Kermit the Frog

PERFORMER	Jim Henson 1955-1990
	Steve Whitmire 1990-2016
	Matt Vogel 2017-present
	→CASTING HISTORY...
DEBUT	1955
DESIGN	Jim Henson

Kermit the Frog, arguably Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, was the star and host of The Muppet Show, played a significant role on Sesame Street, and served as the logo of The Jim Henson Company. He continues to star in the Muppet movies and makes numerous TV appearances.

Kermit grew up in a swamp with thousands of siblings and has talked occasionally about other members of his family. His childhood adventures were chronicled in the 2002 direct-to-video film Kermit's Swamp Years. Kermit also has a nephew named Robin.

Miss Piggy insists that she and Kermit were married in The Muppets Take Manhattan, and that they're very happy. Kermit disagrees, claiming that it was just a movie and that in real life, they have a "professional relationship" (meaning he thinks they're professionals and she thinks they're in a relationship).

Kermit's signature introduction phrase, first used on Sesame Street, is "Hi-ho, Kermit the Frog here!" He typically introduced acts on The Muppet Show by waving his arms wildly and shouting, "Yaaaay!" (a technique he learned from his old acting coach, Mr. Dawson).

Kermit has been credited as the writer of three books: For Every Child, A Better World; One Frog Can Make a Difference; and Before You Leap.

Character origins

Kermit on Sam and Friends.

Kermit, collared and flippered, as seen on Sesame Street.

Kermit (abstract) and Kermit (the Frog).

The earliest version of Kermit was built in March of 1955, making his debut on the WRC-TV series Afternoon. This was followed by Sam and Friends, Jim Henson's five-minute puppet show that aired twice daily on the same station, with Kermit's first known appearance in August for a sketch in which he lip synced to Danny Kaye in "It's a Quiet Town."

The soon-to-be-famous frog had humble origins, as Henson explained in 1977: "I'd paint the scenery, and Janie would carry it in the station wagon. We made the first Kermit from one of my mother's old coats with Ping-Pong balls for his eyes." The character, however, was first copyrighted in 1956. Kermit's voice was inspired by a similar voice that Stan Freberg used to do.

In the early days of the character, Kermit wasn't a frog yet -- he was more of a lizard-like, abstract character. As Henson explained, "Kermit started out as a way of building, putting a mouth and covering over my hand. There was nothing in Kermit outside of the piece of cardboard -- it was originally cardboard -- and the cloth shape that was his head. He's one of the simplest kinds of puppets that you can make, and he's very flexible because of that... which gives him a range of expression."

In later years, Henson said that Kermit didn't become a frog until the 1971 special The Frog Prince, a claim that made its way into the 1993 book Jim Henson: The Works.

However, Kermit's froghood asserted itself as early as 1965, when Johnny Carson referred to him as "Kermit the Frog" on a December 31st Tonight Show appearance. The 1966 Montgomery Ward catalog which featured the Ideal Muppet puppets refers to Kermit as a "fanciful frog". Kermit refers to himself as a frog in the 1968 special The Muppets on Puppets. The special Hey Cinderella!, which was recorded in 1968, featured a redesigned Kermit puppet; his round feet were replaced with flippers, and he was given a fringed collar with thirteen points. By the time that Kermit appeared on the Sesame Street Pitch Reel, he was a full-fledged frog.

Kermit sported a double collar for a brief period in the early 1970s, including in The Frog Prince and several early seasons of Sesame Street. By the time he took over as the level-headed but often exasperated host of The Muppet Show, it was changed to the trademark single collar with eleven points that he still wears today.

See also When did Kermit become a frog?.

Kermit on Sesame Street

Kermit, with his double collar, on the famous brick wall set in an early 1970s sketch on Sesame Street.

Jim Henson performs Kermit for one of his "News Flash" segments in the 1970s.

Kermit the Frog, Smart Person

Kermit's most famous role on Sesame Street was his appearances as a news reporter for the Sesame Street News Flash segments, interviewing characters from nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

One of his most memorable performances was the song "Bein' Green." Some of his other Sesame Street songs include "This Frog," "On My Pond," and "Caribbean Amphibian."

He has also given many lectures on simple subjects. Some of Kermit's lectures have been for the letter W, hands, and "Tall and Short." He appeared in the "Monsterpiece Theater" segment "Gone with the Wind," as well as an appearance in a "Miami Mice" sketch.

Kermit was sometimes seen at his home on Sesame Street; Grover would often come to Kermit's house and sell things a frog can't use (such as toothbrushes and earmuffs). Apart from these disturbances, he sang "My Polliwog Ways" at home while imagining that his living room was a nightclub full of guests. Kermit also took part in several talk spots with kids.

Unlike other Sesame Street characters, Sesame Workshop never had any ownership of Kermit the Frog. Because of this, Kermit has rarely been part of Sesame Street merchandise. He has appeared in many Sesame Street videos, most notably Big Bird's Storytime and, of course, The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. His songs have also appeared on many Sesame Street albums. The only Kermit toy released as a Sesame Street toy was the Magic Talking Kermit the Frog plush, released in 1999. In 2005, he appeared on a Sesame Street winter hat by Berkshire Fashions.

While Kermit the Frog is owned by The Walt Disney Company, Sesame Workshop retains the right to show old Kermit segments in various outlets. Kermit's only appearance in new content on Sesame Street since Disney's acquisition was a cameo in Elmo's World: Frogs in the 2009 season 40 premiere episode. Kermit made a special return appearance once more in the 50th anniversary special, reprising his famous song with Elvis Costello.

When the Muppet TV special Hey Cinderella! aired on ABC in 1970, criticism arose that Kermit the Frog had become too commercial, and that the character would be dropped from Sesame Street. "When the new season starts November 9, expect changes. There will be no more know-it-all frog, since Kermit, the one Muppet who is not exclusive to Sesame Street, is opting out to do commercials" (Look, Sept. 22, 1970). Time magazine reported with slightly more detail: "Kermit the Frog is being canned for commercialism. When Sesame Street was just a glint in Joan Ganz Cooney's eye, Kermit taped a special in Canada. When it was given a network airing, the frog was compromised. Or so Henson decided. .... He is being phased out of the show. He will be replaced by such Muppets as Herbert Birdsfoot and Sherlock Hemlock" (Time, November 23, 1970). Ultimately, of course, that did not turn out to be the case, as Kermit returned as a regular Sesame Street character in the third season (1971).

See also Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street.

Specials

Kermit has appeared in almost every major special from The Jim Henson Company. He had a fairly major supporting role in Hey Cinderella!, a major role in The Frog Prince, and narrated Tales of the Tinkerdee, The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, The Christmas Toy, Billy Bunny's Animal Songs, and Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree.

However, when The Muppet Show was in development, Kermit was not intended to be the main character. In The Muppets Valentine Show, he had a major supporting role and starred in two sketches, but the host was Wally. In The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, Kermit appeared in the audience during the wrestling sketches and had one line in "At the Dance." After the special was made, Jim Henson realized that the pilot's host, Nigel, was not working out as a main character, and it was suggested to Henson that Kermit be the star instead.

The Muppet Show

Kermit singing Bein' Green on The Muppet Show episode 219.

Kermit at his desk, backstage at The Muppet Show.

Kermit became a star when he hosted The Muppet Show, acting as the host and the person ultimately in charge of what went on during the show. During the first season, it seemed as if he treated his fellow cast and crew members more like employees, but later on, as the characters developed, it became clear that they were his friends as well.

In addition to hosting, Kermit regularly got to chat with the guest stars, in the Panel Discussions and Talk Spots, as well as backstage and in some numbers. Some of the guest stars whom Kermit has sung duets with have included Linda Ronstadt, Connie Stevens, Andy Williams, and Debbie Harry.

Kermit also sang on his own on the show many times, rendering songs such as "Happy Feet," "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," "Disco Frog," and, of course, "Bein' Green." His duets with other characters include singing "Friendship" and "Octopus' Garden" with his nephew, Robin; he also participated in many group numbers.

Being the main character, Kermit interacted with most of the main cast of the show. He was often pursued by Miss Piggy, who made no secret of her love for him, but Kermit generally rebuffed her advances. Although Piggy loved him, that didn't stop her from karate-chopping him whenever she got mad at him. Miss Piggy unsuccessfully tried to make Kermit jealous of guest star Avery Schreiber, but on some occasions, Kermit actually has gotten jealous of male guest stars who Piggy liked, including Peter Ustinov and Christopher Reeve. Kermit has also performed a few duets with Miss Piggy, such as "Waiting at the Church," "Ukulele Lady," and "I Won't Dance." They even danced together in an At the Dance spot in episode 123.

Many episodes revolved around the complex relationship between Kermit and Miss Piggy. Episode 107 revolved around Miss Piggy pursuing Kermit. In episode 211, Miss Piggy had Scooter pay the audience to cheer at her so that Kermit would notice her more. In episode 423, Miss Piggy got some shoes that were too small for her feet, but when Kermit complimented the shoes, she reluctantly kept them. One of the most relationship focused episodes was episode 502, in which, after being annoyed over Miss Piggy telling the gossip papers that they were secretly married, Kermit fires Miss Piggy. However, Kermit eventually hires her back. In episode 310, Piggy tricks Kermit into a wedding sketch with a real minister she secretly booked. He realized the minister was a real one in the nick of time, however, to Miss Piggy's rage.

He is good friends with Fozzie Bear. They appeared together in acts such as "Any Old Iron" and Kermit has reluctantly joined Fozzie for some of his monologues, such as "Good Grief! The Comedian's a Bear!" and Fozzie's phrenology act. Kermit let Fozzie help him plan the show for episode 201, and when Kermit suddenly became sick in episode 206, Kermit chose to put Fozzie in charge of hosting.

Other episodes illustrating Kermit and Fozzie's relationship include episode 122, in which Fozzie brings his agent, Irving Bizarre, to the theater to negotiate Fozzie's contract with Kermit; episode 303, in which, after Fozzie mistakenly sends the stagehands to the country, Kermit makes Fozzie do their work, threatening to fire him if he blunders; and episode 105, where Kermit kept asking Fozzie who the many phone calls to the theater were from.

Although he generally functions as the "normal" and calm center of the show, at times, Kermit would panic or become annoyed and frustrated with the chaos around him. Sources of his frustration include the antics of Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's teleportation device (in episode 219), the presence of Mickey Moose (in episode 220) and a robot version of himself (in episode 104), and the various pranks pulled by Fozzie in episode 115. Kermit expressed annoyance at the acts proposed by Gonzo for the show and Crazy Harry's many explosions, and was discomfited by Scooter's frequent reminders that his uncle owned the theatre.

Beyond his frustrations, Kermit wasn't always the straight man himself. He engaged in sarcasm or insults (often towards Miss Piggy, to his peril, as in "Pig Calypso"). After ribbing Lesley Ann Warren in episode 315, the guest star says she thought he was the one who wasn't crazy. The frog quips, "Me not crazy? I hired the others."

Kermit has had major parts in many episodes of the show, and multiple episodes revolved around Kermit. In episode 112, Kermit became jealous of Peter Ustinov when Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Hilda, and Scooter all talked about how great Peter is, especially since Fozzie and Scooter were saying things about Peter that they had previously said about Kermit. In episode 410, Kermit hurts his flipper after falling off a trapeze, getting hit by a faulty light fixture, and later catapulting into Statler and Waldorf's box (putting Piggy in the "over-protective mother" position). In episode 523, Miss Piggy is jealous because Kermit has a crush on guest star Linda Ronstadt and decides to lock Kermit inside a trunk. Kermit's birthday was celebrated in episode 406, although, at the end of the episode, it was revealed that it was actually a few months before his real birthday.

After Kermit's role on The Muppet Show was established, he starred in subsequent specials relating to The Muppet Show family of characters, often in the starring role. In The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show, he had the job of being the director of the special. In The Muppets at Walt Disney World, it was revealed that the swamp where he grew up at is located near Walt Disney World. He continued to appear as the central character of the Muppets troupe in their later collective specials and appearances, although the size of his role would vary over time.

Movies

Kermit at home in the swamp.

Getting married on Broadway.

As Captain Abraham Smollett with Sam the Eagle as Samuel Arrow.

A young Kermit in Kermit's Swamp Years.

For the first three Muppet motion pictures, Kermit was very much the protagonist. His role as a leader, first established on The Muppet Show, was perpetuated in the movies as well.

The Muppet Movie, presented to the viewer as a movie made by the Muppets to explain how they met, revolved around Kermit's journey to Hollywood and the new friends he encountered along the way, friends who shared his dream to make it big in show business. However, Kermit's motive for becoming famous was the chance to "make millions of people happy," rather than financial gain. When offered to appear as the spokesfrog for the Doc Hopper's French Fried Frog Legs restaurant chain, Kermit denied all of Doc Hopper's requests, regardless of the threat of death by the over-zealous Doc. Two of the most well-known moments from the movie involve Kermit. One is the opening sequence, in which he sings one of his best-known songs, "Rainbow Connection" while playing his banjo in the swamp; the other, his bicycle ride shortly after.

In The Great Muppet Caper, Kermit was a reporter who traveled to England with Fozzie Bear and Gonzo to investigate a jewel thief robbery. In this movie, Kermit and Fozzie portrayed themselves as identical twin brothers.

In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Kermit wrote a musical called Manhattan Melodies, which he attempted to put on Broadway. He also worked part-time at Pete's Luncheonette and wore a few disguises in his attempts to sell the show to Broadway producers. During their big Broadway premiere musical finale, Piggy tricked Kermit into marrying her.

Although he appeared as himself in Muppets from Space, Kermit took on different identities in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, and the TV movie The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, playing the roles of Bob Cratchit, Captain Abraham Smollett, and The Scarecrow, respectively. In all of these films, Kermit played a more secondary role, acting as part of the ensemble.

In 2002, Kermit starred in the direct-to-video release Kermit's Swamp Years, which offered a glimpse into Kermit's life in the swamp as a young frog. The same year, he was one of the main characters in the full-length TV movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. Loosely based on the classic film It's a Wonderful Life, Kermit learns what the world would be like if he was never born.

In the 2011 film The Muppets, Muppet fans Gary, his girlfriend Mary, and his brother Walter track down Kermit (now living in a secluded Beverly Hills mansion) and help him reunite the Muppets and save their studio. In Muppets Most Wanted, Kermit is replaced by a doppelganger named Constantine, and is thrown into a Gulag.

The Jim Henson Hour

Kermit with some of The Jim Henson Hour cast; Bean Bunny, Leon, Lindbergh, Waldo C. Graphic, and Digit.

Kermit was the head of MuppeTelevision, the television station run by the Muppets in The Jim Henson Hour. One Kermit-centric episode was "Power," in which the other Muppets convinced Kermit to let them help run the show. However, after allowing them to do so, Kermit decided to take a vacation, leaving the others in a panic over what to do.

Other dilemmas that Kermit dealt with included going inside Digit's brain in order to fix him, keeping the ratings up, and dealing with mutated garbage.

Kermit also sang some songs on this show, including "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" and "Sweet Vacation." In episode 109, he told a story about how the nightingale got its voice.

Muppets Tonight

Kermit with some of the Muppets Tonight cast; Andy and Randy Pig, Fozzie Bear, Seymour, Rizzo, Gonzo, Pepe, Animal, Clifford, and Piggy.

On Muppets Tonight, Kermit was the producer and gave hosting duties to Clifford. However, Kermit was still a major character on the series, and even announced who the guest star was in the show's opening (just like he did on The Muppet Show). Kermit appeared in many parody sketches such as NYPD Green, City Schtickers, Flippers, and The Muppet Odd-Squad, as well as in the Psychiatrist's Office sketch.

Kermit also sang "Firefly" with Tony Bennett and attempted to sing "I Remember It Well" with Cindy Crawford. On his own, he sang "Once in a Lifetime," "Strolling Through the Park One Day" to Heather Locklear, and "Dancing in the Dark," the latter a flashback to Kermit's short-lived mid-life crisis.

In one episode, Kermit was part of a contest, "Win a Date with Kermit." The winner turned out to be Gilbert Gottfried, who was a big fan of Kermit. In another episode, the station got a new owner, Ernst Stavros Grouper, and after being annoyed with Grouper's demands, his insistence that Kermit become Virgil the Monkey, and his treatment of the Muppets, Kermit quit. After Mr. Grouper apologized, Kermit agreed to come back.

Changing Performers

Steve Whitmire performs Kermit, reporting for Sesame Street News.

After Jim Henson died, Steve Whitmire took over as Kermit. Whitmire's first performance as Kermit was in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, when he appeared at the end of the special. For the next few years, Kermit's function in Muppet productions became reminiscent of his earlier roles in the Tales from Muppetland and other specials, functioning as either narrator or in supporting roles, observing or commenting on the action but rarely as the central focus or starting point of the plot. Examples include his literary parts in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, and the direct-to-video Muppet Classic Theater. On Muppets Tonight, though Kermit still introduced the guests, he usually played a more detached role, as producer.

As performed by Whitmire, Kermit hosted the Muppet Sing-Along videos and starred in his own album, Kermit Unpigged, among many other performances through 2016.

Jane Henson reflected on the recasting, in a 1990 interview: "When Jim was alive, he said if anything happened to him, Kermit must go on right away. Because of Kermit's significant place, Jim had essentially chosen who he thought could do it. But we don't want to say who it is before the show. The performer needs time. Kermit won't come back so strong at first. Then little by little, he will get his whole personality back."

In 2011, Dave Goelz reflected on Kermit after Henson passed away:

“When Steve [Whitmire] took over Kermit, the character jumped a bit. It was definitely Steve's impression of Jim's Kermit, but then it went along this parallel track and developed even further into something that fit Steve. The fact that Steve was there, and that he had the ability to do this, was really quite an incredible stroke of luck.”

John Kennedy performed Kermit for a demonstration at MuppetFest in 2001 (opposite Whitmire's "young Kermit") and in 2006 for Muppets Ahoy! During September 2009, Kermit was performed by Artie Esposito for appearances on America's Got Talent, the MTV Video Music Awards and the second day of the D23 Expo singing "Rainbow Connection" (Kermit was mute in other footage taped for the event, and absent from subsequent days. It was explained to the audience that this was because he was in New York at the VMAs).

In 2017, fan blog ToughPigs.com published a statement from The Walt Disney Company: "Steve Whitmire is no longer working with the Muppets." Following Whitmire's departure, it was revealed that Matt Vogel would take over performing duties beginning with a Muppet Thought of the Week video. (see Steve Whitmire: Leaving the Muppets)

Awards and Honors

• He was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996, at Southampton College, where he also gave a commencement speech.
• Kermit received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.
• Kermit's song "The Rainbow Connection" was nominated for an Academy Award, as was "The First Time It Happens" from The Great Muppet Caper.
• Kermit has also received fictional awards, such as the aforementioned Fred Award, and in The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street, The Frog of the Year Award.

Notes

• A statue of Henson and Kermit was erected on the campus of Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park.
• Kermit is the only amphibian to have had the honor of addressing the Oxford Union.
• Kermit made a cameo in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium shopping for frog toys.
• Jim Henson's last taped performances as Kermit the Frog for Sesame Street includes a Sesame Street News Flash segment in which Kermit interviews a bird whose parents live in different trees and the song "I Wonder 'Bout the World Above Up There".
• When Steve Whitmire was mailed the Kermit puppet for the first time, he noticed that it "smelled like Jim." When he put the puppet on to perform in front of a mirror, he had Kermit turn around to him, seeming to be encouraging him to say something. Whitmire was so scared that he shelved it in another room and didn't even look at it for almost a month.
• Kermit, unlike most Muppets (and frogs), has five fingers.
• In a November 2011 appearance on George Stroumboulopoulos, Kermit says he has transparent eyelids.
• Kermit appears to have a crush on Mila Kunis: during the Muppets's appearance on Google+ Hangout, Miss Piggy demanded to know why he was looking up "Mila Kunis images."
• As of a 1977 Today appearance, Kermit lived in a New York penthouse. In the plot of the 2011 movie The Muppets, he lives in a gated mansion. (Other homes)
• According to the inside cover for The Kermit and Piggy Story, Kermit's middle name is "the."
• Kermit claims to have blue eyes in The Muppets on Puppets.
• According to a web-exclusive video from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Kermit graduated from Juilliard, where his roommate was Stay Human bandleader Jon Batiste.

Filmography

See Kermit the Frog filmography

Video game appearances

• Kermit's Electronic StoryMaker (1984)
• Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival (1990)
• Muppet RaceMania (2000)
• Muppet Monster Adventure (2000)
• Jim Henson's Muppets (2000)
• Muppets Party Cruise (2003)
• The Muppets: On with the Show! (2003)
• Spy Muppets: License to Croak (2003)
• My Muppets Show (2013)
• The Muppets Movie Adventures (2014)

See also

• Kermit (disambiguation)

Versions of Kermit

International Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog's Alternate Identities Kermit the Frog Impersonators Kermit the Frog Alternate Ages Reporter Kermit Baby Kermit

Young Kermit Kid Kermit Kermit the Frog (animated) Kermit walk-arounds Kermit (illustrated)

Evolution and appearance Kermit's Birthday Kermit the Frog Through the Years When did Kermit become a frog? Kermit the Frog's collar Kermit the Frog's eyes

Character traits Kermit the Frog's freakouts Kermit the Frog's love interests Kermit's political affiliation Kermit scrunch

Appurtenance Kermit's swamp Kermit's homes Kermit's car Kermit's office Kermit's family Kermit's shooting stars Kermit's tea cup

Filmography Kermit the Frog guest appearances Kermit songs Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street Kermit sketches from Sesame Street

Kermit and Piggy Are Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy married? Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy's offspring

Recurring Gags A frog in my throat Frogs causing warts

Rumors Does Jim Henson's son perform Kermit the Frog? Was Kermit named after a childhood friend of Jim Henson?

External links

• Kermit's page on Disney.com