Michael Oosterom

Michael Oosterom is an improv actor who performed in the Puppet Up! show at the Grove in Anaheim on March 4, 2007 and subsequent Henson projects, and served as an additional puppeteer on the 2011 film The Muppets and also on The Muppets Most Wanted. He also performed on related Muppet appearances (i.e. Dancing with the Stars) and video shorts.

Oosterom performed the puppetry for Pidge, an animatronic pigeon created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, on the ABC series Pushing Daisies, and the face puppetry/voice of Spanky the gorilla in an episode of The Middleman. He also served as the production supervisor for the puppet sequences in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and as a puppeteer for one of the owls in Where the Wild Things Are.

As an actor, Oosterom has appeared on the Nickelodeon series The Amanda Show and in episodes of The District and Help Me Help You.

Guest Appearances

March 28, 2016

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes all– including the bros– back to SPONTANEANATION! This week, Paul’s special guest is singer-songwriter and composer Michael Penn! They chat about public restroom precautions, glamping in a tiny house, and Michael’s collection of unusual musical instruments. Paul is then joined by Stephanie Courtney, Michael Oosterom, and Little Janet Varney to improvise a story set in The Line For The Circular Saw In The Lumber Department at Home Depot. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano! SPONTANEANATION LIVE returns to Largo on Saturday, April 2nd! Paul’s special guest will be Grant-Lee Phillips and his improvisors will be Stephanie Courtney, Colleen Smith and Gary Anthony Williams! Get your tickets now: bit.ly/SPONT416

February 1, 2016

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes everyone in the world, including people he knows, back to SPONTANEANATION! This week, Paul’s special guest is Jerry Minor of Mr. Show and Saturday Night Live! They chat about Jerry’s million-dollar idea, why Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays, and which race makeup needs to be perfected. Paul is then joined by Hal Lublin, Michael Oosterom, and Jean Villepique to improvise a story set in Margaritaville. And as always, Eban (only the best) Schletter scores it all on piano! SPONTANEANATION LIVE returns to Largo Saturday, February 6th! With interview guest Cedric Yardbrough from Reno 911 and improvisors JOrdan Black, Nyima Funk and Gary Anthony Williams! Get your tickets before it sells out! bit.ly/SPONTO216. Get yourself a pair of Spont socks, as seen on NATIONAL TELEVISION on The Bachelor Live in the Earwolf store: http://ear.wf/1K61sLq

August 10, 2015

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes friends, strangers, mutual friends, work friends, acquaintances, and more back to SPONTANEANATION! This week, Paul’s special guest is Real Time with Bill Maher Executive Producer and playwright Scott Carter! They chat about Scott’s fury at Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes, being a childhood baseball card grifter, and unpleasant BBQ associations. Paul is then joined by Jessica Chaffin, Michael Oosterom, and Colleen Smith to improvise a story set in Death Valley. As always, Eban Schletter, only the best, scores it all on piano!

The next LIVE SPONTANEANATION will be recorded at Largo on Saturday, September 12th, with special guests Kristen Schaal & Superego! Last time, Thomas Lennon and Paul covered a Joy Division song for the live audience ONLY. What will happen before your very eyes next time? Get your tickets now: bit.ly/SPONT915 

June 8, 2015

Paul F. Tompkins welcomes you and yours, including families, back to Spontaneanation! This week Paul’s special guest is singer-songwriter Aimee Mann! They chat about the thing Aimee desires that she is most ashamed of desiring, accepting that other people have opinions of their own, and Aimee’s response to a therapist telling her to talk to her younger self. Paul is then joined by his pals from his show No, You Shut Up!, improvisers Ted Michaels, Michael Oosterom, and Colleen Smith, to improvise a story set at the Underwear Department at Macy’s. As always, the glorious Eban Schletter scores it all on piano! 

Los Angeles: Spontaneanation is happening LIVE with special guests on Friday, June 19th at Largo at the Coronet and you can be there too! Get tickets now at http://www.largo-la.com/!