Steve Whitmire

How Steve Whitmire's 'Unacceptable Business Conduct' Cost Him Kermit The Frog

By Holly Mosley in Movies / TV / Theatre on 19 July 2017

The actor reveals why he was fired from The Muppets.

The reasons behind Steve Whitmire's sudden dismissal from The Muppets franchise as the voice of Kermit the Frog have finally been uncovered, with Disney officials citing his unacceptable workplace conduct while the actor denies having ever been reprimanded in the past for his behaviour.

Kermit and Miss Piggy at 'Muppets Most Wanted' premiere

The internet reacted with shock when it was announced that the voice of Kermit, Steve Whitmire, was being replaced after 27 years by Matt Vogel. More shock came when it was revealed that he'd actually been fired, and that he was certainly dedicated to staying with the role if it were down to him.

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Kermit The Frog Voice Actor Steve Whitmire Is Devastated To Be Replaced

By Holly Williams in Movies / TV / Theatre on 14 July 2017

The Muppets Steve Whitmire

It seems the Muppets star did not want to leave his post.

Just days after it was revealed that Kermit the Frog was getting a new voice, the circumstances of Steve Whitmire's departure from The Muppets have been revealed. It seems that it wasn't an early retirement after all, and the actor is devastated to be leaving the franchise.

Kermit the Frog with Miss Piggy at 'Muppets Most Wanted' premiere

Sadly, the 57-year-old has not left his role as Kermit voluntarily; it seems he has been let go after 27 years of service to the Muppets, for reasons which remain unknown. He wrote about the sad news in a blog post this week, not long after it was revealed that Matt Vogel would be replacing him.

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Muppets Most Wanted Review

By Rich Cline

Good

Where the 2011 reboot felt effortless in the way it recaptured that warmly anarchic Muppets humour, this sequel feels like it's working every step of the way. Yes, it's riotously silly and occasionally hilarious, but there are large chunks of the movie that just aren't funny at all, mainly because there's so much emphasis on the tangled web of a plot that the characters get lost in the shuffle.

It starts just as the last movie ended: the Muppets decide to do a sequel based on an idea from interloper Dominic (Ricky Gervais) to take their show on a world tour. But Dominic is actually in league with super-villain frog Constantine (Matt Vogel), who has just escaped from a gulag. So when the Muppet Show lands in Berlin, he orchestrates a swap: Constantine takes Kermit's place in the show, while Kermit (Steve Whitmire) is sent to Siberia under the watchful eye of guard Nadya (Tina Fey). Meanwhile, Interpol agent Jean-Pierre (Burrell) and CIA operative Sam Eagle (Eric Jacobson) are investigating a series of robberies mysteriously linked to Muppet performances in Berlin, Madrid and Dublin.

All of this builds to a head in London, where Constantine is staging an elaborate wedding to Miss Piggy (Jacobson) to distract from his real plan to steal the Crown Jewels. But this plot-strand feels predictable and limp compared to much more interesting character interaction. For example, scenes between Kermit and Fey are a lot more fun as they plan a musical revue with the inmates (and get Trejo and Liotta sing and dance!). And the escalating banter between Sam Eagle and Burrell is hilarious even as it indulges in cheap Euro-jokes.

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Action, Romance, Crime - 'The Muppets: Most Wanted' Might Just Have It All

By Victoria Pavlova in Movies / TV / Theatre on 19 March 2014

Ricky Gervais Tina Fey Steve Whitmire

They're back! It's finally time for the Muppets' big week.

Muppets: Most Wanted is out in the US on Friday, so it might be time to talk about some of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest of the gang’s latest adventures. In Muppets: Most Wanted, the fuzzy stars of the long-running franchise team up with the likes of Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais and Ty Burell on a cross-continental hunt for a high-profile jewel thief – who just happens to look a lot like Kermit the Frog.

Ricky Gervais, Muppets: Most Wanted
So far, the critics are divided on Muppets: Most Wanted.

With two days left until the premiere, the movie is already a hit, as far as early reviews are concerned. Without going into too much spoiler-y detail, The Wrap’s review promises self aware jokes and absurdist plot twists – just what we’ve come to expect from the Muppets. It’s not a universal hit – THR’s review is one of a few negative ones, pegging MMW as “an oddly off-key follow-up to the generally amusing 2011 feature”.

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Muppets Most Wanted - Clip

Kermit and friends are set to go international with the help of their unfortunately named new tour manager Dominic Badguy, with hopes of selling-out major theatres in all the big cities of the world including Berlin, Madrid and London. As usual though, things are not about to run smoothly for these trouble magnets as they are forced to postpone their tour when Kermit becomes under suspicion for robbery. It's bad luck for him that there's another frog in town - the formidable Constantine, who organises a jewel heist with the knowledge that he may evade capture because of his unwitting doppelganger. Constantine tries to pretend he's Kermit amongst the other Muppets in an effort to evade detection while Kermit gets locked up, but will they realise their mistake in time to release their real friend and finish their tour?

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The Muppets Most Wanted Trailer

Kermit and friends return, embarking on an extensive world tour that sees them reach all corners of the globe at sell-out theatre shows in the likes of Berlin, Madrid and London. However, things can't be that easy for these disastrous Muppets as there's always someone out to bring them down; this time, a major organised jewel heist occurs stopping everyone in their tracks when they realise who the culprit is. Constantine, is the world's most dangerous frog, but he becomes even more of a threat by his striking resemblance to Kermit himself. In a horrifying turn of events, Kermit gets locked up for a crime he didn't commit - while Constantine goes about trying to fool his friends into thinking he's the good frog. Will Kermit's friends realise who they've let into their lives in time for justice to be served?

The Muppets return in 'Muppets Most Wanted' - a grippingly funny sequel to their 2011 Oscar winning movie 'The Muppets'. The new movie sees the return of director James Bobin ('Da Ali G Show', 'Flight of the Conchords') alongside writer Nicholas Stoller ('Get Him to the Greek', 'Gulliver's Travels', 'Yes Man'), and it's due for release in the UK on March 28th 2014.

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The Muppets Most Wanted - International Teaser Trailer

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Animal and friends are up to their usual tricks as they return to our screens which sees them embark on a major world tour, selling out the biggest theatres in the likes of Berlin, Madrid and London. However, as can be expected from the rabble-rousing Muppets, things don't run smoothly and they manage to get embroiled in an organised jewellery heist behind which sits Kermit's mean doppelganger and his equally evil sidekick. When Kermit gets into some serious trouble after a terrible mix up, it's up to the Muppets to once again face their enemies just like they did with oil magnate Tex Richman when he threatened to drill into the Muppets' theatre for oil. Will they succeed once again? Or will their new troubles prove too much for the feisty characters?

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The Muppets Review

By Rich Cline

Excellent

Using their long absence from the screen as a premise, this film astutely taps into the nostalgia former fans still feel for these anarchic, loveable characters while winning over new followers. And even though it's very silly, it's still hugely enjoyable.

In Smalltown America, Walter (Linz) has always felt different from his brother Gary (Segel). He has longed to meet the Muppets, his childhood heroes, and gets the chance when Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Adams) take him on a trip Los Angeles. But the Muppet Theatre is in ruin, and an evil tycoon (Cooper) is planning to tear it down and drill for oil. After meeting Kermit (Whitmire), Walter, Mary and Gary hatch a plan to save the theatre. But most of the Muppets have moved on with their lives.

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The Muppets Trailer

Underneath the famous Muppet Theatre, oil has been discovered. Tex Richman, an oilman, finds out and plans to demolish the theatre so he can start drilling. Walter, Gary and Mary are three friends who also happen to be huge fans of The Muppets. They plan to stage what they call 'The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever', so they can raise $10 million to stop the destruction of the Muppet Theatre.

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