who played the first gordon on sesame street
Matt Robinson (actor) Matthew Thomas Robinson Jr. (January 1, 1937 – August 5, 2002) was an American actor, writer and television producer. Robinson was the first actor to portray the character of Gordon Robinson on the long–running PBS children's TV program Sesame Street. When Sesame Street began in 1969, not only did Robinson play Gordon, but he also provided the voice of the puppet Roosevelt Franklin and also was one of the show's producers. He left the show in 1971. In later years, when producers needed a last name for the Gordon character, then played by Hal Miller and then Roscoe Orman, they used Matt's last name.
Barry Gordon As a child star, Gordon also appeared on The Jackie Gleason Show, The Jack Benny Program, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Danny Thomas Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Star Time with Benny Goodman. Gordon was cast as Humberto in an episode of the NBC sitcom Sally, starring Joan Caulfield, and as Chopper in ABC's Leave It to Beaver Episode 119: "Beaver's House Guest". Gordon guest starred on two CBS sitcoms, The Ann Sothern Show and Dennis the Menace, starring child actor Jay North.