Johnny Fiama - where is he now?

Muppet Master

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Messages
2,595
Reaction score
1,614
Here's the offical apperance list of Johnny Fiama (Bill Barretta) and Sal Minella (Brian Henson). Muppets Tonight 16/22 of the episodes, Muppets From Space (1999) (speaking cameo roles), It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) (supporting roles), The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) (supporting roles). Besides that they've also appeared on Larry King Live, Family Feud, The Muppet Show Live, MuppetFest, Muppet Race Mania (video game) (only Johnny), and :boo: and :sleep: From the Balcony. Their most recent apperance was a cameo in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video back in December '09. Overall I doubt Johnny and Sal will return anytime soon do I hope they do. It's funny how when characters like Johnny, Sal, Clifford, Pepe, Carl, Van Neuter, Andy;Randy, ect. were at their primes and prominent, characters like Rowlf, Scooter, Fozzie, The ENTIRE Electric Mayhem, ect, were dead to the muppets, but now without Brian or Kevin there's no Cliff, Sal, Van Neuter, Carter, and Mulch. Without Sal there's no reason for Johnny Fiama to pop up in MMW and start singing, it'd be like if they kicked out :eek: and :confused: was just like he was in season one of TMS or if only :boo: heckled the muppets, it just wouldn't work. In the end I'm sorry to say, but those characters from MT or JHH have little chance of getting back into the muppets.
 

dwayne1115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
7,593
Reaction score
3,315
Well It's sad but Brian has said that he has kind of walked away from working with the Muppets. Which means preforming Sal as well, and the only real good person I could see working with Johnny would be Pepe, Rizzo or even maybe Fozzie.
 

Beauregard

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
19,240
Reaction score
1,239
Well It's sad but Brian has said that he has kind of walked away from working with the Muppets. Which means preforming Sal as well, and the only real good person I could see working with Johnny would be Pepe, Rizzo or even maybe Fozzie.
I could see Bean Bunny working with Johnny. In a miss-match sort of way.
 

beatnikchick300

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
832
Reaction score
269
Well It's sad but Brian has said that he has kind of walked away from working with the Muppets. Which means preforming Sal as well, and the only real good person I could see working with Johnny would be Pepe, Rizzo or even maybe Fozzie.

Couldn't they recast Sal? I mean, recasting is something they do all the time when need be.
 

dwayne1115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
7,593
Reaction score
3,315
Couldn't they recast Sal? I mean, recasting is something they do all the time when need be.
sure and it would seem like a great idea but the only person I could think would be close to it would be David Rudman. If you listen to him do Mr. Johnson(Fat blue) in Elmo in Grouchland he sounds a lot like Brian (Sal)
 

MuppetSpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
2,727
Reaction score
1,682
I think they don't use Sal or Johnny for respecting Brian Henson because Sal was his major character.
 

beatnikchick300

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
832
Reaction score
269
I think they don't use Sal or Johnny for respecting Brian Henson because Sal was his major character.
Didn't stop them from recasting Kermit, Miss Piggy, or Scooter (who were major characters from puppeteers who either died or retired).
 

ryhoyarbie

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Messages
3,565
Reaction score
122
Why does he not want to work with them anymore? Does he feel alienated? I would like to see Johnny and Sal return. If Pepe and Bobo can still be around, those two can too.

I would also like to see Zippity Zap come back. I think he's supposed to be a frog...a rather cool frog.
 

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,717
Reaction score
6,706
Didn't stop them from recasting Kermit, Miss Piggy, or Scooter (who were major characters from puppeteers who either died or retired).
To be fair, it took them forever to recast Scooter, and he went through several performers before he had a permanent recast.

Though I really think Tyler Bunch could pull off Sal. He usually performs bombastic characters, and something tells me he could get close to Brian's voice for that one.
 

beatnikchick300

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
832
Reaction score
269
To be fair, it took them forever to recast Scooter, and he went through several performers before he had a permanent recast.

Though I really think Tyler Bunch could pull off Sal. He usually performs bombastic characters, and something tells me he could get close to Brian's voice for that one.


But they did. That's the point; however hard a task recasting is, it's doable.
 
Top