The Secret Life of a Background Character

Hubert

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Hi everyone, finally decided to give a fan fic a try. The idea for this one will be to have 3 characters alternating talking, like three stories connected into one. Some parts will be kind of short. I'll try to post more at least once a week. Please give some feedback on it. And as writing for existing characters isn't one of my strengths, please tell me if any of my writing is out of character.

The Secret Life of a Background Character
Written by Hubert

Chapter 1.1

:sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy:

Rowlf, Rowlf the Dog here. (Well, not really here, but...) During the Muppet Show days, I used to think the background characters had it great. You know, the ones with minor speaking roles who just showed up to fill up empty screen space and give obsessed Muppet fans something to talk about. (Really, try to stay away from those fans. They’ll record every appearance you make on a thing called a wiki.) While all the big time Muppets performed and did important stuff, the background characters could just relax, and have fun. No nervousness about going out on stage, no scripts or songs to practice, it seemed like it’d be the best.​

I thought that for years, until I became one. They say, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,” and I guess that’s true in performing, too. But actually, I have a feeling once you’ve jumped back and forth between yards a few times, you’ll be content with where you are. Don’t know yet, still waiting to find out.​

My longtime friend, Baskerville, had these kind of roles. He always seemed pretty content with them. As long as I can remember working with the Muppets, Baskerville’s been there. We started out doing some commercials for Purina Dog Chow, but after that, Baskerville kind of went to just doing background stuff. Occasionally he’d do something with me, like sing “Dog Eat Dog” or “May You Always,” but except for the occasional Veterinarian’s Hospital sketch, he didn’t really need to do much. I think he may have been on Sesame Street once. I can remember when we had auditions at the theater, he auditioned to be a new comedian, which, because of Fozzie, didn’t end well.​

Now I can kind of see why he auditioned. And really, I have nothing against Fozzie, but I wish it could have led to some bigger role. I hope he gets that chance someday to do something. I hear about a second new Muppet movie in the works. Anyone have James Bobin’s phone number?​

:sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy::sympathy:
 

Misskermie

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Wow. I imagined Rowlf talking! Very nice voice!
 

Hubert

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Yaay! Someone finally replied! The 2nd character will give an introduction when the next part is posted, hopefully soon.
 

newsmanfan

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Good beginning. Curious to see where you're headed. Will this be Rowlf's tale, or Baskerville's, or both? Here's to obscure characters! Yayy!

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Hubert

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Good beginning. Curious to see where you're headed. Will this be Rowlf's tale, or Baskerville's, or both? Here's to obscure characters! Yayy!

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Baskerville won't be featured too heavily in the story. I'm going to have two other characters sharing their background character tales as well, all three alternating, though as of now Rowlf's sections will be the most crucial to the whole fanfic. Really, in the past few days I keep changing things in the coming parts, the whole story keeps getting better and better. But you know, now that you ask about if Baskerville will heavily featured, I kinda think I have to make some changes and more heavily feature him. I think a new, larger part for him could enhance the story further.
 

muppetlover123

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nice :smile: you should do other obscures in one story like uncle deadly wayne wanda and scooter behomth?
 

Hubert

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nice :smile: you should do other obscures in one story like uncle deadly wayne wanda and scooter behomth?
There's three characters that will be narrating, but all of those will definitely have some minor role in the story.
 

Hubert

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Sorry for double posting, but I'm going to post some more. I'm going to post the next two parts, since one is super short. Please continue to leave input.
The Secret Life of a Background Character
Written by Hubert

Chapter 1.2: Link Hogthrob
Uh, this little schedule I was given that tells me what to talk about in each part in order to keep the stories close together says I should give an introduction of my story. I don’t really have an introduction, so I’ll start by saying ‘Hi Mom and Dad!’ Typing up my story as I say it is Annie Sue Pig, oh, what’s that? Annie Sue also says hi to her mom and dad. By the way, since you can’t really see me through text, I’ll tell you that I’m looking quite handsome today. There were supposed to be some little smilies of me at the top of this part, but I insisted that they be taken off. They didn’t properly depict my chin.​

So, for an introduction: My name is Link Hogthrob, and I am a wonderful, handsome, and charming actor. I was the star of Pigs in Space for many years, and also played other roles on the Muppet Show, which I was hired for before the second season. I was the captain in Pigs in Space, beside Julius Strangepork and First Mate Piggy. In Bear on Patrol, I was the police chief. Even though Fozzie was the star of this sketch, I still believe I was the best dressed.​

I didn’t think anything could happen to my career, and I still don’t think it can. Because I am a wonderful actor. But even wonderful actors have occasional career scares. Mine wasn’t that bad, though. I still came through it fairly easily. Here is my story (well, a bit later on).​

Chapter 1.3: Scooter

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I spent my time with the Muppets more behind the scenes. I was the go-fer. I could go fer coffee or go fer iced tea. (That doesn’t mean I’ll get you iced tea, That Announcer.) I enjoyed my backstage duties, and even though I wasn’t a major performer, I still had a large role around the theater, doing countless other things to keep the show in order.​

The Muppet Show’s background characters were just always there, and were always taken for granted. They just were there to fill up empty space, sing in a chorus in some songs, stuff like that. Sometimes background characters not needed would even sit in the audience to watch the show. You never really noticed them. They were important, and you knew they were there as a whole, but you really didn’t have too many daily conversations with them. You’d talk to them about little things, like about a certain act, or say hi occasionally, but the main characters didn’t really converse with them all that much. We knew them, of course, just they weren’t our main priority on the show.​

Since I never really noticed them, I never knew what it was like to be a background character, and I never really thought about it. And of course, I had never been one. After all, my uncle owned the theater, and I could use that to stay to stay go-fering (and it was good for getting an occasional raise). Since my early days with the Muppets, I had always been toward the forefront, up there with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, the Electric Mayhem, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and Rowlf. From the early days of the Muppet Show I’d been there, and I wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Or so I thought.​

You don’t really realize what people are going through until you actually go through it. If you did, there’d be no such thing as world hunger. And I didn’t realize anything about the secret life of a background character.​
:wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink::wink:
 

Hubert

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nice lovin it
Thanks, I can't wait to put up Chapter 2 (hopefully this weekend), where the story really begins getting told, with each character talking about their history of being a Muppet.
 
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