Stunt Muppets

Though the Muppets usually perform their own stunts, at times certain movements or scenes in the Muppet films have been accomplished through stunt doubles, often in full-body suits. In most instances, the doubles are only used for long-shots, with the regular puppet and performer intercut for close-ups. Most often, however, Muppet stunts have been achieved through careful rigging and radio controls. Fred Buchholz served as "Muppet Stunt Coordinator" for several films.

The Great Muppet Caper
A full-body Miss Piggy puppet is constructed. The double was used for certain motorcycle riding scenes. However, the use of a double is most noticeble when Piggy crashes through The Mallory Gallery and attacks Nicky Holliday. Kiran Shah, who also performed stunts for Jen and the Skeksis Chamberlain in The Dark Crystal, performed Miss Piggy's stunts uncredited.

The Muppets Take Manhattan
During the sequence where Miss Piggy is mugged in Central Park, the character had to don roller skates to pursue the thief, and then leap off of a hill. The roller-skating doubles are shown in long-shot, behind the thief, with the face deliberately obscured. The same method is used when Piggy leaps onto the thief, at which point the puppet takes over. Cheryl Blackman, Denise Lucadomo, and Christa Tomasulo were credited as Miss Piggy's doubles.

Follow That Bird
According to Caroll Spinney, speaking at a 2004 Brooklyn Academy of Music event, a stunt double was used for the scene where Big Bird leaps from the moving truck. For the scenes where Count Von Count and Oscar the Grouch are supposedly handling vehicles, a stunt driver was crouched inside the hood, watching the road through a television monitor. During the scene where the Sloppy Jalopey swerves into a field, the car was wrecked after hitting a rock.

Muppet Treasure Island
For the swordfighting scene, stunt coordinator Nick Powell, a champion swordsman, performed Kermit the Frog's right-hand, to ensure the accuracy of the frog's technique when battling Long John Silver.