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| PERFORMER | Aart Staartjes |
| DEBUT | 1984 |
Meneer Aart is one of the longtime human residents on Sesamstraat. He is a businessman who always walks around in a brown suit with a couple of medals on his chest, and enormous glasses on his nose. He thinks of himself as the most important neighbor on Sesamstraat, which is why he prefers to be called Meneer Aart (Mr. Aart). He is a bit of a know-it-all, and a bit of a grouch. He can even be a little mean at times, but usually, the other Sesamstraat inhabitants manage to outsmart him. Nevertheless, Aart is a well-loved person on the street. He interacts well with children, reading them stories at the end of the show.
Aart made his debut on the show in 1984, when the script called for a gentleman who was looking for Frank. During his search, Aart met Pino, whom he treated very arrogantly, and a new character was born.
Concerning Aart's role on Sesamstraat, it's often said that "Aart is the snake in the paradise named Sesamstraat." The early episodes of Sesamstraat had no grumpy character, which made the street scenes a little dull and preachy at times. One of the writers suggested a man named Buurman Bol (Neighbor Bol) who hated everything, but he was considered too negative.
Rik is Aart's nephew.