Walter Puppeteer Auditions

[Frogpuppeteer]

Why in the world did they choose such a simple and generic looking Walter? I mean, he seriously looks like one of those poorly constructed stock puppets you can get at Christian book stores at jacked up prices.

once you see the movie youll see Walter is all about how he expresses, Just like Kermit its in the way Peter moves his had..... there's even a moment i have yet to figure out from a puppeteers point of view that fascinates me all 3 times ive seen it (4 if you count tv) i want to know how its done

 

[muppetperson]

Are you sure you don't mean Paul Rugg? Rudd isn't a puppeteer, Rugg is.

It was Paul Rudd whose name I saw.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Paul_Rudd
I dont know of Paul Rugg so I will have to google it.Just done it-says Rugg is a voice actor, not puppeteer.On the other hand, I believe Rudd has done puppetry on Sesame Street, working Rosevelt Franklin.

 

[haakonsmary]

Kevin Clash said he auditioned for Walter (trying to remember where I heard this, I think it was on his interview with The Daily Show).

 

[Puckrox]

Why in the world did they choose such a simple and generic looking Walter? I mean, he seriously looks like one of those poorly constructed stock puppets you can get at Christian book stores at jacked up prices.

But Walter is so adorable with his little blue suit and his Kermit watch and the Kermit shirt he occasionally wears and his parted hair and his - You get my point. He's adorable. And yeah, I think seeing the movie just adds to his already existing adorableness.

 

[Drtooth]

Why in the world did they choose such a simple and generic looking Walter? I mean, he seriously looks like one of those poorly constructed stock puppets you can get at Christian book stores at jacked up prices.

Walter's supposed to be... wel... twerpy. The fact that the character's such a small little twerp that's inexplicably related to the extremely tall Jason Segal (who, just a week ago played a convincing Andre the Giant on SNL). I don't think a more complex looking puppet (like Johnny Fiama) would have carried that across as well... not to mention you'd be lost out in expressions like this:

The fact he's able to contort his face, Kermit style, really spoke to a character that's pretty emotional and accident prone. Someone as stiff as Miss Piggy or the Chef couldn't pull off the same extreme cartoonish expressions (well, Piggy can scrunch up her nose and look angry).

 

[Duke Remington]

Walter's supposed to be... wel... twerpy. The fact that the character's such a small little twerp that's inexplicably related to the extremely tall Jason Segal (who, just a week ago played a convincing Andre the Giant on SNL). I don't think a more complex looking puppet (like Johnny Fiama) would have carried that across as well... not to mention you'd be lost out in expressions like this:

The fact he's able to contort his face, Kermit style, really spoke to a character that's pretty emotional and accident prone. Someone as stiff as Miss Piggy or the Chef couldn't pull off the same extreme cartoonish expressions (well, Piggy can scrunch up her nose and look angry).

I fully agree.

Not only that--at times, Walter's design kinda reminds me of some old school humanoid Muppets like Scoop & Skip. In a good way, of course.

Not all Muppets need extravagant over-the-top designs to be great characters--they just have to have great personalities, first and foremost. Kermit, for example, is a very simply-designed puppet (aside from a couple of "unique" details like his collar and eye pupils), but has a great personality. Same goes for Grover, Cookie Monster, Elmo and so forth and so on--all characters with simple designs, but wonderful personalities.

As Jim Henson himself once said, "Simple is good".