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

[D'Snowth]

Bean was in the background quite often, but mostly as a "victim," as Steve once put it: like how when carrying a cake, Piggy slams the door in his face, squishing him into the wall.

 

[Duke Remington]

Bean hasn't just been silent for what seems like an eternity. He's been completely gone. With Whitmire also gone, any chance of Bean ever coming back is completely nil.

Why do people keep acting like he's an active character in need of recasting?

I disagree. They can bring him back anyway.

Besides, I've heard that the majority of Steve's characters (Statler, Rizzo, Beaker, Link, Lips, Newsman, etc.) are being taken over by Peter Linz. And whenever they decide to bring back Bean, I bet they'd give him to Linz as well.

 

[ConsummateVs]

Here we go again....

 

[muppetlover123]

I disagree. They can bring him back anyway.

Besides, I've heard that the majority of Steve's characters (Statler, Rizzo, Beaker, Link, Lips, Newsman, etc.) are being taken over by Peter Linz. And whenever they decide to bring back Bean, I bet they'd give him to Linz as well.

Who did you hear this from?

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't know if it's been discussed here (there's so many posts to go through), but I've been thinking about Vogel taking over as Kermit, I wondered if he felt right doing so after how Whitmire was fired, there's a discussion threat at Tough Pigs started by somebody who is disappointed in Vogel over this, but today I started wondering if he knew Whitmire was actually fired at the time he agreed to take over as Kermit. When Whitmire's departure was first announced publicly, it was said that he'd retired, before we learned the truth, and Whitmire said in his Today interview that Disney wanted him to sign a form that stated he retired. Could it be that Vogel thought he left on his own but now doesn't want to take over as Kermit (and could that have a part in that Muppet Thought of the Week video being delayed)?

 

[xSunnyEclipse]

I don't know if it's been discussed here (there's so many posts to go through), but I've been thinking about Vogel taking over as Kermit, I wondered if he felt right doing so after how Whitmire was fired, there's a discussion threat at Tough Pigs started by somebody who is disappointed in Vogel over this, but today I started wondering if he knew Whitmire was actually fired at the time he agreed to take over as Kermit. When Whitmire's departure was first announced publicly, it was said that he'd retired, before we learned the truth, and Whitmire said in his Today interview that Disney wanted him to sign a form that stated he retired. Could it be that Vogel thought he left on his own but now doesn't want to take over as Kermit (and could that have a part in that Muppet Thought of the Week video being delayed)?

I doubt it.

They're probably the first people that knew he got fired and that they would have to recast his characters. They wouldn't just lie to the other performers and say "Oh Steve just left on his own! Don't worry about it!"

 

[Old Thunder]

No way! That's a stupid, stupid idea and faulty logic to boot!

Pardon me, but how is it faulty logic?

 

[dwayne1115]

No way! That's a stupid, stupid idea and faulty logic to boot!

'
Well that's very interesting!

I know that for a long time there where talks that they where going to keep Rowlf silent after Jim's passing out of respect. I think there should be that same kind of respect in place for Richard, and Jerry, and now Steve. They are the ones that created these characters they should have some say at what happens.

on a side note I want to encourage everyone to read this:

https://themuppetmovement.wordpress.com/2017/08/12/thoughts-on-the-components-of-the-muppets/

 

[Censored]

Should Kermit have been kept silent too?

 

[Rugratskid]

Little late on this, but figured I'd put my thoughts in anyways.

Wembley is a really hard character to truly replicate/recreate, in my opinion... Steve really found a fine line between (in terms of voice, anyway) overly raspy/squeaky, and and almost a childlike sense of whimsy and indecisiveness, which lent itself to a higher voice. To try and redraw that line between the two with another performer, regardless of how talented, will create a hard challenge.

As someone who's attempted (and failed, for the most part) to perform Wembley on seeral ocassions (videos are still on MC in the Fraggle forum, if anyone's interested; they're outdated, but meh), I can verify (at least for me) how difficult finding that line can be. Just a fans perspective on his favorite Henson created character, I suppose.

I've heard Clash performed him in late 2016, actually, so take that as you will (during a celebration for Dave Goelz).