Uncle Deadly

PERFORMER	Jerry Nelson 1976-1979
	Matt Vogel 2011-present
DEBUT	1976
DESIGN	Michael K. Frith designer
	Dave Goelz builder

Uncle Deadly, beautiful assistant.

Uncle Deadly sneaks up on Kermit.

On the set of 2011's The Muppets.

Uncle Deadly, rebuilt for his comeback in The Muppets. In the film, he and Bobo work for Tex Richman.

Uncle Deadly as Miss Piggy's Wardrobe Supervisor in the 2015 series The Muppets.

An early sketch by Michael Frith in which Deadly is conceptualized as a gargoyle.

A later sketch by Frith more closely resembles his final design.

The rare appearance of Uncle Deadly's tail in a 2017 Halloween YouTube video (YouTube)

Uncle Deadly is a blue, reptilian-looking creature, also known as "the Phantom of the Muppet Show". Deadly made occasional appearances on The Muppet Show, and faded from prominence when the show ended. In 2011, Deadly returned in a pivotal role in The Muppets, as Tex Richman's henchman, and later became a prominent character on the ABC series The Muppets.

Although he made his first appearance alongside Vincent Price on episode 119 of The Muppet Show, Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at The Muppet Theatre, where he once played his most difficult role, Othello. On opening night he was killed... by the critics.

Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including "Sheik of Araby" and a bar of "You're Just in Love" with Ethel Merman. He was featured in the Muppet Melodrama sketches with Miss Piggy and Wayne in the third season, of which only two were made. Although he didn't have a major role in most of the Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in the final group scenes at the end of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan. He also appeared on The Tonight Show in 1979 when Kermit the Frog hosted, where he was reunited with Vincent Price.

In the December 2000 issue of the Writers' Guild magazine Written By, which featured interviews with Muppet writers Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and John Derevlany, it was mentioned that one of the projects Thatcher had in development was a silly Goosebumps-type TV show called "Uncle Deadly's House of Badness." The project never got off the ground, and it's unknown if a pilot was filmed or if a script was even completed.

According to Jerry Nelson, Uncle Deadly was his tribute to actor John Carradine, whose sometimes hammy performances were a staple of horror films.

After over twenty years of absence, Uncle Deadly returned in The Muppets, as the "sinister second-in-command" to Tex Richman. In a press junket interview, Uncle Deadly explained that in his spare time, he had been haunting Stage 28 (one of the filming locations for the movie), switching every other day with The Phantom of the Opera. They both took the weekends off, to which Deadly added "Even a phantom must rest." (YouTube) He and Bobo also cameo together during the wedding scene and during the ending song in Muppets Most Wanted.

In The Muppets, Uncle Deadly works in wardrobe for Up Late with Miss Piggy, taking great care to ensure Miss Piggy never knows her dress size, and often panics over loose threads or lint on anyone. 

Since 2017, Uncle Deadly hosts Muppet Thought of the Week on The Muppets YouTube Channel.

Notes

• Early concept artwork depicts the character as a gargoyle-like creature.
• In The Muppets junior novelization, Uncle Deadly is described as a "dragon".

Filmography

• The Muppet Show
  • "The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 2 - 5)
  • Episode 119 ("House of Horror sketch", "You've Got a Friend", Backstage, Goodnight)
  • Episode 121 (Backstage, Goodnight)
  • Episode 122 ("You're Just in Love," "Mutual Admiration Society," Goodnight)
  • Episode 207 ("Consider Yourself," Goodnight)
  • Episode 208 (Audience)
  • Episode 212 ("Sheik of Araby")
  • Episode 217 ("I Whistle a Happy Tune")
  • Episode 304 (Muppet Melodrama, Goodnight)
  • Episode 306 (Muppet Melodrama)
  • Episode 308 (Opening)
• The Tonight Show
• The Muppet Movie (the "Rainbow Connection" finale)
• The Muppets Take Manhattan (Wedding Finale)
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
• The Muppets at Walt Disney World (introduction with Michael Eisner)
• "The Muppet Show Theme" music video
• The Muppets (and press kit interviews)
• Muppets Most Wanted
• The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
• The Muppets
• Warburtons commercial
• Muppet Thought of the Week
• The Muppets Take the Bowl

Print appearances

• The Comic Muppet Book
• The Muppet Show Book
• Muppet Show Advent calendar
• Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill
• Muppet Magazine - Fall 1983 (standing in for Scooter in a Halloween makeup feature)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book - issues #1 & 3
• The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson - issue #3
• Muppet Robin Hood - issue #2
• Muppet King Arthur - issue #1 (David Petersen cover) & issue #4 (crowd scenes)
• Muppet Snow White - issues #2-4 (as a hired assassin)
• Muppet Sherlock Holmes - issues #3 and #4 (as Duncan Ross)
• The Muppets: Meet the Muppets
• The Muppets Character Encyclopedia
• Muppets Meet the Classics: The Phantom of the Opera

Merchandise

• Black Pete card game
• Uncle Deadly Action Figure
• Uncle Deadly as Emperor Palpatine action figure
• Vinylmation figure