Lenny the Lizard

PERFORMER	various
DEBUT	1976
DESIGN	Jim Henson designer
	Don Sahlin builder

Lenny the Lizard is a turquoise lizard with yellow ping pong ball eyes, black eyelashes and pointy teeth who often performed with the monsters and Frackles. He bears a passing, although somewhat sinister, resemblance to Kermit the Frog.

In fact, Lenny substituted for Kermit in two appearances on The Muppet Show, first in "The Glow-Worm" sketch that Kermit made famous on variety shows in the 1960s, and later when he auditioned for the role of the show's emcee in episode 208.

The Lenny puppet was later recycled as Wendell Wizard in an episode of Mopatop's Shop as well as one of the two Guys.

Performers

• Dave Goelz in episode 103
• Jerry Nelson in episode 107
• Jim Henson in episode 204
• Richard Hunt in episode 208

Filmography

• The Muppet Show
  • "The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 2-5)
  • Episode 103: Joel Grey ("Comedy Tonight")
  • Episode 107: Florence Henderson ("Happy Together")
  • Episode 204: Rich Little ("The Glow-Worm")
  • Episode 208: Steve Martin (Emcee Audition)
  • Episode 217: Julie Andrews ("I Whistle a Happy Tune")
  • Episode 317: Spike Milligan
  • Episode 424: Diana Ross ("I Go to Rio")
• The Muppet Movie (the "Rainbow Connection" finale)
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
• Muppets Tonight
  • Episode 203: Heather Locklear ("The Coffee Song")
• Mopatop's Shop
  • "Whispers" (as a Guy with a tie)
  • "The Wizard's Wand" (as Wendell Wizard)

Book appearances

• The Muppets Character Encyclopedia
• Muppets Meet the Classics: The Phantom of the Opera