Rizzo the Rat

Rizzo the Rat is a wisecracking rat and the most prominent of his species on The Muppet Show and subsequent projects. Sometimes, as seen in The Muppets Take Manhattan, he tries to cheat people into getting something he wants. However, he also has a sensitive side (according to Tim Hill and Gonzo during an audio commentary for Muppets from Space) and is good friends with Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn. 
He was created by Steve Whitmire after he took a fascination to a bunch of old rat puppets made from bottles by Don Sahlin for The Muppet Musicians of Bremen. Whitmire made costumes for Rizzo, and the Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter (vol. 2, no. 4, 1980) claimed that "It is Rizzo's greatest ambition to wear a different costume every time he appears in a shot! Watch out for this well-dressed rodent -- he has every intention of succeeding. Rat on, Rizzo!" Rizzo is named after Ratso Rizzo, a character from Midnight Cowboy portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. The name was suggested by Frank Oz.Muppet Central interview with Steve Whitmire According to a line in The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rizzo is "from Jersey."
Rizzo first appeared in episode 418 of The Muppet Show, as one of a group of rats following Christopher Reeve around backstage.The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter - Volume 2, Number 4 He can be seen mugging and reacting to practically every line of dialogue. His first known mention by name on-screen was by Kermit in episode 422. He remained a scene-stealing background figure through the final season, occasionally performing with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
He had a minor role in The Great Muppet Caper and a larger supporting part in The Muppets Take Manhattan, but his "big break" occurred when Jerry Juhl paired him with Gonzo to narrate The Muppet Christmas Carol. He has since become one of the principal Muppet characters, also starring in Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, Muppets Tonight, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (appearing in the latter as the Mayor of Munchkinland).
Since The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rizzo and Gonzo have been best pals. However, that wasn't their first pairing together. They had previously interacted in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, and appeared in a sketch together on Good Morning America, broadcast March 10, 1992. Rizzo and Pepe also seem to have a strong friendship as seen in Muppets from Space and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. 
Although Rizzo has no lines in the 2011 film, The Muppets, he and Gonzo were interviewed together behind the scenes. In an interview, Nicholas Stoller explained that they tried to include as many characters as possible, but couldn't find a spot for him (or Bean Bunny) in the movie.The Muppets’ Nick Stoller Reveals Its Origins, His Beaker Obsession  His absence is referenced in Muppets Most Wanted, in a scene where he and Robin point out that the previous film replaced older characters such as themselves with the new character Walter. Rizzo returned as a prominent character in the 2015 series The Muppets, where he served as one of the writers for Up Late with Miss Piggy along with Gonzo and Pepe.
In a one-off appearance in The Muppets comic strip from May 26, 1983, Rizzo is given a "girl friend," Joy, in order to fulfill a play on words, before Yolanda Rat enters his life in The Muppets Take Manhattan.
In the 1999 book Muppets from Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic, Whitmire said: 
Rizzo also tried to impersonate Mickey Mouse in Muppet*Vision 3D to get money from Sam the Eagle, though his disguise didn't work. Later in 2016, a Rizzo-themed pizza parlor titled PizzeRizzo opened adjacent to Muppet*Vision 3D. 
Since 2017, following Steve Whitmire's departure from The Muppets, Rizzo has largely been absent in new productions, save for occasional non-speaking cameos. Rizzo has also appeared in animated form as a recurring character in the Disney Junior reboot of Muppet Babies.
===Filmography===
*The Muppet Show
**Episode 418: Christopher Reeve
**Episode 419: Lynda Carter
**Episode 422: Andy Williams
**Episode 423: Carol Channing
**Episode 424: Diana Ross
**Episode 501: Gene Kelly
**Episode 502: Loretta Swit
**Episode 503: Joan Baez
**Episode 504: Shirley Bassey
**Episode 505: James Coburn
**Episode 506: Brooke Shields
**Episode 507: Glenda Jackson
**Episode 509: Debbie Harry
**Episode 510: Jean-Pierre Rampal
**Episode 511: Paul Simon
**Episode 513: Tony Randall
**Episode 514: Mac Davis
**Episode 519: Chris Langham
**Episode 520: Wally Boag
**Episode 521: Johnny Cash
**Episode 522: Buddy Rich
**Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt
**Episode 524: Roger Moore
*The Muppets Go to the Movies
*The Great Muppet Caper
*I Love Liberty
*The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show
*Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets
*The Muppets Take Manhattan
*The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
*A Muppet Family Christmas
*The Jim Henson Hour
**Episode 103: Power
*The Muppets at Walt Disney World
*Muppet*Vision 3D pre-show
*The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
*Good Morning America
*The Muppet Christmas Carol
**also "Christmas Around the World" featurette
*Inaugural Celebration for Children
*Muppet Treasure Island
**also DVD video menus and the video's commentary
*Muppet Classic Theater (performed in one part by Dave Goelz)
*Muppets Tonight
**all episodes save episode 202
*Muppetisms
*Larry King Live, 1994 (CNN bumpers)
*Muppets from Space
**also silhouette video commentary
*Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola
** Episode 125: Putting Heart Into Your Story (2001)
*It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
*Mastercard
*The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
*The Muppet Show: Season Two video menus
*The Muppets on Muppets
*Disney Xtreme Digital
**Muppet Moments
**Secret Elevator Tapes
**VerminVision (TM)
**Miss Piggy's MOI-zersize
**Pepe's Muppet Moments
**"Do Not Touch" button
*Studio DC Hosted by Dylan and Cole Sprouse
*Studio DC Hosted by Selena Gomez
*A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (performed in one part by Tyler Bunch) https://www.facebook.com/welcomemattv/posts/966545796725100?comment_id=967360209976992&ref=notif¬if_t=share_comment
*D23 Expo (2009, 2015)
*Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. commercials
*Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
*Muppet viral videos
**Rolling with the Skateboarding Dog
**The Skateboarding Dog Gets Served
**"Bohemian Rhapsody"
*Lost Slapdown
*The Muppet Show Theme Music Video
*The Muppets
*Kermit's Party
*The Case of the Stolen Show
*Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
*Toyota
*QVC
*Muppets Most Wanted
*America's Got Talent
*Vsauce
*Muppet Moments
* The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
*The Muppets
*The Muppets Take the Bowl
*The Muppets Take the O2 (silent cameo in Pigs in Space sketch)
*The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II
*The Late Late Show with James Corden
*Muppets Haunted Mansion
===Book appearances===
*Gonzo and the Giant Chicken (1982)
*Two for the Show (1982)
*The Muppets Take Manhattan comic (1984)
*Muppet Treasure Island (1995)
*Muppet Time (1996)
*Rizzo's Bike Sale (1996)                             
*The Rat Pack: A Muppet Countdown Adventure (1997)
*Kermit's Mixed-Up Valentines (2000)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009-2012)
*Muppet Robin Hood (2009)
*Peg-Leg Wilson (2009)
*Muppet Peter Pan (2009)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space (2009)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road (2010)
*The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Four Seasons (2011)
*Muppet King Arthur (2010)
*Muppet Snow White (2010)
*Kermit's Costume Caper (2012)
*The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)
*Muppets Meet the Classics: The Phantom of the Opera (2017)
*Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (2018)
===Albums===
*Muppet Beach Party
*Kermit Unpigged
*A Green and Red Christmas
===Video Games===
*The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside
*Muppet RaceMania
*Muppet Monster Adventure
*The Muppets: On with the Show!
*Muppets Party Cruise
*My Muppets Show
==Sources==
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Category:The Muppets Characters
Category:Muppet Characters
Category:Muppet Show Characters
Category:MuppeTelevision Characters
Category:Muppets Tonight Characters
Category:The Muppets (2015) Characters