Miss Piggy is one of the

Muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are ...

characters known for her

breakout role A breakthrough role, also known as a breakout role, is a term in the film industry to describe the performance of an actor or actress which contributed significantly to the development of their career and beginning of critical recognition. The si ...

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

's ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...

''. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her temperamental

diva Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...

superstar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

personality, tendency to use

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

phrases in her speech, and practice of

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

. She was also known for her on-again/off-again relationship with

Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...

which never ends permanently.

Frank Oz Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, and filmmaker. He began his career as a puppeteer, performing the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in ''The Muppet Show ...

performed the character from 1976 to 2000, 2002 and was succeeded by

Eric Jacobson Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer. He is best known for performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as ''Sesame Street'' characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all roles tha ...

in 2001. Miss Piggy was inspired by jazz singer

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...

. In 1996, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' ranked her number 23 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. In a 2001

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

poll in the UK, Miss Piggy was ranked 29th on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. In 1996, a cook book entitled ''In the Kitchen With Miss Piggy: Fabulous Recipes from My Famous Celebrity Friends by Moi'' was released.

Characterization

Origins and description

In a 1979 interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', performer

outlined Piggy's biography: "She grew up in a small town (most likely

Keystone, Iowa Keystone is a city in Benton County, Iowa, Benton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 599 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids metropolitan area, Metr ...

); her father died when she was young and her mother wasn't that nice to her. She had to enter

beauty contests A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the Physical attractiveness, physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of Per ...

to survive. She has a lot of vulnerability which she has to hide, because of her need to be a superstar". During development of ''The Muppet Show'', Oz assigned a hook for each Muppet he performed; Miss Piggy's hook was a "truck driver wanting to be a woman". Oz has also stated that while

Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic on ''The Muppet Show.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a pink and white polka dot necktie. The charac ...

is a two-dimensional character and

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

has no dimensions, Miss Piggy is one of the few Muppet characters to be fully realized in three dimensions. Piggy, truly a diva in a class of her own, is convinced she is destined for stardom, and nothing will stand in her way. She has a capricious nature, at times determined to (and often succeeding in) conveying an image of feminine charm, but suddenly flying into a violent rage (accompanied by her trademark karate chop and "

hi-yah KIAI (93.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio station that serves the areas of Mason City, Iowa and Austin, Minnesota, Austin–Albert Lea, Minnesota, Albert Lea, Minnesota. The station broadcasts a country music, Country format. KIAI ...

!") whenever she thinks someone has insulted or thwarted her.

has learned this all too well; when she is not smothering him in kisses, she is sending him flying through the air with a karate chop. She loves wearing

long gloves Ladies' evening gloves or opera gloves are a type of formal glove that reaches beyond the elbow. Ladies' gloves for formal and semi-formal wear come in three lengths for women: wrist, elbow, and opera or full-length (over the elbow, usually r ...

;

Hildegarde Hildegarde Loretta Sell, known as Hildegarde (February 1, 1906 – July 29, 2005) was an American cabaret singer, who was well known for the song "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup". Early life She was born Hildegarde Loretta Sell in Adell, Wisco ...

, who used to wear them, once said, "Miss Piggy stole the gloves idea from me”.

Relationship with Kermit

Since the debut of ''The Muppet Show'', the

romantic relationship Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions. The ''Wiley Blackwell Encycl ...

between Miss Piggy and

has been subject to substantial coverage and commentary by the media. Throughout ''The Muppet Show'''s run, Miss Piggy's romantic pursuit for Kermit was consistently expressed. Kermit, however, constantly rebuffed Piggy's feelings. Eventually, in the films, Kermit began returning her affections and even (unwittingly) marries her in ''

The Muppets Take Manhattan ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' is a 1984 American musical comedy drama film directed by Frank Oz. It is the third theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. In addition to the Muppet performance, the film features special appearances by Art ...

''. However, subsequent events suggest that the marriage was simply fictional. It is mentioned by Miss Piggy, however, in '' The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'' (1986) that Kermit was a happily-married frog. This marriage isn't referenced in ''

Muppets Most Wanted ''Muppets Most Wanted'' is a 2014 American musical crime comedy film and the eighth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, the film is a sequel to ''The Muppets'' (2011) and stars ...

''. Miss Piggy and Kermit formally ended their romantic relationship on May 10, 1990. The decision was made by

Jim Henson Productions The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...

and a publicity campaign titled "The Pig of the Nineties" was scheduled to follow. An autobiography of Piggy was expected to be published as part of the effort. However, shortly after the announcement on May 16,

died and the campaign was dropped altogether. The two eventually resumed their relationship. In 2015, Miss Piggy and Kermit ended their romantic relationship for a second time.

Performers

was Miss Piggy's principal performer from her early appearances on ''

'' until his departure from the cast in 2000; his last known performance as Piggy was an appearance on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

''. Oz's earliest known performance as Piggy was actually in a 1974 appearance on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

''. Richard Hunt occasionally performed Miss Piggy during the first season of ''

'', alternating with Oz. In 2002,

was cast as the new performer of Miss Piggy, and his first public debut as the character was performed via satellite at the 2001 ''MuppetFest''. Jacobson has remained Piggy's principal performer since then, openly describing the role as "one of the most famous drag acts in the business." During Oz's tenure as the character, other performers would step in.

Jerry Nelson Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ' ...

performed Piggy in 1974 for a brief appearance on ''

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

''.

Fran Brill Fran Brill (born September 30, 1946) is an American retired actress and puppeteer, best known for her roles on ''Sesame Street'', as well as playing Sally Hayes in the Hal Ashby film ''Being There'' (1979), Dana Mardukas in the Martin Brest film ...

performed Piggy for '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence'', a pilot for ''

''.

Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1984 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', '' Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and various ...

and

Peter Linz Peter Linz (born June 28, 1967) is an American puppeteer. His most prominent role is being the performer for the character Walter who was introduced in the 2011 feature film ''The Muppets''. Since 1991, Linz has performed on ''Sesame Street'', ...

puppeteered Piggy for most of the filming of ''

Muppet Treasure Island ''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American musical swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson. It is the fifth theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson, s ...

'' and ''

Muppets from Space ''Muppets from Space'' is a 1999 American science-fiction film, science-fiction comedy film directed by Tim Hill (director), Tim Hill (in his List of directorial debuts, feature film directorial debut) and written by Jerry Juhl, Joey Mazzarino, Jo ...

'', respectively, with Oz

dubbing Dubbing (re-recording and mixing) is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production, often in concert with sound design, in which additional or supplementary recordings are lip-synced and "mixed" with original production sou ...

in Piggy's voice in post production.

Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his wor ...

briefly performed Piggy in ''Muppets Ahoy!'', a 2006 stage show for the

Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise Line is a cruise line operation that is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The company was incorporated in 1996 as Magical Cruise Company Limited, through the first vessel, ''Disney Magic'' and is domiciled in London, England ...

. In '' Muppet Babies'', Piggy's voice was provided by voice actress

Laurie O'Brien Laurie O'Brien (born February 16, 1951) is an American actress who started her career in Los Angeles in 1982 with her role in ''Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann''. She is best known for voicing Baby Piggy on the 1980s Saturday morning cart ...

. Voice actor

Hal Rayle Hal Rayle (born January 4, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has done many roles for both animated series and live action movies. Career Rayle has had a number of voice acting jobs over his career. Rayle's animated series roles include Miss Pi ...

provided her voice for a short-lived spin-off series, ''

Little Muppet Monsters ''Little Muppet Monsters'' is a Saturday morning television series featuring the Muppets that aired three episodes on CBS in 1985. The first season of '' Muppet Babies'' did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from a h ...

''. Melanie Harrison voices Baby Piggy on the 2018 reboot of '' Muppet Babies''.

History

The first known appearance of Miss Piggy was on the

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

television special ''Herb Alpert and the TJB'', broadcast on October 13, 1974, on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

. Miss Piggy's voice was noticeably more demure and soft, singing with Herb, "I Can't Give You Anything but Love." The first draft of the puppet was an unnamed blonde, beady-eyed pig who appeared briefly in the 1975 pilot special '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence'', in a sketch called "Return to Beneath the Planet of the Pigs." She was unnamed in that show, but by the time ''The Muppet Show'' began in 1976, she had assumed something resembling her classic look—a pig with large blue eyes, a flowing silver gown, satin white

, blue sheer shawl, and a hopelessly romantic persona.

''The Muppet Show''

Miss Piggy began as a minor chorus pig on ''

'', but gradually developed into one of the central characters of the series, as the writers and producers of ''The Muppet Show'' recognized that a lovelorn pig could be more than a one-note

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are not ...

. She spawned a huge fad during the late 1970s and early 1980s and eclipsed Kermit and the other Muppets in popularity at that time, selling far more merchandise and writing a book entitled ''Miss Piggy's Guide to Life'' that, unlike any of Kermit's books, wound up on top of the ''New York Times'' Bestseller List. Miss Piggy's personality and voice were seen and heard in other female characters performed by Frank Oz before the character's debut. For instance, a ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

'' Muppet skit from 1971 featured Snow White performed by Frank Oz and acting (as well as sounding) like Miss Piggy. Another sound-alike came from a contestant in a

Guy Smiley Guy Smiley is a fictional character on ''Sesame Street'' who was dubbed "America's favorite game show host". His skits are among those on the show that parody commercial media. Smiley has also hosted ''This Is Your Lunch'' and ''Here Is Your Li ...

sketch called "The Mystery Mix-Up Game". In ''

'' episode 106, Piggy is referred to by the full name "Piggy Lee" and in episode 116, Piggy tells guest star

Avery Schreiber Avery Lawrence Schreiber (April 9, 1935 – January 7, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. He was a veteran of stage, television, and movies who came to prominence in the 1960s in a comedy duo with Jack Burns. He acted in an array of roles ...

that Piggy is short for "Pigathius", "from the Greek, meaning 'river of passion'". Also during the

Jim Nabors James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian, widely known for his signature character, Gomer Pyle. Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica, California, Sa ...

episode when asked what (astrological) sign she was born under she replied that she was not born under a sign, she was born over one, "Becker's Butcher shop". She portrayed "Wonder Pig", a spoof of

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

in episode 419 while

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of th ...

sang "

The Rubberband Man "The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by the American vocal group the Spinners. The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. In ...

" and "

Orange Colored Sky "Orange Colored Sky" is a popular song written by Milton Delugg and Willie Stein and published in 1950. The first known recording was on July 11, 1950, on KING records catalog number 15061, with Janet Brace singing and Milton Delugg conducting ...

Foo-Foo

In the series, Miss Piggy owned a pet; a white

Toy poodle , nickname = , stock = , country = Germany or France (see history) , height = , maleheight = , femaleheight = , weight = , maleweight = , femaleweight = , coat ...

dog named Foo-Foo (performed by

Steve Whitmire Steven Lawrence Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on ''The Muppets'' and ''Sesame Street''. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire inherited the roles of Ernie and Kerm ...

) who is one of the few characters that does not speak. Piggy is often seen as very tender towards her, although to the point of sickly saccharine

baby talk Baby talk is a type of speech associated with an older person speaking to a child or infant. It is also called caretaker speech, infant-directed speech (IDS), child-directed speech (CDS), child-directed language (CDL), caregiver register, parent ...

. On ''The Muppet Show'', Foo-Foo was portrayed as both a

muppet The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are ...

and a real dog in different shots. Foo-Foo mostly appears as a sidekick to Miss Piggy in most movies and specials.

Films and television series

Miss Piggy has appeared in all the Muppet films and television series following ''The Muppet Show''. In ''

The Muppet Movie ''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film w ...

'', she has just won a beauty contest when she first meets Kermit and joins the Muppets. In ''

The Great Muppet Caper ''The Great Muppet Caper'' is a 1981 British-American musical heist comedy film directed by Jim Henson (in his feature directorial debut). It is the second theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. In addition to the Muppet performers, the ...

'', Miss Piggy plays an aspiring fashion model who gets caught up in a screwball-comedy misunderstanding involving a gang of jewel thieves. Piggy proves she has a talent for tap dancing, seemingly without knowing it. She and Kermit also kiss (on the lips, yet slightly covered) while Miss Piggy is a prisoner in jail; Miss Piggy ends up wearing Kermit's fake mustache, while Kermit has X-marks on his upper lip. Eventually, in the films, Kermit started returning her affections and (unwittingly) marries her in ''

'', though subsequent events suggest that it was only their characters in the movie that married, and that their relationship is really the same as ever. It is mentioned by Miss Piggy, however, in '' The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'' (which taped in 1985) that Kermit was a happily-married frog. This special aired two years after ''The Muppets Take Manhattan''. This is really the only indication outside of a movie that Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog were married. This marriage isn't referenced in ''

'' and the two get married again in this film. In ''

The Muppet Christmas Carol ''The Muppet Christmas Carol'' is a 1992 American Christmas musical comedy drama film directed by Brian Henson (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. Adapted from the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dic ...

'', she appears as Mrs. Cratchit, to Kermit's

Bob Cratchit Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel '' A Christmas Carol''. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley, when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize the poor working cond ...

. In ''

'', the part of crazed Ben Gunn was adapted to fit Miss Piggy, and "Benjamina" Gunn was revealed to be Captain Smollett's (played by Kermit) former lover. The two share a tender moment dueting on "Love Led Us Here". Her part is significant but supporting in ''

'', as the plucky news reporter eager to scoop the news on her friend Gonzo's bizarre alien encounters. In the TV-movie ''

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'' is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and the first film to be m ...

'', a take on the Christmas classic ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...

'', the characters are seen in an alternate universe, one without Kermit. Miss Piggy becomes a spinster

cat lady A cat lady is a cultural archetype or stock character, most often depicted as a woman, a middle-aged or elderly spinster or widow, who has many cats. The term may be pejorative, or it may be affectionately embraced. Usage and association Women ...

, doing "psychic" readings on the phone. In ''

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

'', Miss Piggy is shown to be residing in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, having become the plus-size editor for ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' after the Muppets disbanded, and after she left Kermit in Los Angeles and run off with a wealthy

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

. In ''

'', having rejoined the Muppets on a global tour, she nearly marries

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, after he poses as Kermit. In the TV series ''

'', Miss Piggy hosts the

late-night talk show A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show popular in the United States, where the format originated. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It i ...

''Up Late with Miss Piggy''. In ''

Muppets Now ''Muppets Now'' is an American television series produced by The Muppets Studio for the streaming service Disney+. Directed by Kirk Thatcher, the series is an improvisational comedy based on ''The Muppets'' franchise by Jim Henson. It premiered ...

'', she hosts the segment "Lifesty(le) with Miss Piggy". In ''

Muppets Haunted Mansion ''Muppets Haunted Mansion'' is a 2021 American puppet supernatural comedy Halloween special based on the Disney properties The Muppets and The Haunted Mansion. It was released on October 8, 2021, via Disney+. It is the Muppets' first Halloween s ...

'', she appears as herself dressed as Kermit for

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

(with Kermit dressed as Piggy) and later appears as Madame Pigota.

Other appearances

In 1987, Miss Piggy was a guest star on

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

's musical variety show, ''

Dolly Dolly may refer to: Tools *Dolly (tool), a portable anvil * A posser, also known as a dolly, used for laundering * A variety of wheeled tools, including: **Dolly (trailer), for towing behind a vehicle **Boat dolly or launching dolly, a device fo ...

'', singing and performing with Parton, while at the same time secretly attempting to steal the show from her host, mostly by sabotaging Parton's musical segments and attempting to trick producers into giving her more solo spots. Parton, annoyed at being undermined by Miss Piggy, told another of her guests,

Juice Newton Judith Kay "Juice" Newton (born February 18, 1952) is an American pop and country singer, songwriter, and musician. Newton has received five Grammy Award nominations in the Pop and Country Best Female Vocalist categorieswinning once in 1983as well ...

, that they might be "having ham sandwiches after the show". Miss Piggy sang with the

Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band. Formed in 2005, they gained popularity from their appearances on the Disney Channel television network. They consist of three brothers: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in W ...

as "Joan S. Jonas", with

Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...

during the number "Bop to the Top", and with the Cheetah Girls performing "Dance Me If You Can" as a part of '' Studio DC: Almost Live''. A running gag from those first two episodes involved Miss Piggy looking for "Zacky" Efron. Miss Piggy made a special guest appearance on '' Take Two with Phineas and Ferb'' and sang "Spa Day" with

Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as a ...

. Miss Piggy made a number of appearances in 2011 and 2012 to promote ''

''. Miss Piggy made a special guest appearance on the

Disney Channel Original Series This article lists past, present and future television programming on American basic cable channel and former premium channel, Disney Channel, since its launch on April 18, 1983. Current programming Original Live-action Animated Shorts Ac ...

So Random! ''So Random!'' is an American Disney Channel sketch comedy series that premiered on June 5, 2011. It was announced as an independent series after Demi Lovato left the parent series, ''Sonny with a Chance''. The series features the actors who a ...

'' alongside

Sterling Knight Sterling Sandmann Knight (born March 5, 1989) is an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is known for his role as Chad Dylan Cooper in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Sonny with a Chance'' and its spinoff ''So Random!'', Zander Carlson in ''Melis ...

(who made a special cameo appearance on ''The Muppets'' that was deleted from the final cut). She was the first guest on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'' November 4, 2011, appeared on ''

Chelsea Lately ''Chelsea Lately'' is an American Late night television, late night Television comedy, comedy talk show created by Brody Stevens and hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler which was broadcast on E! The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and was produced ...

'' on November 21, 2011, and sang "

Dance with Me Tonight "Dance with Me Tonight" is a single by English singer-songwriter Olly Murs, taken from his second studio album, ''In Case You Didn't Know''. It was released as the album's second single on 18 November 2011 and was written by Murs, Claude Kelly ...

" with

Olly Murs Oliver Stanley Murs (born 14 May 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and television presenter. He was runner-up on the sixth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2009 and was subsequently signed to RCA Records and Sony Music in the United Kingdom, ...

on the UK ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...

'' on November 27, 2011. On November 19, 2011, Miss Piggy, alongside her fellow Muppets and

Jason Segel Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', as well as for his work with director and pr ...

, participated in the opening monologue of ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' by singing "I Can't Believe I'm Hosting ''SNL''". Miss Piggy and her fellow Muppets made a guest appearance on the Halloween 2011 episode of ''

WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...

''. In an episode aired January 19, 2012, Miss Piggy appeared on '' Project Runway: All Stars'' Season 1 as a guest judge for clothes designed for her character in the movie. She also appeared on the British morning breakfast show '' This Morning'' alongside Kermit, Rizzo, and Beaker. On February 9, 2012, Miss Piggy appeared on Lawro's Predictions on BBC Football's website to predict the coming week's Premier League matches. Along with Kermit the Frog, they made only three predictions including a 63–25 win for

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

against

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

. She also starred in '' E!

Fashion Police ''Fashion Police'' is an American television series that premiered on September 10, 2010, on E!. It was originally hosted by Joan Rivers and featured panelists George Kotsiopoulos, Giuliana Rancic, and Kelly Osbourne commenting on celebrity fash ...

''. On Friday, March 15, 2013, Miss Piggy appeared on the UK telethon

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...

to reveal the cash total and introduce boy band

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the gr ...

. She was in Dream House 2013. On December 6, 2013, she performed '

Somethin' Stupid "Somethin' Stupid", or "Something Stupid", is a song written by C. Carson Parks. It was originally recorded in 1966 by Parks and his wife Gaile Foote, as Carson and Gaile. A 1967 version by Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy Sinatra became ...

' alongside

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...

at the London Palladium. In 2015, Miss Piggy received a Sackler Center First Award from the

Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art is located on the fourth floor of the Brooklyn Museum, New York City, United States. Since 2007 it has been the home of Judy Chicago's 1979 installation, ''The Dinner Party''. History The Elizabet ...

at the

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 1.5 million objects. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown H ...

. An essay was written for ''Time'' magazine as if by Miss Piggy, titled "Why I Am a Feminist Pig", explaining why she deserved the award. In 2014, Miss Piggy appeared in an advertisement for Wonderful Pistachios. Miss Piggy had her own luxury brand featured on

QVC QVC (short for "Quality Value Convenience") is an American free-to-air television network, and flagship shopping channel specializing in televised home shopping, owned by Qurate Retail Group. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Chester, Penn ...

, "Moi by Miss Piggy". The name had previously been used by a perfume released in 1998.Miss Piggy Really Smells
''People'', June 8, 1999

Albums

*''

The Muppet Movie (soundtrack) ''The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording'' is the soundtrack album from the 1979 film, ''The Muppet Movie'', featuring the songs and select score written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. Originally released on LP by Atlantic Recor ...

'' (1979) *'' The Great Muppet Caper (soundtrack)'' (1981) *'' Miss Piggy's Aerobique Exercise Workout Album'' (1982) *'' The Muppets Take Manhattan (soundtrack)'' (1984) *'' The Muppet Christmas Carol (soundtrack)'' (1992) *'' Muppet Treasure Island (soundtrack)'' (1996) *''

'' (2002) *'' The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (soundtrack)'' (2005) *'' A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (soundtrack)'' (2008) *''

The Muppets (soundtrack) ''The Muppets: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' is a soundtrack album released by Walt Disney Records on November 22, 2011 for the musical comedy film ''The Muppets''. The soundtrack features five original songs, four re-recordings a ...

'' (2011) *''

Muppets Most Wanted (soundtrack) ''Muppets Most Wanted: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' is a soundtrack album released by Walt Disney Records on March 18, 2014, for the musical comedy film ''Muppets Most Wanted''. The soundtrack features six original songs, two re ...

'' (2014)

Filmography

* ''

'' (1976–1981) (TV) * ''

'' (1979) * ''

'' (1981) * ''

'' (1984) * '' Muppet Babies'' (1984–1991) (TV) * ''

'' (1992) – Appearance as Emily Cratchit * ''

'' (1996) – Appearance as Benjamina Gunn * ''

Muppets Tonight ''Muppets Tonight'' is an American live-action/ puppet family-oriented television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of ''The Jim Henson Hour'' (1989), the show was a conti ...

'' (1996–1998) (TV) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (2002) (TV) * ''

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz ''The Muppets' Wizard of Oz'' is a 2005 musical fantasy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher. It is the second film to be made for television in ''The Muppets'' franchise. The film stars Ashanti, Jeffrey Tambor, Quentin Tarantino, David ...

'' (2005) (TV) – Appearance as Herself and the

Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...

, Good Witch of the North,

Glinda the Good Witch Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...

Wicked Witch of the East The Wicked Witch of the East is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is a crucial character but appears only briefly in Baum's classic children's series of List of Oz books, ''Oz'' novels, most notably ''The Won ...

* '' A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa'' (2008) (TV) * '' Studio DC: Almost Live'' (2008) (TV) * ''

'' (2011) * ''

Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular ''Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular'' is a Thanksgiving television special with American singer Lady Gaga and the Muppets. The 90-minute program aired on ABC on November 28, 2013, with guest stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elton John an ...

'' (2013) (TV) * ''

'' (2014) * ''

'' (2015–2016) (TV) * '' Muppet Babies'' (2018–2022) (TV) * ''

'' (2020) (

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

) * ''

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, b ...

'' (2021) (

Paramount+ Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

) * ''

Holey Moley ''Holey Moley'' is an American sports entertainment, sports reality competition television series created for American Broadcasting Company, ABC by Chris Culvenor. The series is produced by Eureka Productions and Unanimous Media, with Culvenor, ...

'' (2022) (Special Guest Appearance)

References

External links

* at

Disney.com disney.com is a website operated by Disney Digital Network, a division of The Walt Disney Company, that promotes various Disney properties such as films, television shows, and theme park resorts, and offers entertainment content intended for child ...

Tough Pigs: Transcripts of Miss Piggy and Kermit interviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piggy, Miss The Muppets characters Fictional pigs Fictional actors Fictional characters from Iowa Fictional feminists and women's rights activists Fictional singers Fictional models Fictional beauty queens Fictional television personalities Fictional karateka Television characters introduced in 1974 Female characters in television