Matt Vogel

Matt Vogel (b. October 6, 1970) is an accomplished puppeteer who joined the Sesame Street troupe in 1996. He later joined The Muppets family of characters, inheriting several roles while working with Jerry Nelson, and was cast as Kermit the Frog in 2017.
Vogel first auditioned for The Jim Henson Company in his final year of college (c. 1993), but didn't begin performing with the company until a year later when he became John Henson's understudy for the Coca-Cola Polar Bear.Matt Vogel on Facebook September 10, 2015Tough Pigs "Interview: Sesame Street's Matt Vogel" by Ryan Roe, August 8, 2008
On Sesame Street, Vogel started out as most Muppeteers do, right-handing for other characters; in his case, for David Rudman on Baby Bear.Matt Vogel on Twitter Sept 20, 2018 He eventually became Caroll Spinney's understudy for Big Bird, performing in the role whenever Spinney was unavailable. Beginning in 2002, he exclusively performed Big Bird for "Journey to Ernie", a regular Sesame Street segment. He also played Big Bird's infant self Baby Big Bird in the Sesame Beginnings DVD series.
Vogel performed Big Bird at various times for over two decades while Caroll Spinney was also continuing the character, making him one of the few Muppeteers to play a character in conjunction with another performer. With Spinney's retirement in 2018, he officially became Big Bird's primary performer. Vogel has also played minor recurring characters on Sesame Street, such as Herb the dinosaur, and Hansel (of Hansel and Gretel), as well as various one-shot Anything Muppets. Vogel became the show's Muppet Captain in Season 44, after several years of serving as Assistant Muppet Captain to Kevin Clash.Matt Vogel's puppeteer bio — Season 44 press kitThe Muppet Mindset "Another Interview with Muppet Performer Matt Vogel" by Lucas Ervin, September 2, 2011 Additionally, he has been a director since Season 39.
Vogel has also assumed many of Jerry Nelson's roles, by the recommendation of Nelson himself.Tough Pigs "A Chat with Jerry Nelson" by Joe Hennes, December 8, 2009 Since 2008, he has been the performer of most of Nelson's main Muppet Show characters, including Floyd Pepper, Lew Zealand, and perhaps most prominently, Uncle Deadly. For a period on Sesame Street, Vogel puppeteered Count von Count and other characters while Nelson continued to voice them. After Nelson's death in 2012, Vogel fully inherited the Count, now providing both the voice and puppetry. He also performs Mr. Johnson, another character Nelson originated.
His early Muppet credits include assisting or supporting roles on Big Bag, Bear in the Big Blue House, and Sesame English. Work outside the Henson fold include the video series MATHmatazz, Jack's Big Music Show, The Puzzle Place, the HBO drama Oz (as Pecky in the TV clips of Miss Sally's Schoolyard), Oobi, Blue's Room, and Between the Lions, as well as puppeteering Fred in the video project Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map. On the big screen, Vogel has appeared in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted (where he took on the major role of Constantine), the Creature Shop film The Producers (as various pigeons), one of the "Muppet" characters in Old Dogs, and the voice of Wilkins in Alice Through the Looking Glass for director James Bobin.
In theater, Vogel has acted in regional productions of various plays, including The Foreigner and Six Degrees of Sparation, and was involved in the 2003-2004 Broadway run of Little Shop of Horrors, manipulating Audrey II and playing various bums and Skid Row residents (alongside Martin P. Robinson and Anthony Asbury).
In addition to puppeteering, Vogel's interest in music is evident as front man for The Mighty Weaklings. The band released a CD of songs "for kids--and grown-ups" called You Can't Rock Sittin' Down in June of 2008 after appearing in the video for their song "Rocket Ship" on Jack's Big Music Show. With Joey Mazzarino, Vogel co-owns Pratfall Productions, which produced the film-noir puppet short film Murder, He Squeaked as well as various videos and inserts for Sesame Street, and Nick Jr.'s Curious Buddies.
On July 10, 2017, it was announced that Vogel had been cast as the new performer of Kermit the Frog, following Steve Whitmire's departure from The Muppets. Vogel's first public performance as Kermit was a Muppet Thought of the Week video; originally planned to debut on YouTube during the week of July 17, 2017,ToughPigs "Steve Whitmire No Longer with the Muppets" by Joe Hennes, July 10, 2017 but was delayed until August 28, 2017.
==Performing credits==
for a complete character gallery, see Matt Vogel characters
===Sesame Street===
Characters: Big Bird (since 1997), Count von Count (since 2013), Mr. Johnson (since 2014), and others...
* Elmo's World: CGI Furniture and others...
* Elmo the Musical: Darth Chicken and others...
* Cookie's Crumby Pictures: Professor Crumblemore and others...
* Don't Forget to Watch the Movie
* Elmo Saves Christmas
* Quiet Time
* Telling the Truth
* A is for Asthma
* Big Bird Gets Lost
* A Brief History of Motion Pictures
* Elmopalooza
* Fiesta!
* The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Big Bird (puppetry only)
* The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play
* CinderElmo
* Sesame English
* Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor: Hoarse Horse
* Language to Literacy
* Let's Make Music
* Elmo's Magic Cookbook: Glass of Water
* Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf
* Kids' Favorite Songs 2
* Music Works Wonders
* Bert & Ernie's Word Play
* Play with Me Sesame: Fred the Wonder Horse
* Talk, Read, Write
* Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic: Big Bird (puppetry and singing voice only)
* Zoe's Dance Moves
* A Celebration of Me, Grover: ChickenTony Geiss papers at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
* A Magical Halloween Adventure
* The Street We Live On
* What's the Name of That Song?
* Elmo's Potty Time
* Sesame Beginnings: Baby Big Bird
* A Sesame Street Christmas Carol
* Talk, Listen, Connect
* Elmo's Christmas Countdown: Stiller the Elf (puppetry only)
* The Get Healthy Now Show
* Here for You: Chester's Dad
* Kids' Favorite Country Songs: Elmer (puppetry only)
* Learning is Everywhere: Matt
* Panwapa: Baabra Sheep's son
* Abby in Wonderland
* Count on Sports
* Dinosaurs!
* Love the Earth!
* One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
* Being Green
* Coming Home
* Families Stand Together
* Food for Thought: The Super Foods banana
* Math Is Everywhere
* When Families Grieve
* For Me, For You, For Later: Stupendous Ball, Penguin (puppetry only)
* Growing Hope Against Hunger
* Best Friends
* Elmo's Alphabet Challenge: Fairy Fly Pad (voice)
* Kinect Sesame Street TV: Forgetful Jones
* Monstruos Supersanos: Dr. Ruster
* Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration: Alex
* Spaghetti Space Chase: Anderson Cucumber, Tiger, Martian
* Words Are Here, There, and Everywhere
* Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
* The Cookie Thief: Little Cookie, Penguin Guard
* The Furchester Hotel
* Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
* The Magical Wand Chase
* When You Wish Upon a Pickle: Wish Pickle
* A Swingin' Sesame Street Celebration
* Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration: Forgetful Jones, Sherlock Hemlock, Kermit the Frog
* The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
* Elmo's Playdate
* Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt
* The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends: Simon Soundman
* See Us Coming Together
* Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular
===The Muppets===
Characters: Kermit the Frog (since 2017), Uncle Deadly (since 2011), and others...
* Muppet RaceMania: Scooter, Janice (voices)
* Muppet viral videos
* A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: Pigeon
* Studio DC: Almost Live
* The Muppets (2011): Rowlf Moopet, Janice Moopet, and others...
* "All I Need is Love" music video 	
* Just for Laughs
* Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular: Norman
* Muppisodes
* My Muppets Show
* Muppets Most Wanted: Baby
* The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
* The Muppets (2015): Snowth
* Pigs in Space: The Announcer
* The Muppets Take the Bowl
* Muppet Thought of the Week
* A Very Pentatonix Christmas
* The Muppets Take the O2
* Facebook Portal commercials: Ma Bear
* Muppet Babies Play Date: Baby Kermit (puppetry only)
* Muppets Now
* Muppets Haunted Mansion
* The Muppets Mayhem
===Other===
* Big Bag
* Bear in the Big Blue House: Ursa (puppetry only)
* The Producers: Pigeons
* 30 Rock: Jack Donaghy Muppet (dubbed by Alec Baldwin)
* Old Dogs
==Directing credits==
*Sesame Street
**Episodes: 4176 (partial), 4198, 4224, 4522, 4603, 4615, 4905
**SegmentsMatt Vogel's official site — Director credits: Forward Backward Dance, Five By, Murray Has a Little Lamb: Ice Skating School, Elmo the Musical: Athlete the Musical, Cookie's Crumby Pictures: The Aveggies: Age of Bon Bon, Super Grover 2.0: Cross That Bridge, Try a Little Kindness, I Remember, Here We Go (Dave Grohl Version)
*Making Friends
*Words Are Here, There, and Everywhere
*Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
*Little Children, Big Challenges
*Big Elmo Fun
*Chrysler: "Trash Talk" and "Smart Cookie" advertisements
*Billy on the Sesame Street
*Respect Brings Us Together: "Give it, live it, RESPECT" music videoRyan Dillon on Instagram
*Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: 2019 Sesame Street musical numberJake Bazel's resume
*Elmo's Playdate
*The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
*Elmo's World News
*See Us Coming Together (co-director with Alan Muraoka; also co-producer)
*Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular (also co-producer)
==Notes==
* When Matt Vogel was introduced to Spinney at his first audition for the part of Big Bird, the latter remarked, "Vogel is German for Bird. That's a good sign." The word "vogel" is Dutch for bird as well.
* The protective slippers Vogel wears over Big Bird's feet when he's not on set are labeled, respectively, "Vogel" and "Füsse," meaning "bird" and "feet," or read together "bird's feet."
* Vogel is left-handed, but puppeteers with his right hand.@welcomemattv on Twitter July 29, 2016
* Vogel's children have occasionally participated in their father's performances. Jack Vogel assisted his father for various productions. One of his other sons, Hunter, participated in an unaired Muppet & Kid moment with Grover in 2005.Matt Vogel Facebook post
==See also==
*Matt Vogel cameos
==Sources==
==External links==
* Official Site
* Mighty Weaklings Official Site
* Toughpigs.com- Interview
* The Muppet Mindset 
** 2010 Interview Part 1, Part 2
** 2011 Interview
* Dramatics Magazine interview
* Fatherly.com interview
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Category:Muppet Performers
Category:Creature Shop Puppeteers
Category:Directors
Category:Animated Voice Actors
Category:Producers