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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 ...
are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by
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 ...
. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed here originated on ''
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 ...
'', a television series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Since then, several more characters have been introduced in other television series, as well as theatrical films. The first Muppet characters appeared in ''
Sam and Friends ''Sam and Friends'' is an American live-action/puppet sketch comedy television series and a lead-in to ''The Tonight Show'' created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane Nebel. It was taped and aired twice daily as a local series in ...
'', a
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
–based show which was broadcast from 1955 to 1961.
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 ...
was one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations. The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program ''
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 ...
''. Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with ''Sesame Street'' because he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals. Henson's company owned the characters created for ''Sesame Street'' until 2000; since 2001, they have instead been owned by
Sesame Workshop Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
and are now considered a separate franchise. These characters have been owned by
The Muppets Studio The Muppets Studio, LLC, formerly The Muppets Holding Company, LLC, is a wholly owned entertainment subsidiary of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, formed in 2004 through The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ''The Muppets'' and ''Bear i ...
, a division of
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, after Disney acquired the characters from
The Jim Henson Company 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 ...
in 2004.


Main characters


Kermit the Frog

* Performed by
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 ...
(1955–1990),
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 ...
(1990–2016), Matt Vogel (2017–present) A pragmatic frog who is the
straight man The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the ...
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
and ''
de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' leader of the Muppets. Created by
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 ...
and introduced in 1955 on ''
Sam and Friends ''Sam and Friends'' is an American live-action/puppet sketch comedy television series and a lead-in to ''The Tonight Show'' created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane Nebel. It was taped and aired twice daily as a local series in ...
'', Kermit, arguably Henson's best-known character, quickly became the ''de facto'' face of the franchise, including regularly appearing on ''
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 ...
'', sometimes as a reporter. He starred on ''
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 ...
'', as the
showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
, responsible for managing the show's production, and has appeared in every Muppet-branded production since.
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 ...
was Kermit's performer from his debut until Henson's death in 1990.
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 ...
assumed the role and continued to perform Kermit until 2016. Matt Vogel replaced Whitmire in 2017.


Miss Piggy

* Performed by
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 ...
(1976–2002),
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 ...
(2001–present) A 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 ...
pig who is the Muppets' break-out and "authentic
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 ...
". Until 2015, she was the romantic
significant other The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...
of Kermit. Authors Maryanne Fisher and Anthony Cox call Piggy "uniquely strong and feminine", but "domineering and demanding." She was designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in a 1974
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, where she was performed by
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'', ' ...
. She is Oz's best-known character.


Fozzie Bear

* Performed by
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 ...
(1976–2000),
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 ...
(2002–present) An insecure,
stand-up comic Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...
bear introduced in ''The Muppet Show''. Fozzie's characterization was created by
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 ...
, who performed the character from his debut in 1976 until Oz's retirement in 2000.
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 ...
has performed the character since then. Finch calls Fozzie "a sweetly insecure and absolutely terrible comedian". According to Oz, Fozzie is such a bad comedian that he "can't afford good joke writers, and he can't write good jokes himself but still a good character". He was designed by
Michael K. Frith Michael Kingsbury Frith (born 8 July 1941) is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and vari ...
.


Gonzo

* Performed by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
An eccentric, hooked-nosed creature and stunt performance enthusiast who debuted in ''
The Great Santa Claus Switch ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'' is a musical Christmas special featuring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on CBS on December 20, 1970, as an episode of ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with ...
'' as the Cigar Box Frackle. Gonzo's species was originally unknown. In past ''Muppets'' films and series, he was called a "whatever" and in '' Muppet Babies'', Gonzo was known as a weirdo. In ''
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 ...
'', Gonzo was finally revealed to be an alien. He was created by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
, who has performed Gonzo since his inception.


Rowlf the Dog

* Performed by
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 ...
(1962–1990),
Bill Barretta William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
(1996–present) An easygoing
pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
dog who first appeared in
Purina Dog Chow Purina may refer to: *Ralston Purina, an American pet food company that was acquired in 2001 *Nestlé Purina PetCare, the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., and the acquirer of Ralston Purina Company in 2001 (subsequently merged with N ...
commercials. He was designed by Jim Henson. He then appeared in ''
The Jimmy Dean Show ''The Jimmy Dean Show'' is the name of several similar music and variety series on American local and network television between 1963 and 1975. Each starred country music singer Jimmy Dean as host. Daytime ''The Jimmy Dean Show'', initially cal ...
'', as
Jimmy Dean Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became ...
's sidekick. Finch calls Rowlf "the first fully rounded character performed by
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 ...
", and also calls him "wonderfully down-to-earth, with a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor" and "a master of the double take." He was built by Don Sahlin


Scooter

* Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1991), Adam Hunt (voice only, 1999), Matt Vogel (2000),
Julianne Buescher Julianne Buescher (born February 4, 1965) is an American actress, writer, and puppeteer who performs in film, television, radio, and on stage. As a voice actress, she is known for many roles including Anko Mitarashi on ''Naruto''. She hails fro ...
(2001),
Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
(2002–2003), Rickey Boyd (2005),
David Rudman David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''. Career David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer sinc ...
(2008–present) The loyal
stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
and
gofer A gofer, go-fer or gopher is an employee who specializes in the delivery of special items to their superior(s). Examples of these special items include a cup of coffee, a tool, a tailored suit, or a car. Outside of the business world, the term ...
of the Muppet Theatre. Richard Hunt based Scooter's voice and personality on how he remembered himself when he was younger. He was designed by
Michael K. Frith Michael Kingsbury Frith (born 8 July 1941) is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and vari ...
. Debuted in the first season of ''
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 ...
''.


Animal

* Performed by
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 ...
(1975–2000),
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 ...
(2002–present) The wild, frenzied monster drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Author Christopher Finch calls Animal "the ultimate representation of a long line of Muppets who personify unbridled appetite", both "carnivorous beast" and "physical manifestation of pure
libido Libido (; colloquial: sex drive) is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, the sex hormones and associated neurotransmitters that act up ...
." He was designed by
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 ...
and built by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
. Debuted in '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence''.


Pepe the King Prawn

* Performed by
Bill Barretta William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
A scheming and sassy
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
king prawn. Introduced in ''Muppets Tonight'', he and Seymour would often work as
elevator operator An elevator operator (North American English), liftman (in Commonwealth English, usually lift attendant), or lift girl (in British English), is a person specifically employed to operate a manually operated elevator. Description Being an effec ...
and commissary cooks. His first theatrical film appearance was in ''
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 ...
''. Pepe became the spokesman of restaurant chain
Long John Silver's Long John Silver's (formerly known as Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppes and sometimes abbreviated as LJS) is an American chain of fast-food restaurants that specializes in seafood. The brand's name is derived from the novel ''Treasure Island' ...
in 2002.


Rizzo the Rat

* 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 ...
(1980–2016) A sly and witty
brown rat The brown rat (''Rattus norvegicus''), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat and Parisian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown o ...
from the
inner city The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...
, that Whitmire describes as "a sarcastic kind of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
character"; debuted in season four.


Supporting characters


Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem

A rock
house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...
consisting of Dr. Teeth, the gravelly-voiced leader and
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
player of the band; Floyd Pepper, the cynical "
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
"
bass player A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...
;
Janice Janice may refer to: * Janice (given name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) * ''Janice & Abbey'', a reality TV series * Processor codename of the Samsung Galaxy S Advance Android smartphone * Janice, Łódź Voivodes ...
, the
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
player with a
flower child Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, especially among the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and the surrounding area during the Summer of Love in 1967. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear and distribute ...
personality; Zoot, the laid-back
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
player; 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 ...
, the crazed
drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...
. The
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
player
Lips The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
was a later addition to the band. Other characters to perform with the Electric Mayhem on occasion were Rowlf the Dog on piano on many occasions, Rizzo the Rat on cymbals in the "
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
" episode, Beaker on vocals in the "
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
" episode, Scooter 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 ...
'', Clifford in ''
The Muppets at Walt Disney World ''The Muppets at Walt Disney World'' is a television special starring Jim Henson's The Muppets, Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of Walt Disney anthology television series, ''The Magical ...
'', and Crazy Harry as part of the band in the first episode and later.


Dr. Bunsen Honeydew

* Performed by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
An inventive, yet absent-minded scientist who frequently performs science experiments and invention demonstrations that typically go awry and has an "affable cluelessness" whenever his assistant, Beaker, is a victim of these presentations. Bunsen serves as a
foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...
for Beaker. Bunsen debuted during the first season of ''The Muppet Show'' and was joined by Beaker during the second season.


Beaker

* Performed by Richard Hunt (1977–1991),
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 ...
(1992–2016),
David Rudman David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''. Career David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer sinc ...
(2017–present) A hapless lab assistant to Bunsen, who performs ill-fated experiments which often result in him getting seriously injured. He was designed by Jim Henson and built by
Don Sahlin Donald George Sahlin (June 19, 1928 – May 29, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. Sahlin began making puppets at age 11, initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines. As an a ...
. Beaker debuted in the second season of ''The Muppet Show''.


Sam Eagle

* Performed by
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 ...
(1975–2000),
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 ...
(2002–2003),
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 ...
(2005–present) A patriotic
bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
and the group's self-proclaimed delegator of disciplined manners and values. Critic Jordan Schildcrout describes Sam as "a cross between
Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...
and the bald eagle (which is the U.S. national bird and symbol) with a dash of
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, horepresents a conservative, nationalist
Puritanism The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
that makes him a snob and a prude." He was designed by Jim Henson and built by
Don Sahlin Donald George Sahlin (June 19, 1928 – May 29, 1978) was a Muppet designer and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. Sahlin began making puppets at age 11, initially building a shadow theater and cardboard figurines. As an a ...
. Debuted in '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence''. Most recently, Sam has appeared alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo in '' The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History'' at the
Magic Kingdom Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
theme park in
Orlando, Florida Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
.


Statler and Waldorf

* Statler: Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1991),
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'', ' ...
(1975, 1992–2003),
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 ...
(2002–2016),
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'', ...
(2017–present) * Waldorf: Performed by
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 ...
(1975–1990),
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
(1992–present) Two elderly and grumpy gentlemen who constantly
heckle A heckler is a person who harasses and tries to disconcert others with questions, challenges, or gibes. Hecklers are often known to shout encouraging comments at a performance or event, or to interrupt set-piece speeches, with the intent of di ...
the Muppets from the audience, specifically from an upper balcony box on ''
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 ...
''.
Statler and Waldorf Statler and Waldorf are a pair of Muppet characters best known for their cantankerous opinions and shared penchant for heckling. The two elderly men first appeared in ''The Muppet Show'' in 1975, where they consistently jeered the entirety of ...
were named after two
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
hotels; the Statler Hilton and the
Waldorf-Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultz ...
. They were designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence''.


The Swedish Chef

* Performed by
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 ...
(1975–1990),
David Rudman David Rudman (born June 1, 1963) is an American puppeteer, puppet builder, writer, director, and producer known for his involvement with the Muppets and ''Sesame Street''. Career David Rudman has been a ''Sesame Street'' Muppet performer sinc ...
(1992),
Bill Barretta William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
(1996–present) A chef that speaks in mock
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
. Based on the "standard finger puppet", the Swedish Chef was originally a dual collaboration between Jim Henson and
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 ...
, who provided the hands. Oz would deliberately do unexpected things, like tossing chickens and juggling meat cleavers, that Henson would have to improvise through. He was designed by
Michael K. Frith Michael Kingsbury Frith (born 8 July 1941) is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and vari ...
and built by Henson and Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in ''The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence''.


Walter

* Performed by
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'', ...
A shy, soft-voiced human-like Muppet and obsessive fan of the Muppets. Introduced in the film ''
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 ...
'' (2011), Walter is the younger brother of Gary (
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 ...
) in the film. Along with Gary and his girlfriend, Mary (
Amy Adams Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, incl ...
), Walter assists Kermit in reuniting the Muppets as an effort to raise enough money to regain control of the Muppet Theater from oil tycoon Tex Richman (
Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
). After his successful contributions to the telethon with his lauded whistling act, Walter is accepted as a member of the Muppet ensemble. Walter returns 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 ...
'' (2014), where he is instrumental in discovering Constantine's intentions and in rescuing Kermit.


Camilla the Chicken

* Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1978–2003),
Alice Dinnean Alice Catherine Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, voice actress and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as ''The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street ...
(2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present) Camilla the Chicken is the female
chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
that is
Gonzo Gonzo may refer to: People * Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname * Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo * Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose stage ...
's longtime
love interest ''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...
on ''
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 ...
''. This chicken with hay fever was performed by veteran Muppet performer,
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'', ' ...
, and is seen frequently on ''The Muppet Show'', but also makes appearances on the various full-length
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 ...
movies such as ''
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 ...
'' where she hyperventilates after attacking a villain and needs "mouth-to-beak
resuscitation Resuscitation is the process of correcting physiological disorders (such as lack of breathing or heartbeat) in an acutely ill patient. It is an important part of intensive care medicine, anesthesiology, trauma surgery and emergency medicine. W ...
", and ''
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 ...
'' as Gonzo's plumber girl and is in the back of the car for the whole movie. She also appeared in TV specials such as ''
A Muppet Family Christmas ''A Muppet Family Christmas'' is a Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on December 16, 1987, on the ABC television network in the United States. Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, its teleplay was conceived ...
'' where she is seduced by the turkey who was invited to the family gathering by the
Swedish Chef The Swedish Chef is a Muppet character that appeared on ''The Muppet Show''. He was originally performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously, with Henson performing the head and voice and Oz performing the character with real hands. The S ...
. On '' Muppet Babies'', Camilla was Baby Gonzo's stuffed yellow chicken doll. She was voiced by
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
, and subsequently
Dave Coulier David Alan Coulier ( ; born September 21, 1959) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, impressionist, and television host. He played Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', voiced Peter Venkman on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', and voiced ...
and
Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until his ...
when she came to life in Gonzo's imagination. Camilla appears as Gonzo's business partner in the 2011 film ''
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 ...
'', where she and her chicken companions also perform "
Forget You "Fuck You" (stylized as "Fuck You!" or "F**k You!"), known as "Forget You" or "FU" for the clean versions, is a song by American recording artist CeeLo Green. It was written as a collaboration among Green, Bruno Mars, the Smeezingtons, and Br ...
" in the big Muppet reunion show. In ''
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 ...
'', Gonzo mentions that he and Camilla are engaged, but this is never elaborated.


Bobo the Bear

* Performed by
Bill Barretta William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
Bobo the Bear is an imposing yet easily amused and befuddled
brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...
, though his appearance is less
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
than other animal characters such as
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 ...
. Bobo has been in several Muppet films as a major character and others as just a background character. One of his appearances was on ''
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 ...
'' as the security guard, where he was a seemingly clever and lovable character, with his tagline of ''"Have a good day, sir!"''. His character in ''
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 ...
'' was named Rentro. The character appeared in the television special '' A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa'', appearing alongside
Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
as a pair of
airport security Airport security includes the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of measures and hum ...
personnel. 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 ...
'', Bobo appears as a henchman of oil tycoon Tex Richman (
Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
), who wants to demolish the
Muppet Theater ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two television pilot, pilot episodes produced by Henson for American Broadcasting Company, ABC in 1974 and 1975. ...
and drill for oil on the site. Along with fellow henchman Uncle Deadly, Bobo is not fully aware of the scheme that Richman is doing; at one point, he even turns to Uncle Deadly asking, "So, you think we're working for the bad guy?". He was seen partaking in the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song" where he was seen with Tex Richman's showgirls. In the television series ''
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 ...
'', he plays a key role as the stage manager for the talk show ''Up Late with Miss Piggy''.


Uncle Deadly

* Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1976–1979), Matt Vogel (2011–present) Uncle Deadly is a sinister-looking, blue
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
-like monster who lurks around the Muppet Theater. He was originally performed by
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'', ' ...
on ''
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 ...
''. In his first full part on the show, in episode 121, he was known as "the Phantom of the Muppet Show". Although he made his first appearance alongside
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
on episode 119 of ''The Muppet Show'', Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tell
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 ...
that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at the Muppet Theater, where he played ''Othello'' until he was killed...by the critics. Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including singing a bar of "You're Just in Love" with
Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...
and "Sheik of Araby", and performed in the Muppet Melodrama sketches with
Miss Piggy Miss Piggy is one of the Muppet characters known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's ''The Muppet Show''. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, tendency to use French phrases in ...
and Wayne in season three. Although he did not have a major role in any of the Henson-helmed Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in the final group scenes at the end of ''
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 ...
'' and ''
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 ...
''. He also appeared 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 ...
'' in 1979 when Kermit hosted. Uncle Deadly made his first appearance in over 20 years 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 ...
'', in which he is performed by Matt Vogel. He and Bobo the Bear are the henchmen of oil tycoon Tex Richman (
Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), ''Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Cap ...
), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theatre and drill for oil on the site. As Richman tries repeatedly to stop the Muppets from raising the funds to buy the theater, Deadly realizes his mistake and decides he too is a Muppet and not a Moopet. He forces Richman off the theatre roof before he can cut the wires on the transmission tower and joins the group. Uncle Deadly is seen during the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song". Uncle Deadly later appears 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 ...
'' as the organist at Miss Piggy's wedding, performed again by Vogel. In the 2015 TV series, Uncle Deadly is Miss Piggy's
wardrobe supervisor The wardrobe supervisor is responsible for overseeing all wardrobe related activities during the course of a theatrical run or film shoot. The modern title "wardrobe supervisor" has evolved from the more traditional titles of "wardrobe mistress/m ...
and plays a featured part in the show, a role he continues 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 ...
'' and the live shows the Muppets performed at the
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
and
the O2 Arena The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...
. On the Muppets' YouTube page, Uncle Deadly is the host of its "Muppet Thought of the Week" segment where he also contributed some thoughts. He appears as the Justice of the Peace in the 2021 Halloween special ''
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 ...
''.


Clifford

* Performed by
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 ...
Clifford is a cool lavender-colored,
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...
-faced, sunglasses-wearing character with multicolored
dreadlocks Dreadlocks, also known as locs or dreads, are rope-like strands of hair formed by locking or braiding hair. Origins Some of the earliest depictions of dreadlocks date back as far as 1600–1500 BCE in the Minoan Civilization, one of Europe' ...
. He was created to be the
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
for Solid Foam, the band on ''
The Jim Henson Hour ''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the The Muppets, Muppet characters. Nine of the twelve episodes produced air ...
''. When ''The Jim Henson Hour'' was canceled, Clifford was the only major character (beyond the classic ''Muppet Show'' characters) to make further appearances. In 1990, he appeared as a member of The Electric Mayhem in ''
The Muppets at Walt Disney World ''The Muppets at Walt Disney World'' is a television special starring Jim Henson's The Muppets, Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of Walt Disney anthology television series, ''The Magical ...
'' television special. In that special, Clifford played
glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...
,
tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
, and
cowbells The cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music, such as Latin and rock. It is named after the similar bell used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows. The instrument initially and traditio ...
. Months later, he then appeared in ''
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson ''The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson'' is a one-hour special that aired on CBS on November 21, 1990. The program was a tribute to Muppet creator Jim Henson, who had died earlier in 1990 due to toxic shock syndrome caused by a streptococcus infecti ...
'', in which he read one of the fan letters about Jim Henson's death. Clifford also made appearances on ''
The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...
'' and
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
. He also co-starred with Kermit in a sing-along video and appeared in a music video. In 1996, Clifford became the host of ''
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 ...
'', since no one else wanted the job. In addition to being the host, his appearance was changed as well. Most notably, he had visible eyes instead of his sunglasses and wore a suit and necktie instead of a Hawaiian shirt. The puppet's head was also built slightly bigger. In 2001, at a Muppet fan convention, Kevin Clash revealed that he disliked the eyes and will not perform Clifford again unless he is wearing his sunglasses. When ''Muppets Tonight'' ended in 1998, Clifford was returned to his original sunglasses look for his last two appearances in ''
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 ...
'' and ''
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 ...
''.


Minor characters


Beauregard

* Performed by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
Beauregard is the Muppets' backstage
janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simil ...
and
stagehand A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their work include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production. General S ...
of indeterminate species. Debuting in season three of ''The Muppet Show'', Beauregard originally wore a gray jacket over his plaid shirt, but in the fourth season, he stopped wearing the jacket. It is revealed in ''The Muppet Show On Tour'' that he calls his mop "Belleregard." Beaker occasionally assists Beauregard with stagehand duties. He tries to be helpful, but his dimwitted efforts frequently result in disaster. His slow wit is often preyed upon by other characters who use him to their own purposes. He has a characteristic blink and often turns to the camera and says, "Right". Beauregard has
superhuman strength Superhuman strength is a superpower commonly invoked in fiction and other literary works such as mythology. A fictionalized representation of the phenomenon of hysterical strength, it is the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is ...
, which is illustrated by his ability to effortlessly lift and carry around objects that are far too heavy to carry, such as an anvil, couch or piano. Beauregard appeared on the stage in various sketches and skits. Other times, Beauregard appears accidentally on stage during productions, still working on the props until he realizes that he is intruding and must either rush out of sight or attempt to blend in with the action. However, Beauregard was more comfortable backstage. Beauregard also appeared 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 ...
'' in 1981, where he played a
taxi driver ''Taxi Driver'' is a 1976 American film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Paul Schrader, and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks. Set in a decaying and ...
. He brought Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo to the Happiness Hotel, and right through the front door, into the lobby. Beauregard's other major role was in the 1990 special ''
The Muppets at Walt Disney World ''The Muppets at Walt Disney World'' is a television special starring Jim Henson's The Muppets, Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of Walt Disney anthology television series, ''The Magical ...
'', where he dragged Miss Piggy onto a series of thrill rides. He has also made cameo appearances in later projects, including ''
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 ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', '' The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'', and ''
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 ...
''. In the book ''Of Muppets and Men'', Goelz explains that Beauregard was based on the clumsy Wendell Porcupine from '' Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas''. The main reason why Beauregard never became a star was because the writers thought he was too passive; he did not desire anything. This made Beauregard difficult to write for. 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 ...
'', Beauregard is found by Scooter living in the janitor's closet of the old Muppet Theatre, seemingly unaware that ''
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 ...
'' is no longer on the air. 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 ...
'', Beauregard is the engineer of the train that is used for the Muppets' world tour.


Constantine

* Performed by Matt Vogel Constantine is an evil Russian frog who is considered to be the "World's Most Dangerous Frog",
Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
's
most wanted Most Wanted may refer to: Law enforcement A most wanted list used by a law enforcement agency to alert the public, such as: *FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives *FBI Most Wanted Terrorists *ICE Most Wanted *List of Mexico's 37 most-wanted drug lords *Lis ...
criminal, and a
doppelgänger A doppelgänger (), a compound noun formed by combining the two nouns (double) and (walker or goer) (), doppelgaenger or doppelganger is a biologically unrelated look-alike, or a double, of a living person. In fiction and mythology, a doppelg ...
for Kermit. Appearing 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 ...
'', Constantine differs slightly from Kermit in physical appearance as his eye pupils line up differently, and he has a shorter neck collar, and a distinctive mole on the right side of his face. In the film, Constantine escapes a
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
n
gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...
becoming a fugitive from the main prison warden Nadya (
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and playwright. She is best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (1997–2006) and for creating the ...
). Constantine collaborates with Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) to conduct robberies all across Europe, framing the Muppets as culprits until the two of them are defeated and arrested by the police. The filmmakers tasked in designing Constantine originally planned to have him be a paler shade of green than Kermit. However, early camera tests revealed that the color differed too greatly from Kermit's, clashing with the filmmakers' intentions of having Constantine bear a strong resemblance to him. Instead, Constantine's neck collar was made shorter and with wider spikes. Following a suggestion by director James Bobin, Vogel based his performance on the Russian antagonist, General Orlov, in ''Octopussy''.


Crazy Harry

* Performed by John Lovelady (1974, 1976–1977), Richard Hunt (1975; 1981)
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'', ' ...
(1976–2003), Rickey Boyd (2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present) Crazy Harry is a pyrotechnician obsessed with explosives, who first appeared in ''The Muppets Valentine Show'' and later, ''
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 ...
''. Crazy Harry has black scruffy hair, an uncombed chin curtain beard and huge, egg-shaped baggy eyes. Early in season one, he played triangle (musical instrument), triangle with the pit band. He usually carried a Blasting machine, plunger box which would activate a hidden charge, often to his victim's chagrin. Once he assisted Gonzo the Great in a cannonball-catching act but perhaps overdid it on the powder, which resulted in an absurdly stretched right arm for Gonzo. In episode 28 he provided the "Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!" chorus of "Chanson d'Amour", happily blowing the stage and performers to smithereens with his little plunger and cackling. Harry also played solo backup for Jean Stapleton's performance of "I'm Just Wild About Harry", with a collection of plunger boxes forming an "explodaphone", providing explosions at the end of every verse of the song. In the show's first couple of seasons, Harry's appearances were a regular running gag. After those first seasons, the gag was shelved along with Crazy Harry for the remainder of the show's run. Crazy Harry also appeared 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 ...
'', complete with his explosive equipment, as one of the many Muppets in the audience to whom
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 ...
screened the film. He appeared 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 ...
'' as a wedding guest. In 2009, he appeared in the Muppets' music video "Bohemian Rhapsody (The Muppets), Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2011, he appeared 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 ...
'', blasting his likeness onto Mount Rushmore—destroying Abraham Lincoln's face in the process—during the film's montage. In 2014, he appeared in a Toyota Highlander commercial, blasting Gonzo from a cannon, like a human cannonball, through the sunroof. In 2014, he appeared 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 ...
'', in which a criminal uses the noise of Harry's explosions to cover the sounds of a break-in. For the commercials for the then new TNT (U.S. TV network), TNT cable channel, Crazy Harry would be featured at the end of the commercials, prefixing his use of his plunger with the question "Did someone say TNT?"—followed by a maniacal laugh after the explosion. In the ''Dresden Files'' novel ''Blood Rites (The Dresden Files), Blood Rites'', several references are made to the "Bolshevik Muppet with all the dynamite". The phrase "Bolshevik Muppet" was then used as a warning by Harry Dresden to his allies just prior to setting off a large explosion.


Lew Zealand

* Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1978–2003),
Bill Barretta William Paul Barretta (born June 19, 1964) is an American puppeteer, actor, producer, writer, and director, who is best known for providing the puppetry and voice of characters such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, Big Mean Carl, and Bobo ...
(2002–2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present) Lew Zealand is a tan humanoid Muppet with dark hair, a mustache, a red knobby nose, a Ruff (clothing), ruff and a red suit. His name is a portmanteau of New Zealand and Lew Grade, the distributor of ''
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 ...
''. Lew started out as a #Whatnots, Whatnot before a permanent puppet was made of him. Lew has an obsession for throwing fish, which are unique in that they return to him once thrown—hence the term "boomerang fish". His catchphrase is: "I throw the fish away, and it comes ''back'' to me!" Lew appears on ''
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 ...
'' from season three onward trying to promote his Boomerang Fish act. He is also able to play a fish organ (music), organ (a line of fish that, when squeezed, each gargle a different note). The sketches he appears in usually end with the entire stage in an uproar. In the "Marisa Berenson" episode, he played a major part in that episode by using his timely boomerang fish to prevent
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 ...
from being tricked into a real marriage during Miss Piggy's "wedding sketch". In the "Leslie Uggams" episode, Lew Zealand told Leslie how to be a great boomerang fish thrower by saying that "Well, you've got to have Sole (fish), sole. And if you can't get sole, get halibut." In the "Lynn Redgrave" episode, he played a member of the Merry Men in the Robin Hood sketch. Lew Zealand has made cameo appearances 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 ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', ''The Muppet Christmas Carol'', ''Muppet Treasure Island'', ''
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 ...
'', and ''Muppets Haunted House''. Lew Zealand has a supporting role 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 ...
'', where after rejoining the group to help save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman, Lew assists in kidnapping Jack Black to be the telethon's celebrity host. He later encourages Kermit not to give up on the Muppet Theatre. Lew reappears 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 ...
'', joining the rest of the Muppets on their world tour. The Whatnot head construction for Lew Zealand was done by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (after ...
and Lew Zealand's character finishing was done by Amy van Gilder. Jerry Nelson considered Lew Zealand to be a tribute to Frank Fontaine, Frankie Fontaine. Nelson stated in an interview, "He had that dopey voice, but he could sing beautifully. We never did that part of it on the show, but just the idea of this guy who had a boomerang fish act. There were some really ridiculous acts on the show, and that was one of the all-time dopey ones."


Link Hogthrob

* Performed by
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 ...
(1977–1990),
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 ...
(2000–2016),
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'', ...
(2017–present) Link Hogthrob is a dim-witted pig possessing traits of a stereotypical leading man, with wavy blond hair, a manly Chin#Cleft chin, cleft chin, and a high opinion of himself. In ''The Muppet Show'', Link is best known as the captain of the ''Swinetrek'' on the recurring sketch ''The Muppet Show#Recurring sketches, Pigs in Space'' where his unbridled machismo is often a source of conflict with his co-star, Miss Piggy, First Mate Piggy. Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role on ''The Muppet Show'' would primarily be on ''Pigs in Space'', sketches including "Wonder Pig", Link would feature regularly both in the show's onstage acts and backstage mayhem. Link's singing talents featured a number of times in solos (such as "Sonny Boy (song), Sonny Boy"), duets ("Là ci darem la mano"), and group numbers. Starting in the show's third season, Link was also featured as the police chief in the recurring ''Bear on Patrol'' sketches, where his dimwittedness was often the source of physical trauma to patrol officer Fozzie Bear. Henson's son,
Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
, recalled that his father often used Link's deep-throated, pompous voice when performing some stereotypically masculine chore, such as carving the Thanksgiving (United States), Thanksgiving turkey. Link was later one of the few classic ''Muppet Show'' characters to be used regularly in the Muppet Central control room on ''
The Jim Henson Hour ''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the The Muppets, Muppet characters. Nine of the twelve episodes produced air ...
''. Since Henson's death, Link has mostly remained a non-speaking Muppet, although he has since appeared occasionally in silent cameo appearance, cameos in such productions as ''The Muppet Christmas Carol'', ''Muppet Treasure Island'', ''
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 ...
'' 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 ...
''. His only speaking roles from 1990 to 2011 were in the video games ''Muppet RaceMania'' and ''Muppets Party Cruise'', as voiced 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 ...
. Whitmire performed Link for the 2011 movie ''
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 ...
''. The appearance featured the first speaking appearance of the puppet ever since Henson's death. Link appears in several scenes in the background and gets a moment in the spotlight as part of a Barbershop music, barbershop quartet, singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit". 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 ...
'', Link returned to prominence for the first time in decades, having several lines of dialogue and his own scene with Usher (entertainer), Usher. An animated version of Link was seen in ''Pigs in Space'' segments in ''Little Muppet Monsters'' (voiced by Bob Bergen) and an episode of '' Muppet Babies''. A walk-around version of Link was created for ''The Muppet Show on Tour''. An action figure of Link was produced in 2003 as part of Series 4 of Palisades Toys' line of Muppet action figures.


Marvin Suggs

* Performed by
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 ...
(1976–1981),
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 ...
(2011–present) Marvin Suggs is a flamboyant musician that wears a frilly, multicolored shirt. He is best known for playing an instrument known as a Muppaphone, a group of small, round, furry pink and orange Muppets that emit a tonal "wikt:ow, ow" (voiced by Henson and Jerry Nelson) when Marvin strikes them on the head with his mallet. During season three of ''
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 ...
'', Suggs and the Muppaphone were part of an "explicit criticism of violence" with Suggs being explicitly punished for his violence in an episode where a witchdoctor turns Suggs' head into a Muppaphone. The act has been compared to the sketch from ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' called "Arthur Ewing and His Musical Mice". He was designed by Rollie Krewson. He appears in 2011's ''
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 ...
''.


The Newsman

* Performed by
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 ...
(1976–1990), Richard Hunt (1981),
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'', ' ...
(1996),
Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
(2001–2003),
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 ...
(2008–2016),
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 ...
(2017–present) The Newsman is the bespectacled News presenter, newsman for ''
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 ...
'', who tries to deliver the news with accuracy, but is visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the ''Muppet News Flash'' segments in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he would almost invariably suffer some calamity related to the story, such as having items dropped on his head or the newsroom destroyed.


Pops

* Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1980–2002), Matt Vogel (2011–present) Pops is an elderly doorman at the Muppet Theater in ''The Muppet Show''. He greeted the week's guest star in every episode of the fifth season. He also had a major part as the innkeeper of the Happiness Hotel 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 ...
''. Since then, he has only made a couple of cameo appearances.


Robin the Frog

*Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1971–2003), Matt Vogel (2008–2017),
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'', ...
(2017–present) Robin the Frog is Kermit's young, sweet-voiced nephew. He has appeared in most Muppet productions since ''The Muppet Show''. He loves to spend time with his Uncle Kermit, his best friend #Sweetums, Sweetums, and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts. Robin first appeared in ''The Frog Prince (Muppets), The Frog Prince'' as Sir Robin the Brave. One of his most famous moments was singing "Halfway Down (poem), Halfway Down the Stairs", a song based on a poem by Winnie-the-Pooh, Winnie the Pooh creator A. A. Milne. He also has an important role in episode 212 of ''
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 ...
'', when he was feeling sad for being so small until the guest star Bernadette Peters and all Robin's Muppet friends sing the song "Just One Person" to cheer him up. In the animated '' Muppet Babies'' series, Robin appeared as a tadpole in a fish bowl, as all the characters were younger versions of their live-action selves, and was said to be the son of Kermit's (unnamed and unseen) big sister. Robin's roles in the Muppet movies varied from cameos to large roles, though he significantly has not appeared in a large amount of Muppet movies. 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 ...
'' (1979), he had a small role at the beginning of the movie at the film screening where he asks Kermit if the movie is about how the Muppets got started. He also had a few other quick scenes and is with the other Muppets in the finale. In the TV special ''John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together'' (1979) Robin helps sing many of the Christmas Carols with the other Muppets and John Denver. In the TV movie ''Rocky Mountain Holiday'' (1982) Robin plays a more major role as he tries to help out as a Frog Scout and bonds with John Denver through the process. 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 ...
'' (1984), he only appeared in the audience at the wedding. Robin played the role of Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol), Tiny Tim in ''The Muppet Christmas Carol'' (1992), his largest role to date. His next appearance was in the direct-to-video ''Muppet Classic Theater'' (1994) where he appeared in "The Emperor's New Clothes" sketch in a minimal role, realizing Fozzie Bear, Fozzie (the emperor) was not wearing clothes. He also appeared alongside Kermit in The Elves and the Shoemaker sketch where he took on the role of the shoemaker's nephew. He had a quick cameo (with dialogue) in ''Muppets From Space'' (1999) in the boarding house. His final role with Jerry Nelson as his performer was in 2002's ''
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 ...
'', which was arguably his second-largest role to date; he appears in the Muppet Theater in a few scenes and in the Moulin Scrooge scene as the green fairy. After a five-year absence, Robin returned in '' A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa'', performed by Matt Vogel. He wore his Tiny Tim attire in a 2009 appearance on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' and made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the film ''
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 ...
''. Robin, along with his Uncle Kermit, appeared again on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' to sing "When the River Meets the Sea" on December 23, 2011, once again, performed by Matt Vogel. He also made a brief speaking cameo in 2014's ''
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 ...
'', again performed by Vogel. Robin (voiced by Vogel) is the "guest star" of the February 23, 2016 episode of ''
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 ...
'' titled "The Muppets (TV series)#Episodes, Little Green Lie". In the episode, Kermit and Miss Piggy pretend to still be in a relationship so as not to upset Robin, whose parents are divorcing.


Sweetums

* Performed by
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'', ' ...
(1971, in-suit performer, 2000), Carl Banas (1971, voice only), Richard Hunt (1976–1991), John Henson (puppeteer), John Henson (1991, 1996–2005), Victor Yerrid (2005), Noel MacNeal (2006-2009), Matt Vogel (2009–present) Sweetums is a very large, imposing and hairy ogre about nine feet tall. Despite appearing physically intimidating, he is often depicted as friendly and harmless. Sweetums has very thick blondish-brown hair all over his body. He has a very large lower jaw, similar to a bulldog, which juts out, revealing two pointy tusk-like teeth. He has thick, brown eyebrows over his large yellow eyes and large nose. He often wears a shabby, burlap-like brown shirt. Many are fooled by his intimidating appearance, but he is very nice and humble, hence his name, "Sweetums". Sweetums first appeared on the television special ''The Frog Prince (Muppets), The Frog Prince'' (based on the The Frog Prince, story of the same name) in 1971 as the henchman of a full-bodied Taminella Ginderfall (who was previously seen in the pilots to ''Tales of the Tinkerdee'' and ''The Land of Tinkerdee''). There he tried to eat the hero, played by Kermit the Frog, Kermit's nephew #Robin the Frog, Robin. He later performed a duet with Robin and the two appeared together on Product (business), merchandise as best friends. During his first appearance, Sweetums was performed by Muppeteer
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'', ' ...
and voiced by voice veteran Carl Banas, but soon after, Richard Hunt made the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run of ''
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 ...
'' and the first two Muppet movies. During the making of Muppet*Vision 3D when Hunt's health deteriorated, Muppet creator
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 son, John Henson (puppeteer), John Henson, did the puppetry, while Hunt did the voice. After Richard Hunt died, John Henson eventually took over both the voice and puppetry. Sweetums also played a car Jack (device), jack in a used-car lot 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 ...
'' where a salesman introduced him as his Jack. When called "Jack" by Kermit, he replied, "Jack not name; jack job!". After Kermit and his friends ask him if he wants to go to Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood with them, he shouts "Hollywood!" repeatedly and runs away, only to come back with his suitcase shortly after the group has left. He pursues the group for the duration of the movie, finally making it to Hollywood, bursting through the movie screen, shouting "I made it!!" During the montage of the Muppets getting back together again 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 ...
'', Sweetums is shown working at the same lot and is again forced to chase after the group's car. He also has minor roles 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 ...
'', ''Muppet Treasure Island'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', and various other Muppet specials. Sweetums was performed by Matt Vogel in 2011's ''The Muppets'' and ''Muppets Most Wanted''. The character also appears at Walt Disney World Resort, Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios in ''Muppet*Vision 3D''. He is the only Muppet to appear "live" in the show. All other Muppets that appear in the theater are Audio-Animatronics, audio-animatronics. The character was seen in an episode of ''Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony''. In the 2015 TV series, Sweetums is in charge of the cue cards for the show.


Other characters


Frackles

Frackles are a classification of Muppet monsters. They first appeared in a television special called ''
The Great Santa Claus Switch ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'' is a musical Christmas special featuring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on CBS on December 20, 1970, as an episode of ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with ...
''. They would then appear in later franchises, such as ''
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 ...
''. Characteristics of a Frackle include fur and toothy beaks. They are normally small in stature, but there are exceptions. The Frackles became nameless, utility characters without personalities. They often changed appearance, performer, name and gender depending on the sketch and show. Gonzo the Great, Gonzo originated as a Frackle living in a cigar box in ''
The Great Santa Claus Switch ''The Great Santa Claus Switch'' is a musical Christmas special featuring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on CBS on December 20, 1970, as an episode of ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with ...
''.


Penguins

The Muppet version of the Penguins are often seen in various Muppet productions. While most of them are nameless, there had been some known Penguins that were named: * Gloria Estefan Penguin (performed by Peter Linz) – A Magellanic penguin chick who has a fondness for drinking martinis that debuts in the TV series ''The Muppets''. Gloria was adopted by Miss Piggy during her trip to Argentina and quickly forms a bond with Uncle Deadly. * Nicky Napoleon (performed by James Kroupa) – A penguin from ''Muppet*Vision 3D'' and ''Little Muppet Monsters'' who is the leader of the band Nicky Napoleon and His Emperor penguin, Emperor Penguins. * Winky Pinkerton (performed by Steve Whitmire in the "Loretta Lynn" episode) – A penguin who does bird impressions and is the first known Penguin to appear in ''The Muppet Show'' before the generic Penguins came into view. He was built by
Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
. The 2018 version of ''Muppet Babies (2018 TV series), Muppet Babies'' introduced Summer Penguin (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) who is the Muppet Babies' residential artist and the shortest of the group.


Whatnots

The Whatnots are Muppets extra (acting), extras designed with blank heads and customizable faces, clothes, and hair that can be customized for different roles. Similar generic puppets used for ''
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 ...
'' are known as Anything Muppets. The characters of Scooter, #Lew Zealand, Lew Zealand, and #Marvin Suggs, Marvin Suggs were originally created using Whatnot puppets before permanent puppets were made for them. The Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz opened in 2008, which allowed people to purchase a custom Whatnot with chosen clothes and facial features. Whatnot kits were later sold through Toys 'R' Us after the chain acquired FAO Schwarz.


Additional characters


See also

* Sesame Street characters, List of ''Sesame Street'' characters * List of Fraggle Rock characters, List of ''Fraggle Rock'' characters


References

{{The Muppets The Muppets characters, Lists of Disney characters, Muppets Disney characters originating in television