David Lazer started his career with Henson in 1965 after being an executive at IBM where he helped develop the Muppet Meeting films. A Muppet likeness of him appeared in many of these films and in The Muppet Movie finale.
Lazer served as executive producer for The Muppet Show where he also acted as a liaison for the show's guest stars. He would show the guest star how to walk on the elevated sets, how to speak to a Muppet (as opposed to the performer), and would make sure the star was comfortable with the very different production atmosphere.
His death, which had not been widely reported, was confirmed by Doyle Newberry, a manager of Mr. Lazer’s estate. He did not cite a cause.
Lazer also produced the films The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Dark Crystal, The Muppets Take Manhattan and Labyrinth, and the 1979 TV special, The Muppets Go Hollywood.
He can be made a cameo in The Muppets Take Manhattan escorting Liza Minnelli into Sardi's before she found that her caricature on a wall has been replaced by Kermit the Frog’s.
After the death of Jim Henson in 1990 Lazer was instrumental in keeping the Henson Company going.
From May to December of 1990, Lazer came out of semi-retirement to serve as acting CEO of Henson Associates.
Brain Henson said said of him: "David sort-of came and lived with us for a while there just to help figure it all out. I'd say that David Lazer was probably the biggest influence, through that period, to help figure out how we were going to go forward."
“During that period he was very much like a father figure to me,” Brian Henson said. “My father was my mentor in puppetry, animatronics and directing puppets, but David was my mentor in terms of running the business.”
After Brian Henson was named president in early 1991, Mr. Lazer became vice chairman, a post he held until his retirement in 1994.
After Brian Henson was named president in early 1991, Mr. Lazer became vice chairman, a post he held until his retirement in 1994.
Lazer died on April 10 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 89.
The news saw first reported via The New York Times.
David Lazer was 89.
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