Steve Whitmire has left the Muppets, Matt Vogel to continue as Kermit

[Censored]

Anyone after Jim is just an imitator anyway.

 

[Oscarfan]

That's a rather blunt way of putting it.

 

[Censored]

I’m not saying anyone could perform Kermit, but it should be more about the performer’s ability to replicate (as much as possible) Jim’s voice, style, mannerisms, and personality for Kermit, instead of worrying about what new qualities to add. Kermit is already an established character that just needs a person to breathe life into him, so he can continue doing what Jim created. That is truly preserving the integrity of the Muppets.

 

[D'Snowth]

But new performers have to invoke some of themselves into the characters, otherwise, if they try to do just a straight-up imitation of the previous performer's way of playing the character, then it's just that: an imitation, nothing more. And when that happens, then people would complain even more that the replacement perform is either "trying too hard," or "not trying hard enough," or even, "just not as good as. . . ."

I mean, again, I honestly can't imagine what Telly or Snuffy would be like if Marty Robinson just kept doing straight-up imitations of Brian and Jerry, respectively, with the characters like he did in the beginning.

Kermit is too much of Jim's alter ego, and in order for anyone to play Kermit like Jim, they would pretty much have to think and act like Jim, and the only one who can do that is Jim.

 

[Censored]

But new performers have to invoke some of themselves into the characters, otherwise, if they try to do just a straight-up imitation of the previous performer's way of playing the character, then it's just that: an imitation, nothing more. And when that happens, then people would complain even more that the replacement perform is either "trying too hard," or "not trying hard enough," or even, "just not as good as. . . ."

I mean, again, I honestly can't imagine what Telly or Snuffy would be like if Marty Robinson just kept doing straight-up imitations of Brian and Jerry, respectively, with the characters like he did in the beginning.

Kermit is too much of Jim's alter ego, and in order for anyone to play Kermit like Jim, they would pretty much have to think and act like Jim, and the only one who can do that is Jim.

That's why I say, "As much as possible."

 

[CBPuppets]

Right. Or, as is more commonly done, they could record the dialogue afterwards (having another puppeteer supply temporary dialogue while filming.)

I've always wondered how they do that

 

[xSunnyEclipse]

But new performers have to invoke some of themselves into the characters, otherwise, if they try to do just a straight-up imitation of the previous performer's way of playing the character, then it's just that: an imitation, nothing more. And when that happens, then people would complain even more that the replacement perform is either "trying too hard," or "not trying hard enough," or even, "just not as good as. . . ."

I mean, again, I honestly can't imagine what Telly or Snuffy would be like if Marty Robinson just kept doing straight-up imitations of Brian and Jerry, respectively, with the characters like he did in the beginning.

Kermit is too much of Jim's alter ego, and in order for anyone to play Kermit like Jim, they would pretty much have to think and act like Jim, and the only one who can do that is Jim.

This is exactly what I was trying to say. I'm just really bad at wording haha.

But yeah of course no one is Jim, but that doesn't mean they have to be a cardboard copy of him. Steve added something different to the character that I personally loved and I hope Matt can add something different as well. I don't want Disney's desire to get rid of bitter/upset Kermit and turn him into a dull character. That's my worry.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Someone at ToughPigs said something that made sense. They said that the Hollywood Bowl performance may be Matt's debut as Kermit. Considering we still haven't gotten the Thought of the Week video, and the Hollywood Bowl is only about four weeks away. Plus, Bill Barretta and Eric Jacobson took over as Rowlf and Miss Piggy in Muppet Show Live at the Muppet Fest, which i'm assuming was a pretty similar event to the what we'll be getting next month.

 

[Censored]

This is exactly what I was trying to say. I'm just really bad at wording haha.

But yeah of course no one is Jim, but that doesn't mean they have to be a cardboard copy of him. Steve added something different to the character that I personally loved and I hope Matt can add something different as well. I don't want Disney's desire to get rid of bitter/upset Kermit and turn him into a dull character. That's my worry.

I don’t see why that would happen. He wasn’t dull before he became bitter and upset. Let’s just bring the character back to basics.

 

[ferrell]

Personally I think that they should do what Warner brothers has done since Mel Blanc died and have more than one actor per each character that way they can do more projects and we can have different actors for different styles. At first WB tried to do a one voice actor with Jeff Bergman but he could really only do certain styles for Bugs etc, however after awhile they had a handful of voice actors who could do, for example, a more upbeat Bugs while someone like Bergman tends to do a more mellow relaxed Bugs. Then we ended up getting not only a handful of really good actors to do the characters we ended up getting a couple really amazing people like Joe Alaskey who would have made Blanc even turn his head lol who we may have never even heard if they would have stayed with just one voice actor..