List of Muppets

The Muppetsare an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created byJim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed here originated onThe Muppet Show, a television series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Since then, several more characters have been introduced in other television series, as well as theatrical films.
The first Muppet characters appeared inSam and Friends, aWashington, D.C.–based show which was broadcast from 1955 to 1961.Kermit the Frogwas one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations.The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television programSesame Street.Henson was initially reluctant to become involved withSesame Streetbecause he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals.Henson's company owned the characters created forSesame Streetuntil 2000,since 2000, they have instead been owned bySesame Workshopand are now considered a separate franchise.
These characters have been owned byThe Muppets Studio, a division ofThe Walt Disney Company, after Disney acquired the characters fromThe Jim Henson Companyin 2004.
A pragmaticfrogwho is thestraight manprotagonistandde factoleader of the Muppets. Created byJim Hensonand introduced in 1955 onSam and Friends, Kermit, arguably Henson's best-known character, quickly became thede factoface of the franchise, including regularly appearing onSesame Street, sometimes as a reporter. He starred onThe Muppet Show, as theshowrunner, responsible for managing the show's production, and has appeared in every Muppet-branded production since.
Jim Hensonwas Kermit's performer from his debut until Henson's death in 1990.Steve Whitmireassumed the role and continued to perform Kermit until 2016.Matt Vogelreplaced Whitmire in 2017.
A temperamentaldivapig who is the Muppets break-out and "authenticsuperstar."Until 2015, she was theromanticsignificant otherof Kermit.Authors Maryanne Fisher and Anthony Cox call Piggy "uniquely strong and feminine," but "domineering and demanding." She was designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. During the first season of The Muppet Show, she was sometimes performed by Richard Hunt. Debuted in a 1974Herb Alperttelevision special, where she was performed byJerry Nelson.She is Oz's best-known character.
An insecure,stand-up comicbear introduced inThe Muppet Show. Fozzie's characterization was created byFrank Oz, who performed the character from his debut in 1976 until Oz's retirement in 2000.Eric Jacobsonhas performed the character since then.Finch calls Fozzie "a sweetly insecure and absolutely terrible comedian." According to Oz, Fozzie is such a bad comedian that he "can't afford good joke writers, and he can't write good jokes himself but still a good character." He was designed byMichael K. Frith.
An eccentric, hooked-nosed creature andstunt performanceenthusiast who debuted inThe Great Santa Claus Switchin 1970 as the Cigar Box Frackle. A running gag is that Gonzo's species is unknown. In pastMuppetsfilms and series, he was called a "whatever" and inMuppet Babies, Gonzo was known as a weirdo. InMuppets from Space, Gonzo is shown to be an alien. He was created byDave Goelz, who has performed Gonzo since his inception.
An easygoingpianistdog who first appeared inPurina Dog Chowcommercials. He was designed by Jim Henson.He then appeared inThe Jimmy Dean Show, asJimmy Dean's sidekick. Finch calls Rowlf "the first fully rounded character performed byJim Henson," and also calls him "wonderfully down-to-earth, with a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor" and "a master of the double take." He was built by Don Sahlin.
The loyalstage managerandgoferof the Muppet Theatre.Richard Huntbased Scooter's voice and personality on how he remembered himself when he was younger. He was designed byMichael K. Frith. Debuted in the first season ofThe Muppet Show.
The wild, frenzied monster drummer forDr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Author Christopher Finch calls Animal "the ultimate representation of a long line of Muppets who personify unbridled appetite,"both "carnivorous beast" and "physical manifestation of purelibido." He was designed byJim Hensonand built byDave Goelz. Debuted inThe Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.
A scheming and sassyLatinoking prawn,Pepe was introduced inMuppets Tonight, where he and Seymour would often work aselevator operatorsand commissarycooks. His first theatrical film appearance was inMuppets from Space. Pepe became the spokesman of restaurant chainLong John Silver'sin 2002.
Rizzo is a sly and wittybrown ratfrom theinner citythat Whitmire describes as "a sarcastic kind ofNew York Citycharacter," he debuted in season four.
A rockhouse bandconsisting of six members:Dr. Teeth, the gravelly-voiced leader andkeyboardplayer of the band,Floyd Pepper, the cynical "hippie"bass player,Janice, thelead guitarplayer with aflower childpersonality,Zoot, the laid-backsaxophoneplayer,Animal, the crazeddrummer, andLips, the mumblingtrumpetplayer. Other characters to perform with the Electric Mayhem on occasion were Rowlf the Dog on piano on many occasions, Rizzo on cymbals in the "Paul Simon" episode, Beaker on vocals in the "Diana Ross" episode, Scooter inThe Muppet Movie, Clifford inThe Muppets at Walt Disney World, and Crazy Harry as part of the band in the first episode and later.
An inventive yetabsent-minded scientistwho frequently performs science experiments and invention demonstrations that typically go awry and has an "affable cluelessness" whenever his assistant,Beaker, is a victim of these presentations. Bunsen serves as afoilfor Beaker.Bunsen debuted during the first season ofThe Muppet Showand was joined by Beaker during the second season.
A hapless lab assistant to Bunsen, who performs ill-fated experiments which often result in him becoming the victim and seriously injured. He was designed by Henson and built byDon Sahlin. Beaker debuted in the second season ofThe Muppet Show.
A non-sensical chef that speaks in mockSwedish. Based on the "standard finger puppet,"the Swedish Chef was originally a dual collaboration between Henson and Oz, who provided the hands. Oz would deliberately do unexpected things, like tossing chickens and juggling meat cleavers, that Henson would have to improvise with a reaction. He was designed byMichael K. Frithand built by Henson and Bonnie Erickson. He debuted inThe Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.
Two elderly and grumpy gentlemen who constantlyhecklethe Muppets from the audience, specifically from an upper balcony box onThe Muppet Show.Statler and Waldorfwere named after twoNew York Cityhotels: theStatler Hiltonand theWaldorf-Astoria. They were designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. They debuted inThe Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.
A patrioticbald eagleand the group's self-proclaimed delegator ofdisciplined manners and values. Critic Jordan Schildcrout describes Sam as "a cross betweenUncle Samand the bald eagle (which is the U.S. national bird and symbol) with a dash ofRichard Nixon, [who] represents aconservative, nationalistPuritanismthat makes him a snob and a prude." He was designed by Henson and built byDon Sahlin. Debuted inThe Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.Most recently, Sam has appeared alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo inThe Muppets Present...Great Moments in American Historyat theMagic Kingdomtheme park inOrlando, Florida.
A shy, soft-voiced human-like Muppet and obsessivefanof the Muppets. Introduced in the filmThe Muppets(2011), Walter is the younger brother of Gary (Jason Segel) in the film. Along with Gary and his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), Walter assists Kermit in reuniting the Muppets as an effort to raise enough money to regain control of the Muppet Theater from oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). After his successful contributions to the telethon with his lauded whistling act, Walter is accepted as a member of the Muppet ensemble. Walter returns inMuppets Most Wanted(2014), where he is instrumental in discovering Constantine's intentions and in rescuing Kermit.
Camilla the Chickenis thehenthat isGonzo's longtimelove interestonThe Muppet Show. This chicken with hay fever was performed by veteran Muppet performer,Jerry Nelson, and is seen frequently onThe Muppet Show, but also makes appearances on the various full-lengthMuppetmovies such asThe Muppets Take Manhattanwhere she hyperventilates after attacking a villain and needs "mouth-to-beakresuscitation," andThe Muppet Movieas Gonzo's plumber girl and is in the back of the car for the whole movie. She also appeared in TV specials such asA Muppet Family Christmaswhere she is seduced by the turkey who was invited to the family gathering by theSwedish Chef.
OnMuppet Babies, Camilla was Baby Gonzo's stuffed yellow chicken doll. She was voiced byFrank Welker, and subsequentlyDave CoulierandRussi Taylorwhen she came to life in Gonzo's imagination.
InThe Muppets' Wizard of Oz, the Tin Thing (played by Gonzo) mentions that he and Camilla are engaged, but this is never elaborated with the actual Gonzo. Camilla appears as Gonzo's business partner in the 2011 filmThe Muppets, where she and her chicken companions also perform "Forget You" in the big Muppet reunion show.
Uncle Deadlyis a sinister-looking, bluedragon-like monster who lurks around the Muppet Theater. He was originally performed byJerry NelsononThe Muppet Show. In his first full part on the show, in episode 121, he was known as "the Phantom of the Muppet Show." Although he made his first appearance alongsideVincent Priceon episode 119 ofThe Muppet Show, Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tellKermit the Frogthat 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 Theater, where he playedOthellountil he was killed...by the critics. Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including singing a bar of "You're Just in Love" withEthel Mermanand "Sheik of Araby," and performed in the Muppet Melodrama sketches withMiss Piggyand Wayne in season three. Although he did not have a major role in any of the Henson-helmed Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in the final group scenes at the end ofThe Muppet MovieandThe Muppets Take Manhattan. He also appeared onThe Tonight Showin 1979 when Kermit hosted.
Uncle Deadly made his first appearance in over 20 years inThe Muppets, in which he was performed byMatt Vogel. He and Bobo the Bear are the henchmen of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theatre and drill for oil on the site. As Richman tries repeatedly to stop the Muppets from raising the funds to buy the theater, Deadly realizes his mistake and decides he too is a Muppet. He forces Richman off the theatre roof before he can cut the wires on the transmission tower and joins the group. Uncle Deadly is seen during the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song." Uncle Deadly later appears inMuppets Most Wantedas the organist at Miss Piggy's wedding, performed again by Vogel.
In the2015 TV series, Uncle Deadly is Miss Piggy'swardrobe supervisorand plays a featured part in the show, a role he continues inMuppets Nowand the live shows the Muppets performed at theHollywood Bowlandthe O2 Arena. On the Muppets YouTube page, Uncle Deadly is the host of its "Muppet Thought of the Week" segment where he also contributed some thoughts. He appears as the Justice of the Peace in the 2021 Halloween specialMuppets Haunted Mansion.
Bobo the Bearis an imposing yet easily amused and befuddledbrown bear, though his appearance is lessanthropomorphicthan other animal characters such asFozzie Bear. Bobo has been in several Muppet films as a major character and others as just a background character. One of his appearances was onMuppets Tonightas the security guard, where he was a seemingly clever and lovable character, with his tagline of "Have a good day, sir!" His character inMuppets from Spacewas named Rentro. The character appeared in the television specialA Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, appearing alongsideNathan Laneas a pair ofairport securitypersonnel.
InThe Muppets, Bobo appears as a henchman of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish theMuppet Theaterand drill for oil on the site. Along with fellow henchman Uncle Deadly, Bobo is not fully aware of the scheme that Richman is doing; at one point, he even turns to Uncle Deadly asking, "So, you think we're working for the bad guy?" He was seen partaking in the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song" where he was seen with Tex Richman's showgirls. In the television seriesThe Muppets, he plays a key role as the stage manager for the talk showUp Late with Miss Piggy.
Robin the Frogis Kermit's young, sweet-voicednephew. He has appeared in most Muppet productions sinceThe Muppet Show. He loves to spend time with his Uncle Kermit, his best friendSweetums, and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts. Robin first appeared inThe Frog Princeas Sir Robin the Brave. One of his most famous moments was singing "Halfway Down the Stairs," a song based on a poem byWinnie the PoohcreatorA. A. Milne. He also has an important role in episode 212 ofThe Muppet Show, when he was feeling sad for being so small until the guest starBernadette Petersand all Robin's Muppet friends sing the song "Just One Person" to cheer him up. In the animatedMuppet Babiesseries, Robin appeared as atadpolein afish bowl, as all the characters were younger versions of their live-action selves, and was said to be the son of Kermit's (unnamed and unseen) big sister.
Robin's roles in the Muppet movies varied from supporting roles, minor roles and cameos to large roles, though he has not appeared in many Muppet movies. InThe Muppet Movie(1979), he had a supporting role at the beginning of the movie at thefilm screeningwhere he asks Kermit if the movie is about how the Muppets got started. He also had a few other scenes and is with the other Muppets in the finale. In the TV specialJohn Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together(1979) Robin helps sing many of the Christmas Carols with the other Muppets andJohn Denver. In the TV movieRocky Mountain Holiday(1982) Robin plays a more major role as he tries to help out as a Frog Scout and bonds with John Denver through the process. InThe Muppets Take Manhattan(1984), he only appeared in the audience at the wedding. InA Muppet Family Christmas, Robin discovered the Fraggle hole in the basement, taking Kermit with him and meeting the five main Fraggles.
Robin played the role ofTiny TiminThe Muppet Christmas Carol(1992), his largest role to date. His next appearance was in thedirect-to-videoMuppet Classic Theater(1994) where he appeared in "The Emperor's New Clothes" sketch in a minimal role, realizingFozzie(the emperor) was not wearing clothes. He also appeared alongside Kermit inThe Elves and the Shoemakersketch where he took on the role of the shoemaker's nephew. He had a minor role (with dialogue) inMuppets From Space(1999) in the boarding house. His final role with Jerry Nelson as his performer was in 2002'sIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, which was arguably his second-largest role to date, he appears in theMuppet Theatrein a few scenes and in the Moulin Scrooge scene as the green fairy. After a five-year absence, Robin returned inA Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, performed byMatt Vogel. He wore his Tiny Tim attire in a 2009 appearance onLate Night with Jimmy Fallonand made a non-speakingcameo appearancein the filmThe Muppets. Robin, along with his Uncle Kermit, appeared again onLate Night with Jimmy Fallonto sing "When the River Meets the Sea" on December 23, 2011, once again, performed by Matt Vogel. He also made a minor role in 2014'sMuppets Most Wanted, again performed by Vogel. Robin (voiced by Vogel) is the "guest star" of the February 23, 2016 episode ofThe Muppetstitled "Little Green Lie." In the episode, Kermit and Miss Piggy pretend to still be in a relationship so as not to upset Robin, whose parents are divorcing.
Sweetumsis a very large, imposing and hairyogreabout nine feet tall. Despite appearing physically intimidating, he is often depicted as friendly and harmless. Sweetums has very thick blondish-brown hair all over his body. He has a very large lower jaw, similar to abulldog, which juts out, revealing two pointy tusk-like teeth. He has thick, brown eyebrows over his large yellow eyes and large nose. He often wears a shabby, burlap-like brown shirt. Many are fooled by his intimidating appearance, but he is very nice and humble, hence his name, "Sweetums."
Sweetums first appeared on the television specialThe Frog Prince(based on thestory of the same name) in 1971 as the henchman of a full-bodied Taminella Ginderfall (who was previously seen in the pilots toTales of the TinkerdeeandThe Land of Tinkerdee). There he tried to eat the hero, played byKermit's nephewRobin. He later performed aduetwith Robin and the two appeared together onmerchandiseas best friends. During his first appearance, Sweetums was performed by MuppeteerJerry Nelsonand voiced by voice veteranCarl Banas, but soon after,Richard Huntmade the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run ofThe Muppet Showand the first two Muppet movies. During the making ofMuppet*Vision 3Dwhen Hunt's health deteriorated, Muppet creatorJim Henson's son,John Henson, did the puppetry, while Hunt did the voice. After Richard Hunt died, John Henson eventually took over both the voice and puppetry.
Sweetums also played a carjackin a used-car lot inThe Muppet Moviewhere a salesman introduced him as his Jack. When called "Jack" by Kermit, he replied, "Jack not name, jack job!" After Kermit and his friends ask him if he wants to go toHollywoodwith them, he shouts "Hollywood!" repeatedly and runs away, only to come back with his suitcase shortly after the group has left. He pursues the group for the duration of the movie, finally making it to Hollywood, bursting through the movie screen, shouting "I made it!!" During the montage of the Muppets getting back together again inThe Muppets, Sweetums is shown working at the same lot and is again forced to chase after the group's car. He also has supporting roles and minor roles inThe Great Muppet Caper,Muppet Treasure Island,Muppets from Space,The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and various other Muppet specials. Sweetums was performed byMatt Vogelin 2011'sThe MuppetsandMuppets Most Wanted. The character also appears atWalt Disney World'sDisney's Hollywood StudiosandDisneyland'sDisney California AdventureinMuppet*Vision 3D. He is the only Muppet to appear "live" in the show. All other Muppets that appear in the theater areaudio-animatronics. The character was seen in an episode ofStatler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. In the2015 TV series, Sweetums is in charge of the cue cards for the show.
Lew Zealandis a tan humanoid Muppet with dark hair, a mustache, a red knobby nose, aruffand a red ringmaster's suit. His name is aportmanteauofNew ZealandandLew Grade, the distributor ofThe Muppet Show. Lew started out as aWhatnotbefore a permanent puppet was made of him. Lew has an obsession for throwing fish, which are unique in that they return to him once thrown—hence the term "boomerangfish." His catchphrase is: "I throw the fish away, and it comesbackto me!" Lew appears onThe Muppet Showfrom season three onward trying to promote his Boomerang Fish act. He is also able to play a fishorgan(a line of fish that, when squeezed, each gargle a different note). The sketches he appears in usually end with the entire stage in an uproar. In the "Marisa Berenson" episode, he played a major part in that episode by using his timely boomerang fish to preventKermit the Frogfrom being tricked into a real marriage during Miss Piggy's "wedding sketch." In the "Leslie Uggams" episode, Lew Zealand told Leslie how to be a great boomerang fish thrower by saying that "Well, you've got to havesole. And if you can't get sole, gethalibut." In the "Lynn Redgrave" episode, he played a member of theMerry Menin theRobin Hoodsketch.
Lew Zealand has had supporting roles inThe Great Muppet Caper,The Muppets Take Manhattan,Muppet Treasure Island, andMuppets Haunted Mansion. Lew Zealand has had cameo appearances inThe Muppet Christmas CarolandMuppets From Space. Lew Zealand has a supporting role inThe Muppets, where after rejoining the group to help save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman, Lew assists in kidnappingJack Blackto be the telethon's celebrity host. He later encourages Kermit not to give up on the Muppet Theatre. Lew reappears inMuppets Most Wanted, joining the rest of the Muppets on their world tour.
The Whatnot head construction for Lew Zealand was done byDave Goelzand Lew Zealand's character finishing was done by Amy van Gilder. Jerry Nelson considered Lew Zealand to be a tribute toFrankie Fontaine. Nelson stated in an interview, "He had that dopey voice, but he could sing beautifully. We never did that part of it on the show, but just the idea of this guy who had a boomerang fish act. There were some really ridiculous acts on the show, and that was one of the all-time dopey ones."
Crazy Harryis apyrotechnicianobsessed with explosives, who first appeared inThe Muppets Valentine Showand later,The Muppet Show. Crazy Harry has black scruffy hair, an uncombedchin curtainbeard and huge, egg-shaped baggy eyes. Early in season one, he playedtrianglewith the pit band. He usually carried aplunger boxwhich would activate a hidden charge, often to his victim's chagrin. Once he assistedGonzo the Greatin a cannonball-catching act but perhaps overdid it on the powder, which resulted in an absurdly stretched right arm for Gonzo. In episode 28 he provided the "Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!" chorus of "Chanson d'Amour," happily blowing the stage and performers to smithereens with his little plunger and cackling. Harry also played solo backup forJean Stapleton's performance of "I'm Just Wild About Harry," with a collection of plunger boxes forming an "explodaphone," providing explosions at the end of every verse of the song. In the show's first couple of seasons, Harry's appearances were a regularrunning gag. After those first seasons, the gag was shelved along with Crazy Harry for the remainder of the show's run.
Crazy Harry also appeared inThe Muppet Movie, complete with his explosive equipment, as one of the many Muppets in the audience to whomKermit the Frogscreened the film. He appeared inThe Muppets Take Manhattanas a wedding guest. In 2009, he appeared in the Muppets music video "Bohemian Rhapsody." In 2011, he appeared inThe Muppets, blasting his likeness ontoMount Rushmore—destroyingAbraham Lincoln's face in the process—during the film's montage. In 2014, he appeared in aToyota Highlandercommercial, blasting Gonzo from a cannon, like a human cannonball, through the sunroof. In 2014, he appeared inMuppets Most Wanted, in which a criminal uses the noise of Harry's explosions to cover the sounds of a break-in.
For the commercials for the then-newTNTcable channel, Crazy Harry would be featured at the end of the commercials, prefixing his use of his plunger with the question "Did someone say TNT?"—followed by a maniacal laugh after the explosion. In theDresden FilesnovelBlood Rites, several references are made to the "Bolshevik Muppet with all the dynamite." The phrase "Bolshevik Muppet" was then used as a warning byHarry Dresdento his allies just prior to setting off a large explosion.
Beauregardis the Muppets' backstagejanitorandstagehandof indeterminate species. Debuting in season three ofThe Muppet Show, Beauregard originally wore a gray jacket over his plaid shirt, but in the fourth season, he stopped wearing the jacket. It is revealed inThe Muppet Show On Tourthat he calls his mop "Belleregard."Beakeroccasionally assists Beauregard with stagehand duties. He tries to be helpful, but his dimwitted efforts frequently result in disaster. His slow wit is often preyed upon by other characters who use him to their own purposes. He has a characteristic blink and often turns to the camera and says, "Right." Beauregard hassuperhuman strength, which is illustrated by his ability to effortlessly lift and carry around objects that are far too heavy to carry, such as an anvil, couch or piano.
Beauregard appeared on the stage in various sketches and skits. Other times, Beauregard appears accidentally on stage during productions, still working on the props until he realizes that he is intruding and must either rush out of sight or attempt to blend in with the action. However, Beauregard was more comfortable backstage.
Beauregard also appeared inThe Great Muppet Caperin 1981, where he played ataxi driver. He brought Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo to the Happiness Hotel, and right through the front door, into the lobby. Beauregard's other major role was in the 1990 specialThe Muppets at Walt Disney World, where he dragged Miss Piggy onto a series of thrill rides.
He has also had minor roles in later projects, includingThe Muppets Take Manhattan,Muppets TonightandThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, and a cameo appearance inIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. In the bookOf Muppets and Men, Goelz explains that Beauregard was based on the clumsy Wendell Porcupine fromEmmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. The main reason why Beauregard never became a star was because the writers thought he was too passive, he did not desire anything. This made Beauregard difficult to write for. InThe Muppets, Beauregard is found byScooterliving in the janitor's closet of the old Muppet Theatre, seemingly unaware thatThe Muppet Showis no longer on the air. InMuppets Most Wanted, Beauregard is the engineer of the train that is used for the Muppets' world tour.
Link Hogthrobis a dim-witted pig possessing traits of a stereotypicalleading man, with wavy blond hair, a manlycleftchin, and a high opinion of himself. InThe Muppet Show, Link is best known as the captain of theSwinetrekon the recurring sketchPigs in Spacewhere his unbridled machismo is often a source of conflict with his co-star,First Mate Piggy. Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role onThe Muppet Showwould primarily be onPigs in Space, sketches including "Wonder Pig," Link would feature regularly both in the show's onstage acts and backstage mayhem. Link's singing talents featured a number of times in solos (such as "Sonny Boy"), duets ("Là ci darem la mano"), and group numbers. Starting in the show's third season, Link was also featured as the police chief in the recurringBear on Patrolsketches, where hisdimwittednesswas often the source of physical trauma topatrol officerFozzie Bear. Henson's son,Brian Henson, recalled that his father often used Link's deep-throated,pompousvoice when performing some stereotypically masculine chore, such as carving theThanksgivingturkey.
Link was later one of the few classicMuppet Showcharacters to be used regularly in the Muppet Centralcontrol roomonThe Jim Henson Hour.
Since Henson's death, Link has mostly remained a non-speaking Muppet, although he has since appeared occasionally in silentcameosin such productions asThe Muppet Christmas Carol,Muppet Treasure Island,Muppets TonightandMuppets from Space. His only speaking roles from 1990 to 2011 were in the video gamesMuppet RaceManiaandMuppets Party Cruise, as voiced bySteve Whitmire. Whitmire performed Link for the 2011 movieThe Muppets. The appearance featured the first speaking appearance of the puppet ever since Henson's death. Link appears in several scenes in the background and gets a moment in the spotlight as part of abarbershop quartet, singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit." InMuppets Most Wanted, Link returned to prominence for the first time in decades, having several lines of dialogue and his own scene withUsher.
An animated version of Link was seen inPigs in Spacesegments inLittle Muppet Monsters(voiced byBob Bergen) and an episode ofMuppet Babies. A walk-around version of Link was created forThe Muppet Show on Tour. Anaction figureof Link was produced in 2003 as part of Series 4 ofPalisades Toys' line of Muppet action figures.
The Newsmanis the bespectaclednewsmanforThe Muppet Show, who tries to deliver the news with accuracy, but is visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of theMuppet News Flashsegments in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he would almost invariably suffer some calamity related to the story, such as having items dropped on his head or the newsroom destroyed.
Popsis an elderly doorman at the Muppet Theatre inThe Muppet Show. He greeted the week's guest star in every episode of the fifth season. He also had a major part as the innkeeper of the Happiness Hotel inThe Great Muppet Caper. Since then, he has only had a couple of supporting roles, minor roles and cameo appearances.
Marvin Suggsis a flamboyant musician that wears a frilly, multicolored shirt. He is best known for playing an instrument known as a Muppaphone,a group of small, round, furry pink and orange Muppets that emit a tonal "ow" voiced by Henson and Jerry Nelsonwhen Marvin strikes them on the head with hismallet. During season three ofThe Muppet Show, Suggs and the Muppaphone were part of an "explicit criticism of violence" with Suggs being explicitly punished for his violence in an episode where awitchdoctorturns Suggs head into a Muppaphone.The act has been compared to the sketch fromMonty Python's Flying Circuscalled "Arthur Ewing and His Musical Mice."He was designed byRollie Krewson.He appears in 2011'sThe Muppets.
Cliffordis a cool lavender-colored,catfish-faced, sunglasses-wearing character with multicoloreddreadlocks.He was created to be thebassistfor Solid Foam, the band onThe Jim Henson Hour(1989).
WhenThe Jim Henson Hourwas canceled, Clifford was the only major character (beyond the classicMuppet Showcharacters) to make further appearances. In 1990, he appeared as a member ofThe Electric MayheminThe Muppets at Walt Disney Worldtelevision special. In that special, Clifford playedglockenspiel,tambourine, andcowbells. Months later, he then appeared inThe Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, in which he read one of the fan letters aboutJim Henson's death. Clifford also made appearances onThe Arsenio Hall Show(alongside Henson in his last television appearance) andVH1. He also co-starred with Kermit in a sing-along video and appeared in a music video.
In 1996, Clifford became the host ofMuppets Tonight. In addition to being the host, his appearance was changed as well.He had visible eyes instead of his sunglasses and wore a suit and necktie instead of a Hawaiian shirt. The puppet's head was also built slightly bigger. In 2001, at a Muppet fan convention, Kevin Clash revealed that he disliked the visible eyes and will not perform Clifford again unless he is wearing his sunglasses.
WhenMuppets Tonightended in 1998, Clifford was returned to his original sunglasses look for his last two appearances inMuppets from SpaceandThe Muppets' Wizard of Oz.
Frackles are a classification of Muppetmonsters. They first appeared in atelevision specialcalledThe Great Santa Claus Switch. They would then appear in later franchises, such asThe Muppet Show. Characteristics of a Frackle include fur and toothy or toothless beaks. They are normally small to medium size in stature, but there are exceptions. The Frackles became nameless, utility characters without personalities. They often changed appearance, performer, name and gender depending on the sketch and show.Gonzooriginated as a Frackle living in a cigar box inThe Great Santa Claus Switch.
The Muppet version of the Penguins are often seen in various Muppet productions.
While most of them are nameless, there had been some known Penguins that were named:
The 2018 version ofMuppet Babiesintroduced Summer Penguin (voiced byJessica DiCicco) who is the Muppet Babies' residential artist and the shortest of the group.
The Whatnots are Muppetsextrasdesigned with blank heads and faces, clothes, and hair that can be customized for different roles.Similar generic puppets used forSesame Streetare known as Anything Muppets. The characters ofScooter,Lew Zealand, andMarvin Suggswere originally created using Whatnot puppets before permanent puppets were made for them. The Muppet Whatnot Workshop atFAO Schwarzopened in 2008,which allowed people to purchase a custom Whatnot with chosen clothes and facial features.Whatnot kits were later sold throughToys 'R' Usafter the chain acquired FAO Schwarz.