Originally, Barney was going to be a blanket. Creationīarney was first created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach, who was looking for a way to entertain her then two year old son, Patrick. The Barney character was originally voiced by Bob West from 1988 until 2000, but since his resignation has been voiced by many other voice actors.īarney generally appears with his dino pals, Baby Bop, BJ and or Riff among others.īarney the Dinosaur with creator Sheryl Leach. The character has been succeeded by many other costume performers during Joyner's time and after his resignation. His place of residence would later be expanded in the video Come on Over to Barney's House (2000).Ĭreated by former teacher Sheryl Stamps Leach, Barney first appeared in the video titled The Backyard Show (1988), which was the first episode of the Barney & The Backyard Gang home video series.ĭavid Voss originally performed as the costume for Barney from 1988 to 1990, and was succeeded by David Joyner, who would later define the costume mannerisms of the character. His birthplace is Dallas, Texas (as he was created there by the creators), however, he lives and resides in one's imagination. Dubbed as the 'Elvis for Toddlers' in the early days, he is best known for his silly and optimistic attitude. In turn, Barney opens children's eyes to the joys of learning and discovery, to the wonders of make-believe, and to the beauty of unconditional love.

#Barney cast full#

A two hundred million year (two dinosaur years) old, six-foot (sometimes seven-foot) tall purple tyrannosaurus-rex with a green tummy and green spots on his back and his tail and yellow toes, he comes to life through a child's imagination, springing up from a doll to full size. Remember, I love you! Barney is a purple dinosaur and the main protagonist of the television series Barney & Friends, and its home video predecessor Barney & The Backyard Gang.