| “ | My name is NOT BUNNY MY NAME IS BENNY! | „ |
| ~ Benny's catchphrase |
Benny Rabbit is a cranky rabbit who serves as a bellhop for the Furry Arms hotel on Sesame Street. In one skit, Benny had a job working in a car rental place. He appeared from 1990-2008. He was usually performed by Kevin Clash.
Benny is easily irritated and frequently yells at others. His outbursts are preceded by a variation of the comedic "slow-burn," as he grits his two front teeth until a small squeak is emitted. His personality is very similar to Oscar the Grouch, who shares similar character traits.
Benny seldom does anything nice for another person and whenever someone asks him for a favor, he says he has to go downtown. He hates being touched and hugged, but his biggest pet peeve is when people address him as "Bunny" rather than Benny.
Benny first appeared in Sesame Street Season 21 (1990) originally as a Grouch rabbit in a magic act. He received a proper introduction in Episode 2815, and continued making sporadic appearances through Season 24. In Season 25, he was given a bigger role being hired to work for the Furry Arms hotel as a bellhop from 1993-1998. For Season 30, when the Around the Corner locations were removed from the show, Benny started being used less. During that time he made a cameo appearance in Elmo's World: Hats (as shown in Episode 3796), in a street scene in Episode 3820 (which was Benny's final street story appearance in the show) then performed in the song "Telly Tut" (as shown in Episode 3823), and made a cameo appearance working at a car rental place where Mr. Johnson was trying to rent a car to get to Chicago (as shown in Episode 3850). During Season 32, He made a cameo in Elmo's World: Teeth (as shown in Episode 3919), and performed in the song "B.B. King" (as shown in Episode 3962). In 2002 he was featured prominently in Bert and Ernie's Word Play as Prairie Dawn's assistant. During Season 35, he made a cameo in a Global Grover segment about Australia (shown in Episode 4067). During Season 36, he appeared in a Trash Gordon skit portraying the multiplying Space Bunnies (as shown in Episode 4095). Benny's last appearance was in a Sesame Street English skit of Animal Confessions in 2008 all about rabbits, where he was hungry and asks for food to a dog, also performed this time by Peter Pinz.
He occasionally performed such songs as "Do the Benny Hop," "14 Carrot Love," and "Don't Touch Me."