Rizzo the Rat

Rizzo the Rat is a rat who has a tendency to crack mocking jokes at others or make fun of them. Sometimes, as seen in The Muppets Take Manhattan, he tries to cheat people into getting something he wants. However, he also has a sensitive side (according to Tim Hill and Gonzo during an audio commentary for Muppets from Space) and is good friends with a couple of characters. He was created by Steve Whitmire after he took a fascination to a bunch of old rat puppets made from bottles by Don Sahlin for The Muppet Musicians of Bremen. Whitmire made costumes for Rizzo, and the Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter (vol. 2, no. 4, 1980) claimed that "It is Rizzo's greatest ambition to wear a different costume every time he appears in a shot! Watch out for this well-dressed rodent -- he has every intention of succeeding. Rat on, Rizzo!"

Rizzo first appeared in episode 418 of The Muppet Show, as one of a group of rats following Christopher Reeve around backstage. He can be seen mugging and reacting to practically every line of dialogue. His first known mention by name on-screen was by Kermit in episode 422. He remained a scene-stealing background figure through the final season, occasionally performing with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

He had a minor role in The Great Muppet Caper and a larger supporting part in The Muppets Take Manhattan, but his "big break" occurred when Jerry Juhl paired him with Gonzo to narrate The Muppet Christmas Carol. He has since become one of the principal Muppet characters, also starring in Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, Muppets Tonight, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (appearing in the latter as the Mayor of Munchkinland).

Since The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rizzo and Gonzo have been best pals. However, that wasn't their first pairing together. They had previously interracted in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, and appeared in a sketch together on Good Morning America, broadcast March 10, 1992. Rizzo and Pepe the King Prawn also seem to have a strong friendship in Muppets from Space. Although Rizzo has no lines in the 2011 film, The Muppets, he and Gonzo were interviewed together behind the scenes. In an interview, Nick Stoller explained that they tried to include as many characters as possible, but couldn't find a spot for him (or Bean Bunny) in the movie. His absence is referenced in Muppets Most Wanted, in a scene where he and Robin point out that the previous film replaced older characters such as themselves with the new character Walter.

In the 1999 book Muppets from Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic, Whitmire said: "[Playing Rizzo] was tough at first. I was much more inhibited about the performance because I wasn't sure who he was or what I should do with him. Plus, they wanted him to be a sarcastic sort of New York character. I'm from Atlanta, you know? I mean, I didn't know anything about a sarcastic New York character, so I sort of had to grow into him."

Rizzo also tried to impersonate Mickey Mouse in Muppet Vision 3-D to get money from Sam the Eagle, though his disguise didn't work.

Rizzo is named after Ratso Rizzo, a character from Midnight Cowboy portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. This name was suggested by Frank Oz.

Filmography

 * The Muppet Show
 * Episode 418: Christopher Reeve
 * Episode 419: Lynda Carter
 * Episode 422: Andy Williams
 * Episode 423: Carol Channing
 * Episode 424: Diana Ross
 * Episode 501: Gene Kelly
 * Episode 502: Loretta Swit
 * Episode 503: Joan Baez
 * Episode 504: Shirley Bassey
 * Episode 505: James Coburn
 * Episode 506: Brooke Shields
 * Episode 507: Glenda Jackson
 * Episode 509: Debbie Harry
 * Episode 510: Jean-Pierre Rampal
 * Episode 511: Paul Simon
 * Episode 513: Tony Randall
 * Episode 514: Mac Davis
 * Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt
 * Episode 524: Roger Moore
 * The Muppets Go to the Movies
 * The Great Muppet Caper
 * I Love Liberty
 * The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show
 * Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
 * A Muppet Family Christmas
 * The Jim Henson Hour
 * Episode 103: Monster Telethon
 * The Muppets at Walt Disney World
 * Muppet*Vision 3D pre-show
 * The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
 * Good Morning America
 * The Muppet Christmas Carol
 * also "Christmas Around the World" featurette
 * Inaugural Celebration for Children
 * Muppet Treasure Island
 * also DVD video menus and the video's commentary
 * Muppet Classic Theater (performed in one part by Dave Goelz)
 * Muppets Tonight
 * all episodes save episode 202
 * Muppetisms
 * Larry King Live, 1994 (CNN bumpers)
 * Muppets from Space
 * also silhouette video commentary
 * It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
 * Mastercard
 * The Muppets Wizard of Oz
 * The Muppet Show: Season Two video menus
 * The Muppets on Muppets
 * Disney Xtreme Digital
 * Muppet Moments
 * Secret Elevator Tapes
 * VerminVision (TM)
 * Miss Piggy's MOI-zersize
 * Pepe's Muppet Moments
 * "Do Not Touch" button
 * Studio DC: Almost Live!
 * A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
 * D23 Expo (2009)
 * Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. commercials
 * Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
 * Muppet viral videos
 * Rolling with the Skateboarding Dog
 * The Skateboarding Dog Gets Served
 * "Bohemian Rhapsody"
 * Lost Slapdown
 * The Muppet Show Theme Music Video
 * The Muppets
 * Kermit's Party
 * The Case of the Stolen Show
 * Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
 * Toyota
 * Muppets Most Wanted

Book appearances

 * Gonzo and the Giant Chicken (1982)
 * Two for the Show (1982)
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan comic (1984)
 * Muppet Treasure Island (1995)
 * Muppet Time (1996)
 * Rizzo's Bike Sale (1996)
 * The Rat Pack: A Muppet Countdown Adventure (1997)
 * Kermit's Mixed-Up Valentines (2000)
 * The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009-2012)
 * Muppet Robin Hood (2009)
 * Peg-Leg Wilson (2009)
 * Muppet Peter Pan (2009)
 * The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space (2009)
 * The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road (2010)
 * The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Four Seasons (2011)
 * Muppet King Arthur (2010)
 * Muppet Snow White (2010)
 * Kermit's Costume Caper (2012)
 * The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)

Albums

 * Muppet Beach Party
 * Kermit Unpigged
 * A Green and Red Christmas

Video Games

 * The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside
 * Muppet RaceMania
 * Muppet Monster Adventure
 * The Muppets: On with the Show!
 * Muppets Party Cruise
 * My Muppets Show