PERFORMER | Matt Vogel |
DEBUT | 2014 |
Constantine is the world's "Number One" criminal and a doppelgänger of Kermit the Frog. He is the main antagonist in the film Muppets Most Wanted, along with his sidekick Dominic Badguy (aka "Number Two"). Constantine sets out to steal an enormous diamond. However, mayhem ensues when he gets entangled with the Muppet troupe on their European tour.
He is almost identical to Kermit aside from a few details. His pupils are shaped like Kermit's, but are slanted in toward each other at a sharper angle. Kermit's signature 11-point collar is duplicated, but Constantine's is notably shorter. The most distinguishable difference is a beauty mark on Constantine's face that he has covered up. Kermit is seen with the beauty mark while detained in a Russian gulag, presumably mistaken for Constantine. Constantine also has a strong Russian accent, which he disguised by saying that "Kermit" had a cold.
Background
When asked whether he would be playing both the role of himself and Constantine, Kermit replied in the negative (although he did imply that nepotism was involved in casting):
- "No. We talked about putting me in makeup and having me play both roles, but we decided Constantine needed to be a guy who could do a Russian accent. And, you know, I'm a pretty accomplished actor and all, but besides The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island films, I've only really ever played myself. The great thing is, I have like 3,000 relatives back in the swamp, so it was quite easy to find a frog who could play Constantine."[1]
Behind the Scenes
A March 2014 article in The New York Times described the creation of Constantine, speaking to Muppets Most Wanted director James Bobin and Constantine's performer, Matt Vogel:
"Evilen Froggen" posters
Constantine's German language "Wanted" posters across Berlin, while mostly correct, feature some mock-German in the phrase "Evilen Froggen." In order to claim correctness, it would have to depict Constantine as a "Böser Frosch" instead.
Sources
- ↑ Entertainment Weekly. Exclusive: A first look at the Muppets sequel, 'Muppets...Again!'. January 30, 2013.
- ↑ Murphy, Mekado. "One of These Frogs Is Extremely Dangerous: For Muppets Most Wanted, Kermit's Evil Twin." The New York Times, March 14, 2014.