Pop Culture | 90s | 80s
Kermit The Frog Has Been Replaced And We Aren't Sure How To Feel About It
Kermit the Frog is an iconic and wonderful character who has been around for generations. We grew up watching him lead the Muppets on a bunch of zany adventures, and now there are some big changes in his future.
Since Hensen passed away, one man has been responsible for giving Kermit the Frog his voice. Creator Jim Hensen hired Steve Whitmire to take over as Kermit, but after all these years he has been replaced.
The actor was told in October 2016 that he would not be returning as Kermit. Whitmire claims that this change in casting came as a complete shock to him. Months later Whitmire has expressed his sadness over being asked to leave.
He said "For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible to resist way of life. This is my life’s work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero."
He explained his side of what happened, saying "As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting. Through a new business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call. I wish that we could have sat down, looked each other in the eye, and discussed what was on their minds before they took such a drastic action."
He explains that he would still love to be involved with the Muppets, saying that "Doing what is best for the Muppets is the lens through which all my interactions have been filtered. Given the opportunity I remain willing to do whatever is required to remedy their concerns because I feel my continued involvement with the characters is in the best interest of the Muppets."
But even though he has said that he was reaching out to the company, they have recast Kermit and the first video with the new Kermit is out...
After all the drama surrounding Whitmore, The Muppets needed a new Kermit. The character is obviously too iconic to leave behind so they needed someone who could so the voice. Kermit will now be voiced by Matt Vogel. His first appearance as Kermit is now out on the internet and honestly we don't know how to feel about it.
The first clip we get of this new Kermit is a short one. The new voice actor takes part in a quick little skit called "Muppet Thought of the Week ft. Kermit the Frog" that was posted on the official Muppets YouTube page.