11 Weird But True Facts About ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood’

4. Zombie Filmmaker George Romero Got His First Job From The Show

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The “Godfather of the Dead” said in an interview how Fred Rogers gave him his first paying gig shooting segments. His first big production was his “Mr. Rogers Gets a Tonsillectomy” segment, and it was his scariest too. What Romero meant was that it scared him “sh*tless to pull it off.”

5. Micheal Keaton Also Got His First Job There

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Academy Award Winner Michael Keaton worked side jobs while he was in Pittsburgh. And if you were in Pittsburgh, according to Keaton, you eventually work for Fred Rogers. He started at two dollars an hour, but he got bumped up to $2.25. He ended up on some segments.

6. He Had A Show Before He Joined The Neighborhood

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Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood wasn’t his first hit on WQED. Years earlier he was the producer and puppeteer for The Children’s Corner, which was hosted by Josie Carey. Many of the puppets Rogers made for that show moved over to Neighborhood.

7. Best Kicks For The Right Reasons

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The classics sneakers he’d switch out at the beginning of every episode weren’t just a fashion choice. They were a holdover from The Children’s Corner days. He found them quieter as a puppeteer as he moved around the set.