Mr. Noodle and his siblings — Mr. Noodle's Brother, Ms. Noodle, and Miss Noodle — are recurring clown characters who appear in Sesame Street 's "Elmo's World" segments. The characters, who do not speak, attempt repeatedly to demonstrate a particular activity related to the episode's topic, while offscreen children verbally correct their failures.
The Mr. Noodle segment typically begins when Elmo has begun to think about a particular topic, when it suddenly occurs to him to consult with Mr. Noodle. Elmo will interject, "Let's ask Mr. Noodle!" and eventually coaxes the window shade open to reveal Mr. Noodle (or one of his siblings) waiting outside the window. Mr. Noodle is then asked by Elmo how to do or use something. Initially, the Noodle family member(s) will, in a vaudevillian or slapstick manner, ineptly demonstrate how to perform a task, play with a toy, etc. in a clueless yet playful fashion until eventually the correct demonstration of the topic is achieved. In many Elmo's World episodes, the Noodle character is revisited during the segment, and is again seen during the segment's closing song.
All of the actors who have played members of the Noodle family are winners of Tony Awards. Mr. Noodle is portrayed by Bill Irwin (2005 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). Mr. Noodle's Brother, Mr. Noodle (1990 for Grand Hotel), was played by the late actor Michael Jeter. The Noodle brothers' sister, Ms. Noodle, is portrayed by Kristin Chenoweth (1999 for You're a Good Man Charlie Brown). A second sister, "Mr. Noodle's Other Sister, Miss Noodle" is played by playwright and actress Sarah Jones (2006 for Bridge & Tunnel).