10 Things You Didn't Know About Iconic Movie Character Costumes
7. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Outfits Were Ridiculously Heavy
Sometimes actors bear a heavy burden, and in the case of those who worked on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, it was a literal one. In 1990, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie was released and immediately became a box office hit, much to the annoyance of a large proportion of film critics. Yet, not even the joy that the film brought to children and its commercial success combined could make the harrowing shooting experience worth it for the actors.
Designed by Jim Henson's company, the turtles' costume design was certainly innovative for its time, but it was also painful and exhausting for the in-suit actors to wear. Facial motors and a computer were hidden in each of the shells, which were connected to animatronics in the turtles' heads. Due to this design, the suits weighed approximately 60 lbs.
The task of carrying around such a heavy load and the sweltering heat inside the costumes made for an extremely uncomfortable filming experience altogether.