How do the performers sound in real life?

[Thijs]

Since I don`t live in the US, I have never been to a muppetfest, so I am wondering how the perfromers really sound.

Is Jim Henson voice like Ernie or like Rowlf. And Frank Oz? Does he really have such a weird voice? And Richard Hunt? Like Scooter?

 

[Skeeter Muppet]

Jim's voice...it's more similar to Rowlf's, Dr. Teeth or the Newsman's voice than it is to Kermit's. The only difference is that his regular voice wasn't as low or gruff as Rowlf's or Dr. Teeth's was.

Richard does sound a lot like Scooter. If you want to be able to tell for sure, go to the Your Face website run by Emmy. There's a video clip there from the pilot of "Puppetman" that's got Richard in it.

As for everyone else...*shrugs* I don't really know.


-Kim

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Reply

I've thought of that myself. I sort of wonder how Carroll Spinney sounds in real life. I imagine it would be hard for someone as old as he is to do the voice of a 6-year-old bird. But he does it very well. I've seen Jim on TV. I thought he sounded similar to Ernie and Kermit. I remember seeing a clip of Frank on TV. I think his voice is sort of a mixture of Bert's and a British accent. (After all he is from England) A lot of Jerry Nelson's characters have sort of a normal voice. So I'm assuming he sounds sort of like his Statler voice or maybe Fat Blue. But I'm just guessing. I don't remember seeing him as himself anywhere.

 

[EmmyMik]

Originally posted by Skeeter Muppet
Richard does sound a lot like Scooter. If you want to be able to tell for sure, go to the Your Face website run by Emmy. There's a video clip there from the pilot of "Puppetman" that's got Richard in it.

Thanks for the plug! LOL!

Anyway, just go here and if you want to see the clip, click where it says "click here". If you don't want to see the clip, I just have pictures there...

 

[Fozzie Bear]

From everything I've ever heard (and I have the videos of World of Jim Henson and Puppeteers of America) and, from Muppet Fest:

Jim Henson sounds like a deeper-voiced Kermit.
Frank Oz sounds like Sam with a sinus problem.
Jerry Nelson sounds like Floyd to me.
Brian Henson's voice is kind of nasal and distinctly different from Jim's, as is John's voice. Brian you can hear in the spots prior to The Muppet Show (I think) on the Time-Life videos.

I don't think I ever have heard Richard Hunt's real voice.

Dave, Steve, Kevin, Bill, and Karen all sound like regular voices without any particular distinction between them.

 

[sarah_yzma]

Jim Henson sounds like a deeper-voiced Kermit.

agreed! you can hear distinctive 'kermitness' in his voice! I noticed that on my Dark Crystal DVD (i love special features)

Frank Oz sounds like Sam with a sinus problem.

haha funny but true!

Sarah

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Reply

Richard does sound a lot like Scooter. If you want to be able to tell for sure, go to the Your Face website run by Emmy. There's a video clip there from the pilot of "Puppetman" that's got Richard in it.

Actually, instead of 'for sure,' shouldn't you have said 'fer shure?' Lol.

 

[Thijs]

For Jim, Frank and Jerry: maybe I have the solution. You all know The Tomorrow Song from the Rita Moreno episode. It was sung by three puppets, looking like Jim, Frank and Jerry. I think they used their own voice singing it.
Jim: Rowfl, but higher
Jerry: Herbert Birdsfoot, but without accent
Frank: the Frank puppet plays the Contrabass, and doesn`t sing, but in the end he has one line "I don`t get it", and it`s not as any of his characters.

 

[Luke]

I think you can definitely hear a bit of 'Gonzo' in Dave's voice - it kinda comes through in parts.

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

I have always guessed that Jerry's normal voice is similar to Fat Blue, but I wish I had some audio of him talking, to confirm...