Toby Hull

Toby Hull is a British actor and television writer, best known as the son of entertainer Rod Hull and for reviving the iconic hand puppet character Emu following his father's death in 1999.^[1] Born around 1977 in Kent, England, Hull grew up in a family shaped by his father's fame with Emu, a mischievous bird puppet that gained notoriety in the 1970s and 1980s for chaotic appearances on British television, including a famous 1977 incident where it attacked talk show host Michael Parkinson.^[2]^[3] As one of three children from Rod Hull's second marriage, Toby witnessed his father's career highs and lows, including financial difficulties in the 1990s that led to bankruptcy and a relocation to Australia, before Rod's return to the UK and tragic death at age 63 from a fall off his roof.^[2]^[1] A trained actor who studied at university in Australia and worked in television production, Hull also spent three years teaching in Japan before deciding to bring Emu out of retirement.^[2] In 2003, at age 26, he first performed with the puppet in a pantomime production of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, marking the character's stage return.^[3] This led to a major television revival in 2007, when Hull starred as Emu's owner and sidekick in a 26-episode live-action children's comedy series titled Emu, produced by Endemol and broadcast on CITV and ITV1, targeting audiences aged 6-11 with a reimagined, more mobile version of the puppet operated by additional puppeteers.^[1]^[3] The series aimed to introduce Emu to a new generation while honoring its legacy of anarchic humor, with Hull noting the puppet's enduring appeal despite his father's mixed feelings about the character during his lifetime.^[2]

Early life and family

Birth and parentage

Toby Hull was born around 1977 in England. He is the son of entertainer Rod Hull (born August 13, 1935) and his second wife, Cher Hylton-Hull, to whom Rod was married from 1978 until his death.^[2]^[4]^[5] Hull is one of three children from his parents' marriage, with a brother, Oliver, and a sister, Amelia.^[2] His father had two daughters from his first marriage to Sandra Carter, which ended in 1973.^[4] Rod Hull was a British comedian and puppeteer who rose to prominence as a popular television entertainer in the 1970s and 1980s, best known for his work with the arm-length puppet character Emu.^[4] He died on March 17, 1999, at the age of 63, after falling from the roof of his home in Winchelsea, East Sussex, while attempting to repair a television aerial during stormy weather.^[4]^[5]

Childhood experiences with Emu

Toby Hull grew up in a household where the boundary between family life and his father Rod Hull's professional persona as the puppeteer of Emu was strictly maintained. Emu, the aggressive and mischievous puppet character, was never brought into the home environment; upon returning from work, Rod would store the puppet in a trunk, ensuring it remained separate from domestic routines. This practice underscored Rod's desire to preserve a normal family space, where he engaged in traditional activities like shared meals and conversations without any trace of his onstage alter ego.^[2] As a child, Toby often accompanied his father to television studios and theaters, observing Rod's performances up close and viewing the world of Emu as an enchanting domain filled with creativity and chaos. These experiences highlighted Emu's central role in achieving the family's fame, as the character's antics on various children's television shows propelled Rod to national recognition in the 1970s and 1980s. However, Toby also witnessed his father's growing dissatisfaction with the puppet's dominance; by the 1980s, Rod had become disenchanted, resenting how Emu overshadowed his aspirations to pursue writing and other artistic endeavors, feeling creatively constrained by the character's unrelenting popularity.^[2] The family's circumstances shifted significantly during Toby's teenage years when financial difficulties, including Rod's bankruptcy, prompted a move to Australia in the early 1990s. Presented to Toby, then around 16, as a temporary six-month holiday, the relocation extended into a longer stay, influenced by Rod's earlier career connections in the country where the emu bird originates. This period marked a transitional phase in Toby's childhood, blending adventure with the underlying stresses of the family's situation. Toby later reflected on Emu as a "misunderstood creature," emphasizing its playful and inquisitive nature beneath the aggressive on-screen persona that contrasted sharply with its off-stage confinement in storage.^[2]^[6] These formative exposures to Emu concluded with Rod Hull's death in 1999, when Toby was approximately 22 years old, bringing an end to the direct influence of the puppet on his youth.^[2]

Career

Revival of the Emu character

Following the death of his father Rod Hull in 1999, Toby Hull decided to revive the Emu puppet in 2003, marking its first public appearance in four years. This initial revival occurred during the pantomime production of Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, where Hull performed as the puppeteer alongside Emu in supporting roles.^[2]^[1] The decision stemmed from Hull's return to the UK after time in Australia, prompted by a fan's approach to his mother, leading him to take on the family legacy with a sense of responsibility to ensure Emu "is going the right way."^[2] To adapt Emu for contemporary audiences, Hull oversaw modifications that remolded the puppet into a younger, sweeter version, emphasizing a more child-friendly demeanor while distancing it from Rod Hull's chaotic style.^[2] Additionally, Emu was refurbished to move independently via puppeteers, rather than being arm-attached as in the original.^[1] These changes reflected Hull's intent to demonstrate his independence, stating, "I really wanted to show I'm not Dad, that it's two different people."^[2] Early stage appearances, including the 2003 Cinderella production, elicited positive initial reactions from audiences, with Emu engaging viewers through interactive elements like leading claps to a marching beat and playful interactions with audience members.^[7] Hull continued these live performances in subsequent pantomimes, building momentum for broader revival efforts while honoring the character's heritage.^[1] The revival culminated in the launch of a CITV series titled Emu in 2007, comprising 52 episodes across two series (2007–2009), with Hull co-starring as the character Toby, a computer games designer, and Emu operated by puppeteers.^[8] Hull's personal motivations, expressed in 2007 interviews, centered on protecting the family legacy by sustaining Emu's presence in a controlled, positive manner, separate from his father's more unpredictable approach.^[2]

Acting roles

Hull's acting career emerged in the mid-2000s through contributions to children's programming on CITV. In 2007, he appeared in Toonattik, a weekend morning show featuring cartoons, games, and live segments, where he performed as the puppet Emu to entertain young viewers.^[9] The following year, in 2006, Hull participated in the BBC documentary series The Story of Light Entertainment, providing insights into the evolution of British television comedy and variety shows, with his segment likely reflecting on his family's involvement in puppet-based entertainment.^[10] From 2007 to 2009, Hull took on his most substantial on-screen role as the human lead character Toby in the CITV revival series Emu, portraying a computer games designer who shares a flat with the chaotic puppet bird. Spanning two seasons and 52 episodes, the show highlighted Hull's interactions with co-stars such as Naomi Fearon (as Dani) and James Puddephatt (as Ken Cole), blending live-action comedy with Emu's signature mischief.^[11]^[12]^[13] Hull also made guest television appearances during this period, including a 2007 segment on ITV's This Morning where he demonstrated Emu's antics alongside the puppet to promote the series.^[14] These roles represented Hull's shift toward human-centric performances in family media, extending the Emu character's reach while showcasing his skills as a trained actor.^[1]

Writing work

Following his early acting roles, Toby Hull transitioned to behind-the-scenes contributions in television production during the 2010s, focusing on children's entertainment informed by his family's legacy in the field.^[2] His work emphasizes scripting, character development, and adapting narratives for animated series aimed at young audiences, though specific projects remain largely undocumented in public databases.^[15] Public credits for Hull as a writer are limited, with no extensive listings on platforms like IMDb, pointing to a career centered on uncredited or production-internal roles rather than high-profile bylines.^[15] This behind-the-scenes involvement aligns with his expertise in family-oriented content, drawing from childhood exposure to entertainment creation.^[2]

Personal life and legacy

Family and privacy

Toby Hull has maintained a notably private personal life, with limited public information available regarding his own immediate family, such as any marriages or children, underscoring his deliberate choice to shield these aspects from media attention.^[2] This approach contrasts with the high-profile nature of his father's career and reflects Hull's preference for keeping professional endeavors separate from personal matters, much like his father Rod Hull did by confining the Emu persona to work and avoiding it at home.^[2] Hull shares close ongoing ties with his full siblings—Amelia and Oliver—from his parents' second marriage, as well as half-siblings Deborah and Danielle from Rod Hull's first marriage, and step-sister Catrina Hylton-Hull.^[16] In interviews, he has reflected on the family dynamics shaped by his father's dual life, describing Rod as a traditionalist who prioritized family meals and open discussions at home, free from the chaos of Emu's public antics, which helped foster a sense of normalcy amid fame.^[2] These bonds were reportedly strengthened following Rod Hull's accidental death in 1999.^[2] Regarding residence and lifestyle, Hull was born in the UK but spent periods in Australia, including a family relocation in the 1990s due to financial difficulties and his own return there in 2003; as of 2007, he was based in the UK while pursuing acting and writing opportunities.^[2] As of 2025, Hull continues to maintain privacy regarding his personal life, with no major public updates on family or residence. Throughout his career, Hull has consistently avoided the media spotlight beyond professional promotions, enduring childhood taunts related to Emu that reinforced his desire for a low-profile existence outside of work.^[2]

Protection of family legacy

In recent years, Toby Hull has made public statements on social media to clarify the authenticity of Emu puppets auctioned as memorabilia from his father Rod Hull's career, emphasizing that such items are copies rather than originals. For example, during a 2018 auction of an Emu puppet, Hull posted that the item "is not one of the original Rod Hull Emu’s and has not been endorsed by our family," warning potential buyers against mistaking it for an icon of television history.^[17] He further described auctioned versions as fakes or copies, stating, "The auctioned Emu is a fake, how many times do I have to tell the media! Emu is with us and is well, we would never sell him!" These declarations reject unauthorized commercial uses of the Emu character or the Hull name, ensuring that only family-approved endeavors carry endorsement. The original Emu puppet, a cherished family heirloom, remains under Hull's care and is housed in a "farm for old Emus" in rural Australia, where it is protected from sale or public exploitation. Hull has affirmed that "Original Emu is part of our family and is residing well in a farm for old Emus," highlighting its ongoing private stewardship and the family's commitment to preserving its integrity.^[18] Through these actions, Hull upholds the character's place in British television history as a symbol of chaotic comedy, building on earlier professional revivals to guide its legacy responsibly.