Kermit the Frog



Performer: Jim Henson (1955-1990), Steve Whitmire (1990-present)

First appearance: Sam and Friends

Recent appearances: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz; Thanksgiving commercials for Target; promotional appearance in Kermit, TX.

Kermit has commented on many occasions that "as a tadpole in the swamp, I had 3,265 brothers and sisters!" More of his childhood adventures were chronicled in Kermit's Swamp Years.

Although Miss Piggy would want us to believe otherwise, Kermit states that they are "just friends". He is close friends with Fozzie Bear and has a nephew, Robin the Frog.

Kermit's official birthday is May 9th, 1955.

Origins
An early version of Kermit appeared in 1955, in a five minute puppet show for WRC-TV Sam and Friends. The prototype Kermit was created from a green ladies' coat that Henson's mother had thrown in the trash can, and two ping-pong balls for eyes. The early Kermit was a sort of lizard-like creature.

In the early days of the character Kermit was not a frog. As Jim Henson described "all the characters in those days were abstract". Kermit truly became a frog in the late 60s -- he was called a frog in Hey Cinderella!, a TV special from 1969.

Jim Henson chose Kermit as his main signature character because the puppet was the lightest in weight, and thus the most comfortable to use for extended periods of time.

Kermit on Sesame Street
Kermit's most famous role on Sesame Street is his role as a news reporter for the Sesame Street News Flash segments, interviewing characters from nursery rhymes and fairy tales. One of his most memorable works was the song Bein' Green. He has also given a lot of lectures Some of Kermit's Lectures have been for the letter W, hands, and Big and Short.

Awards and Honors

 * The Animal Planet program The 50 Greatest TV Animals included Kermit at number 2 on their list.
 * Kermit received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2002.
 * Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996 at Southampton College, where he also gave a commencement speech.
 * Kermit's song The Rainbow Connection was also a big hit from The Muppet Movie; it's the only song sung by a frog to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Rumors

 * There have been rumors that Kermit was named after the original Sesame Street Muppet designer, Kermit Love. Since Jim Henson had worked on Kermit the Frog since he was in eight grade, this is not the case. However, Henson said Kermit was named after one of his childhood friends, Theodore Kermit Scott, who is now a Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University.
 * After the death of Jim Henson, many reports claimed that Jim's son, Brian Henson, would be the one carrying on the character, incorrectly assuming this because Brian Henson had puppeteering experience. Steve Whitmire has performed Kermit since Henson's death.
 * It is claimed that Kermit's guest hosting of The Tonight Show was so well received that the show's producers resolved never to repeat the stunt for fear of angering the regular host, Johnny Carson.

Casting History

 * Jim Henson - from Sam and Friends (1955) to The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)


 * Steve Whitmire - from The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990) to Present