For most of us, a childhood wouldn’t be a childhood without knowing who Barney is. That purple dinosaur had been part of many of our lives growing up. There was just something about a purple dinosaur and kids playing together with a bit of magic involved.
Barney was, and still is, quite a big deal. Yet, the mystery of the man underneath that purple dinosaur costume remained unsolved for years–until now, that is.
Business Insider just answered the question we all had. In a recent video by Business Insider, David Joyner, the man who played Barney for 10 years, shares all about his experience.
First things first, David had a degree in electronic engineering technology. I know, it doesn’t sound like a degree that would eventually turn you into a purple dinosaur that kids love, but hey, it was all meant to be for David.
He shares that he had always wanted to be on TV, and he did get what he wanted.
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David also shares about what it was like inside the costume–the sweating, the huge dinosaur feet that he had to wear, and the lack of sight he had when wearing the costume because Barney’s mouth didn’t really give him too much ability to see around him.
This was why he had to learn to move around with seeing close to nothing! If you’ve watched a Barney episode and you know how big the dino is, you’ll definitely understand how hard that would be.
After playing Barney, David went on to star in other television shows that were more for audiences his age. But apparently, he still couldn’t let go of being in a mascot costume because he’s now playing a hip-hop rapping teddy bear on a show called Hip-Hop Harry.
I guess some things just don’t change that much–just like how Barney remains to have a place in our hearts after all those years.
What did you think of this story? What was your favorite Barney moment? Share it with us!
