I went to high school with Steve. I never really knew him well, but he was in my homeroom one year and I had a couple other classes with him. He was just like you see him here. A really nice guy, quiet, mild mannered and unassuming. We had talent shows and he always did "puppet" shows that resembled the Muppets that were really impressive, way better than the rest of the acts. Guess he always knew what he wanted to do. It's sad to see him have to go through this, he doesn't deserve it.
They were trying to get some drama out of him that just wasn't there. They ignored his real-ness and talked over him without acknowledging any of the points he was making.
I know, it was biased questioning from all 3 of them - unprofessional, and a horrible form of bullying. Disgusting way to treat a man who is already being bullied out of a job. No questions that would question Disney...hmm I wonder who owns this network.
So the reporter cuts him off immediately. This give a negative energy towards this man. Listen to the journalist he is biased at the gate. Interesting.
Disney was the problem. The Henson franchise lost it's identity when Jim Henson died, The Muppets went "corporate", and Steve Whitmire had his strings pulled.
Honestly, Brian Henson comes off as the real monster in this situation. I don’t believe Disney would have canned him if the Henson family didn’t give such enthusiastic support. Granted, to be fair, none of us were directly involved in this situation and I’m not going to passionately side for or against people I don’t personally know. However, as much as I love Jim, Steve Whitmire was my favorite Kermit. He performed the character in my favorite muppet projects. I always gave the Henson company so much credit for doing such a good job recasting the characters of retired/deceased muppeteers but they completely dropped the ball with Steve. The new Kermit sounds like a bad impression of Obama which makes the firing of a talented puppeteer all the more egregious and frustrating.
To me, this is just devastating. His Kermit was the first I ever heard as a kid and throughout the years, he never once showed any sign of slowing down in any of his roles.
matt k. Well? Duh! He was supposed to do that. When a VA dies, they replace them with an impressionist. Do you want Henson’s corpse to voice Kermit. Let the dude rest in peace
You can tell this guy genuinely cared and was passionate about The Muppets and trying to make it the best it could be and someone higher up in the company didn't like it and wanted to get rid of him so they could do things there own way. So they hired someone new who'd just do everything the way the company told him to do things instead of having any input into the characters or stories themselves in anyway, which is really sad.
Jup and the current guy doesnt even comes close to kermits voice and the movements look stiff. Its like hire someone to draw mickey mouse who cant even draw but keep them and release it anyway and hire a different mickey voice actor as well. Just very wrong
What bugs me is they say he played the character as "bitter" Um, gee, did he write A Very Merry Muppet Christmas where Kermit says he wished he'd never been born? No. Did he direct it? No. Did he write the Office style Muppets where Kermit ran the Miss Piggy show where they were broken up? No. Did he direct it? No. Did he write the Muppet movie where the crew was scattered and had to get them back together to save Muppet Studios? No. Did he direct it? No. Muppets Most Wanted? No. Seems like Steve was upset about how THEY were trashing the character and got the boot. Speak your mind, get fired.
Speak your mind, get fired is pretty much the mantra of all big corporations, I used to work for Comcast, anyone that had an idea that they fought for that was against whatever the company's current agenda was would mysteriously get fired for a completely unrelated incident and I swear that they made some of the stuff up that they fired people for.
Kermit was always bitter. That's who he is. "Not easy being green" and all that. These sort of stories are all about Cancel Culture. Turning all cartoons into teletubbies and lacing them with extreme leftwing social agendas. You will notice there's nothing NEW in any of this, they simply take what is loved and respected and trash it. What they do produce new is gender non-specific violent inane programming...depressing and stupid as it gets. Reason being its not entertainment, its brainwashing. Kermit the Frog, seriously.
Kermits personality is actually pretty even keeled. Not bitter or depressed, just kind of an easy going guy that ponders the world around him. He’s a loyal friend and is a bit idealistic. Switching people to portray him takes away from the authenticity!
Give the song "Its not easy being green a listen". That song over all others captures the deep soul of Kermit the Frog and of Jim Henson. Kermit never shied away from being sad at times. He frequently would experience the full range of emotions we all do like depression. Its the way in which Kermit dealt with and overcame these difficulties that was educational for children and made the character so special and endearing. Kermit was smart and meaningful, he taught children lessons about what to do during such times of sadness, not by being happy all the time or perfect, but by being real and authentic, but having the heart to manage these struggles and to survive them. Kermit was a nuanced meaningful character.
For a whole generation, Steve Whitmire WAS Kermit. Brian Henson personally chose him to continue the character, after Jim died. His first appearance as Kermit is still one of the most popular films they ever did - "The Muppet Christmas Carol". Steve also played Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, and Belinda Cratchit as well. From this interview and others, it seems Steve wanted to keep the character more innocent, while Brian Henson and Disney disagreed.
Jim Henson would be absolutely appalled if he saw how bureaucratic and corporatised his kids have made his franchise and even more so by how they've shafted this guy after everything he's done for them over the years. He's held the show together single-handedly. Without Kermit, there is no Muppets. He was a Godsend....he took up the mantle when the execs were going to continue the show on without that iconic character. The show would've been off the air in a year had Steve Whitmire not stepped up to the plate....he worked alongside Jim for years and was probably was mentored to some degree..."bitter victim"...what does that even mean?
I have to agree. Or at least find or hire someone who do a better Jim Henson impression and train them. Maybe they could even work out an agreement where Matt Vogel does the puppet work and Steve re-dubs the lines in post production.
They were asking him to respond to the accusations that the producers leveled at him and asking him the questions that most people probably would ask, such as why did he wait so long to speak out. Also known as DOING THEIR JOBS.
Usually, a board fired someone important to show off how much power they have and to show a lesson to everybody else to keep their mouth shut and obey.
Do you wanna bet that they found something not that damaging about him like political views or other views not enough to make a scandal but enough to hate him and fire him. This is a new dictatorship. I cannot believe how the USA changed back to.... living in a true Mccarthyism era
True, I didn’t even consider that aspect originally. That’s gotta be a serious loss of morale to all the other coworkers and staff. I can’t imagine losing a coworker you worked with for like 20 years and was one of the lead roles. I mean, I do know what it’s like to lose a coworker you’ve worked with for almost 10 years, because of the pandemic I lost several coworkers that I had worked with for years. It’s not a pleasant thing. After so many years you work together so well and effortlessly. Definitely miss them. I wish the best for the rest of the crew. Sounds like they have terrible bosses/managers.
"The minute the Muppets are reduced to being roles that are auditioned for and cast, it takes all the individuality out of them." -Steve Whitmire And that's what makes the Muppets so special. They aren't characters. They're people.
I don't know what Jim Henson thought was going to happen when he was trying to sell it to Disney; had he lived I feel like he might've had the same remorse Lucas had
He quoted things that Jim Henson had said and absolutely would say about the integrity of the characters. I feel so bad for Steve on this situation and upset that Disney tried to force his hand to retire. An artist doesn't just up and retire. They keep doing what they're passionate about.
Yep... and we all are. Even though I, for one, DO hope he gets to come back and start performing Kermit the Frog and all the other Muppets he performed+took over performing, someday in the future again soon.
I and my children met the puppeteer years ago in Kermit,Tx and he was the most caring and thoughtful professional when he signed Kermit dolls and interacting with our family. Someone who can show that passion and patience in Texas heat and be as sweet as possible to tons of people and keeping a smile on has my respect and support.
Nope! Steve Whitmire was NOT the character of Kermit. He didn’t create Kermit, he didn’t develop and evolve Kermit, he didn’t give Kermit any of his characteristics or charms. Steve was just the man that was asked to take over the role of Kermit after Jim Henson passed away.
Considering this was right after the new show failed, I think it's obvious that they threw him under bus as an attempt to blame him for the studio's failings. Kermit wasn't even the problem with the show, it was other characters like Fozzie that we're ruined. I remember Mark Hamill being asked about playing Steve's character in The Dark Crystal series, and Mark had nothing but compliments to give Steve.
Amazing Supergirl . Thank you . I felt the interviewers specifically the male was biased. He was an AssH. They came across as passive aggressive. Listen to the line of questions and the way they were put out there.
This only leaves i think Dave Goelz as far as original performers who are still working with The Muppets go. I’d be interested to hear Frank Oz’s thoughts on this escapade.
@@MrAprilfoolsday Henson didn't stop from pursuing a director's career. In fact, he told him he had to do what he felt best. And Oz was deeply appreciative of that.
@@CinnaMae420 Steve Whitmire was already replaced a few years ago. The new guy that voices and controls Kermit (Matt Vogel) was really miscast and he really sucks at being Kermit. They should have gone with Peter Linz, who would have done Kermit much better.
Steve had an issue with how Disney was handling the muppets just like Frank Oz, so they got rid of him. They even wanted him to sign an NDA so he wouldn’t come out against them and when he refused they threw him under the bus.
Steve has been Kermit for the majority of my life and I really want him back. It seems to me like Disney and the Hensons are treating him really unfairly. It makes me sad and makes me fear for the future of the Muppets. They're not just a brand name, not to me. I went to see The Muppets when it came out in 2011 and I cried thinking about how magical it was to see all the kids in the theater discovering the Muppets for the first time. That magic is what the Muppets mean to me and that's what they're losing lately. I'm actually relieved that Jim isn't alive to see how his legacy is being tarnished.
Disney treats our cherished cultural icons- this time Kermit the Frog's longtime puppeteer- the like dirt for not kowtowing to thier corporate idiocy/ Wokeness.. Taking the individuality and uniquely Muppet characters out , and what's left ? A bunch of one-dimensional crap characters busy virtue signalling for thier NWO Masters- Corporate Disney Inc..
“Difficult to work with”. This is the kiss of death in Hollywood and it’s sad when it’s just slander. Really destroys a career. Just like will smith and the original Aunt Viv. So sad.
@sunny you should go back and watch the reunion. She blamed it on the fact that no one knew what she was going through. She was actually one of the first people women with her skin tone to land such a big role so it wasn’t so much about race anymore but about colour and representation. It was a positive thing that turned negative unfortunately.
So, they were in talks to make Steve a Creative Executive, but then went ahead and canned him anyway? Something doesn't add up. Either Steve is lying or Disney decided that he wasn't going to agree with them on everything and that he wasn't worth their time after all. I'm with Steve on this, Disney's track record is terrible when it comes to the treatment of their employees. I've been doing a fair bit of research on Steve for the past 5 years and everything he said in this interview is consistent and true to form.
Maybe Steve was difficult to work with, but still I think this whole firing seems odd. Why fire at this point at time. And the Henson family supporting this, though they might be justified, might not have been the best thing to do because it just gives Disney more power over characters that are not legally attached to them. Maybe the Hensons and Steve maybe should have talked it out, but not fully discredit the man even with his flaws. He took over Kermit for the longest and every party should have at least bit more considerate after Disney ordered the firing.
@@mrmickeyrich I'm sure the Hensons have a clause in their contract that they can't publicly disagree with Disney's handling of the Muppets in general. They must publicly concur with every decision Disney makes or endanger their residuals.
Sacking him has really worked well for them huh? A guy with the shittest Kermit impression was cast in a Disney+ series. I don’t expect to see a muppet movie for a long time if not ever again.
Like a lot of kids in the early-to-mid 90s, I was in that weird area where I had Jim's Kermit via recycled Sesame Street bits as well as Steve's Kermit with the newer material. It wasn't really a bother when I was little, but actually watching Steve get thrown out and be replaced with Matt Vogel now is the first time I've felt uncomfortable with a Muppeteer change
I feel absolutely horrible for this man, he dedicated his life to "his job", in reality it was he dedicated his life to Kermit. Where were the rumors for the past 27 years that he was difficult to work with, you would think if he was that hard to work with they would release some sort of paperwork or something? To blatantly fire this man who put all of his heart and soul into Kermit and making children and adults happy including myself! It is just so very sad. I wish Jim Henson was alive I can guarantee this would not have happened. Whenever they "replace" a puppeteer you know immediately not in just the sound, but the movements of the puppet as well, it is truly an art form. Shame on them, I feel like they fazed him out, and wanted some young person to replace him or something else like that, there is just something not right with this. I wouldn't be surprised if this man now has PTSD, and no I'm not over exaggerating, this was his whole life and now it's gone, a piece of this man is gone forever. It's not like he came to terms that he wanted to make it to 30 years and then decide to retire. Just think he put everything into this job only to get fired, no thank you party or anything he did for the muppet family 😥. Sorry for the long post, I know I don't know everything about what happened but this wasn't handled right, and my heart is broken for him.
Doug Working Too nasal and a bit high. The voice has to come from back/bottom of the throat. Besides, you also have to know how to operate a puppet. Singing is good, though.
I've read a bit on this sounds to me like executives used Steve Whitmire as the fall guy for a failed series! Compassion had everything to do with this. They should have listened to him. Steve Whitmire even doubted himself in this interview such a shame how he felt. I get the same feelings where I work at times the top people sometimes need to stop look at situations from the wise eyes!
I'm so heartbroken! He voiced Wembley, my favorite Fraggle. And I've never had a problem with his Kermit. Maybe Kermit has become more cynical lately but it's a tough world out there and it didn't feel out of character. His little "we failed" speech in The Muppets 2011 really made me tear up. "If we failed we failed together and to me that's not failing at all. " Disney makes no sense sometimes. Like they fired the guy who created Stitch/Lilo and Stitch TWICE. He wrote good stuff! Wth??
Whitemire was practically left in charge by Henson to carry the legacy of his character and franchise from that point forwards, this is an insult and I'm still angry.
@@AsukenickI don’t get why people think that. Matt is a great performer. He’s one of my favorite Muppet performers. But my god, he was not a good choice to takeover as Kermit. He doesn’t sound like Kermit. He just sounds like someone trying to do a Kermit impression
Steve says he did nothing wrong. Brian Henson said he's been a problem since the 90s and regretted not firing him and recasting Kermit before selling to Disney in 2004. Something doesn't add up, to me, if Steve was that big of a problem, they probably would of fired him sooner. There are 3 sides to a story, the 3rd side being the truth. We'll never know the exact truth on why he was dismissed
Agreed. Maybe Steve did cause some trouble in the past. But there’s no way it could’ve been that terrible. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have kept him around for 26 years
I couldn't believe that Disney and Jim's family fired him after Disney has changed the Muppets. I grew up watching him perform Kermit the frog because I was born in the 90s. When I heard that he retired/got fired, I felt that part of my childhood tore apart. As a matter of fact, I recently met him through a video chat from GalaxyCon back in December 2022. He is such a friendly and pleasant person to talk to. No matter what happens, I will always support Mr. Steve Whitmire.
I AGREE! THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE FIRED HIM! NOW THANKS TO DISNEY, THE MUPPETS HAVE GOTTEN JUST WORSE! MATT VOGEL HAS TAKEN OVER THE ROLE OF KERMIT! Don't get me wrong, I like Vogel, BUT HE JUST MAKES KERMIT SOUND LIKE STINKIN' CONSTANTINE DOING A BAD KERMIT IMPRESSION, NO MATTER HOW MANY STINKIN' TIMES I HEAR HIM! I know some of Whitmire's characters are recast, and they are just fine, BUT WHAT ABOUT RIZZO AND LIPS (the trumpet player for Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem)?! JUST WHEN LIPS BEGINS TALKING AGAIN, THEY HAD TO STINKIN' FIRE WHITMIRE! NOW HE'S NOT TALKING! AND WHY WOULD THEY FIRE HIM OVER PERFORMING KERMIT AS A BITTER VICTIM?! DIDN'T THEY WANT HIM TO ACT LIKE THAT ON THAT ABC MUPPET SHOW? BECAUSE IF THEY DID, THE HENSONS ARE JUST BEING WAY TOO HYPOCRITICAL! IT'S 2018, AND I'M STILL MAD ABOUT THIS. TO ME, THIS IS WORSE THAN THE NEW MUPPET BABIES REPLACING SKEETER WITH ANOTHER MUPPET! (I, unlike other Muppet fans, personally have no problem with them creating Summer Penguin instead of just putting eyelashes on an already existing Muppet and calling it their twin, but it would be nice to see her in a guest appearance and/or even see her as a live action Muppet like Scooter, BTW) BUT STILL DISNEY SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE FIRED WHITMIRE IN THE STINKIN' FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!
As The Duke of Artz I agree Disney made a big mistake to fire Steve Whitmire. I listened to Matt Vogel's performance as Kermit and it didn't sound like the Kermit the Frog that I remember. As The Duke of Artz I say we support Steve Whitmire and have Disney give him a second chance as Kermit the Frog again by sending the Walt Disney studios and the Jim Henson Studios a letter.
I missed it... I didn't see anything ? "Difficult" is code for & just means someone doesn't think the way you do, unfortunately people with "power" fire people in this fashion every minute of every day & people who can't fire someone because they think differently, they participate in the running of someone out of town in some back stabbing cowardly way...funny how that works
Nice guy! Maybe that was the problem......Undeserved and glad he went public and didn't hide under a retirement lie! Shows he has morals and values....something lacking in today's world! Disney has gone down the toilet for the most part! I miss the old days!
Ashlyn M I am completely disgusted with Disney and disappointed with the Henson family for supporting it. Steve is clearly hurts by his dismissal his characters were so warm, if anyone is bitter and depressed it's the Hensons
I'm appalled that, one, I'm just learning this 3 years later and, two, that his 27 year contribution to not only the character but also the company was just summarily dismissed. These aren't cartoon characters who can have multiple voice actors replace them. These are physical characters who come to life through the movements of a living performer and their choices as an actor as well as their voice.
isn’t as though Jim was easy to work with himself...... so that excuse of Steve being difficult to work with does not sit well. especially after him being there for so long. i am sure there were personality clashes and stern words exchanged- that is just how you have to be sometimes when working on such massive creative projects. certainly not an easy business or world to work in. i feel for him; he genuinely seems heartbroken.
Disney is making a whole lot of VERY BAD DECISIONS! I liked "The Muppets" in 2010, but after that, everything rolled downhill! "The Muppets Most Wanted" was by far the worst Muppet movie I have ever seen, and was a mockery of the previous film! Then they broke Kermit and Miss Piggy up! (OMG! Would they announce that Mickey and Minnie Mouse are getting a divorce?! So stupid!) And now they are firing Steve Whitmire because he is one of the few Muppet players who is still loyal to Jim Henson and everything his Muppets stood for. Disney is ruining the Muppets! They need to make a complete "about face" before they destroy one of the most beloved franchises they own!
Also, I forgot to mention, if Disney is actually trying to ruin The Muppets, what makes them think that the world is going to thank them for it? The Muppets are not their competition anymore! As the most beloved creators of family-friendly entertainment, their duty is to preserve the legacy of The Muppets, guard it just as surely as if "Ol' Uncle Walt" gave them the franchise (I believe if Walt Disney had lived to see The Muppets, he would be just as much a fan of them as we are.) No, Disney Company, you are about to throw away one of the greatest creations you currently own! Please, for your own sakes if not for ours, don't do it!
Do you believe Jim Henson himself would stand by this decision? I don't think he would. I'm sure he would've been very upset with the Disney corporation and done everything to get Steve back. But then again, when Jim was alive, Steve only did minor puppet characters. I feel like the Muppets were so much better in the 70s/80s before Jim's sudden passing and I wish I was around back then.
This is a case study in how to properly advocate for yourself in the face of criticism. What a wonderfully honest man. Even though the interviewers made this quite difficult for him, he still shared his truth. So underappreciated.
This got recommended to me and it's very ironic that Dark Crystal got cancelled by Netflix. If everything Steve is saying is true than the reap what you sow effect is going to humble the Hensons again.
I've seen people on tiktok do better impressions of Kermit than the new VA. You can't get any better than someone hand picked by Henson himself. Like Julia Roberts said *Big mistake. HUGE*
In a former employment I dealt with all the major movie studios on a daily basis and Disney were by far the worst to deal with, Absolutes c**ts if I'm honest. They try to bully everybody they deal with.
Not just Kermit, but also Rizzo, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. The only OG puppeteer left is Dave Goelz and it’s one of the reasons why The Muppets lost peoples attention. It lost its originality and familiarity to those who grew up watching it. Now it’s just terrible. There are hundreds of people who can do a better Kermit the frog impression than the man currently performing him.
I grew up with Steve Whitmire as Kermit and I'm now in my '40's. I'm sorry to hear they decided to go in a different direction and that 27 years meant nothing to the Hensons. I just don't see why they couldn't keep using him until he decided to move on.
The family needs to remember the friendship and love Jim had with this man. He knew them as kids... I am sure friendship and love must have been there that is the saddest of all..... ALL THE BEST STEVE😎
Disney is HORRIBLE. Now that they've gotten rid of Steve, frankly Seth MacFarlane's goofy impression of Kermit sounds better than the new, official "voice" of Kermit. No offense, Matt Vogel, but you're no Kermit!!
If you watch Jim with Kermit out in interviews, he's quick and dry with a bit of sass. The spirit of the character took a bit hit after the Disney acquisition. Disney has ruined a lot of things over the years. Pixar is the only truly original thing left. They must be able to run more independently than others.
It's not even that hard to find someone who can do it but the character of Kermit is off now. No one could watch the whole first new episode. Now we know why.
Just watched the new Disney muppet episodes/shorts and I right away noticed how horrible the new Kermit was. I didn’t know he was fired . What a shame.
You know I watched this a couple years ago and I am as disappointed and upset for Steve now as I was then. Kermit, the muppets and the Henson family will never be looked at as genuine as the did before this happened.
It's a sad day when the corporation of the Muppets became more important then the creative process and heart of the Muppets. I commend Steve for coming forward.
It's not even a matter of being a curmudgeonly old school Muppet fan, it's hard to perfectly replicate a character's voice after its original voice actor has died (Statler and Waldorf haven't been the same since Jim Henson and Richard Hunt died). But Mickey Mouse has always sounded like Mickey Mouse, and Kermit the Frog should always sound like Kermit the Frog. This sounds like somebody doing a bad Kermit the Frog impression.
Just randomly seeing this clip now. I knew there was something... off about the current/recent Kermit character, but I couldn’t explain it. This makes more sense now...
They ask this guy harder questions they ask politicians and CEOs.
That’s why I dont watch the today show anymore.
It's because this doesn't matter. They can be actual journalists. They can't actually look into politicians, unless they are the big bad Orange man.
Lol
They skim over hard issues, then go for the throat with a puppeteer.
"Kermit - the bitter victim." Eyeroll.
I’m sorry but I hate the media, these are self serving A holes! if they had Biden on there they would ask him what he had for breakfast today.
I went to high school with Steve. I never really knew him well, but he was in my homeroom one year and I had a couple other classes with him. He was just like you see him here. A really nice guy, quiet, mild mannered and unassuming. We had talent shows and he always did "puppet" shows that resembled the Muppets that were really impressive, way better than the rest of the acts. Guess he always knew what he wanted to do. It's sad to see him have to go through this, he doesn't deserve it.
Being difficult is hardly the worst thing. Some of the best people are. Very cool you knew him.
Poor guy, he seems super genuine and polite.
I went to BHS too and he did a great show featuring the song, “In The Jungle”. I was never surprised he went to work for Jim Henson.
But he was fisting that poor frog!
Tim Burton went to high-school with Kermit the frog.... ok
They were trying to get some drama out of him that just wasn't there. They ignored his real-ness and talked over him without acknowledging any of the points he was making.
It's like he was a puppet.
@@well_i_liked_it No strings on me.
I like your face
Worried they might get fired for doing their jobs 🤣
I know, it was biased questioning from all 3 of them - unprofessional, and a horrible form of bullying. Disgusting way to treat a man who is already being bullied out of a job. No questions that would question Disney...hmm I wonder who owns this network.
So the reporter cuts him off immediately. This give a negative energy towards this man. Listen to the journalist he is biased at the gate. Interesting.
Yes, clearly an anti-kermite.
Aren't they all anymore?
He must get paid through the Muppet folk somehow.
It’s Big Muppet controlling everything
Disney was the problem. The Henson franchise lost it's identity when Jim Henson died, The Muppets went "corporate", and Steve Whitmire had his strings pulled.
Exactly! There is no way it will last like this. The muppets are being killed off one by one. 😭😭😭
Absolutely 💯!
Disney poisons what it buys.
Honestly, Brian Henson comes off as the real monster in this situation. I don’t believe Disney would have canned him if the Henson family didn’t give such enthusiastic support. Granted, to be fair, none of us were directly involved in this situation and I’m not going to passionately side for or against people I don’t personally know.
However, as much as I love Jim, Steve Whitmire was my favorite Kermit. He performed the character in my favorite muppet projects. I always gave the Henson company so much credit for doing such a good job recasting the characters of retired/deceased muppeteers but they completely dropped the ball with Steve. The new Kermit sounds like a bad impression of Obama which makes the firing of a talented puppeteer all the more egregious and frustrating.
To me, this is just devastating. His Kermit was the first I ever heard as a kid and throughout the years, he never once showed any sign of slowing down in any of his roles.
www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-make-steve-whitmire-a-muppet-again
The biggest letdown for the D+ revival. Cannot believe this.
This guy was always a pale imitation of Jim Henson.
matt k. Well? Duh! He was supposed to do that. When a VA dies, they replace them with an impressionist. Do you want Henson’s corpse to voice Kermit. Let the dude rest in peace
A pale imitation is a bad imitation.
You can tell this guy genuinely cared and was passionate about The Muppets and trying to make it the best it could be and someone higher up in the company didn't like it and wanted to get rid of him so they could do things there own way. So they hired someone new who'd just do everything the way the company told him to do things instead of having any input into the characters or stories themselves in anyway, which is really sad.
Jup and the current guy doesnt even comes close to kermits voice and the movements look stiff. Its like hire someone to draw mickey mouse who cant even draw but keep them and release it anyway and hire a different mickey voice actor as well. Just very wrong
You’ve given this a lot of thought huh? Lol😂
You’ve given this a lot of thought huh? Lol😂
The three panel members are getting paid to make him look mad
I think they are getting paid to get the story out from him...
@@Fassnight Let's not think for a moment Kermit didn't rat this guy out.
Welp it didn’t work
exactly
Their station is probably owned by Disney. LOL
What bugs me is they say he played the character as "bitter" Um, gee, did he write A Very Merry Muppet Christmas where Kermit says he wished he'd never been born? No. Did he direct it? No. Did he write the Office style Muppets where Kermit ran the Miss Piggy show where they were broken up? No. Did he direct it? No. Did he write the Muppet movie where the crew was scattered and had to get them back together to save Muppet Studios? No. Did he direct it? No. Muppets Most Wanted? No. Seems like Steve was upset about how THEY were trashing the character and got the boot. Speak your mind, get fired.
So true!
Speak your mind, get fired is pretty much the mantra of all big corporations, I used to work for Comcast, anyone that had an idea that they fought for that was against whatever the company's current agenda was would mysteriously get fired for a completely unrelated incident and I swear that they made some of the stuff up that they fired people for.
It's not easy being green. Kermit always was about existence in a world that's often overwhelming.
Kermit was always bitter. That's who he is. "Not easy being green" and all that. These sort of stories are all about Cancel Culture. Turning all cartoons into teletubbies and lacing them with extreme leftwing social agendas. You will notice there's nothing NEW in any of this, they simply take what is loved and respected and trash it. What they do produce new is gender non-specific violent inane programming...depressing and stupid as it gets. Reason being its not entertainment, its brainwashing.
Kermit the Frog, seriously.
@@johndough23 PeeWee Carlson does a dance everytime they say "Cancel Culture" 🎉🎊🌋🎆🎇🎈
I met him last year and talked to him for a while, he’s an honest, humble guy and he’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met
I knew it.
Adam Sukenick You can tell
Excellent
Weird, I was expecting drug fuelled parties and ties to the mob.
I met him too and got that exact impression. He is so genuine and kind. He elevates the room.
Poor guy. The place he called home, kicked him out.
life my brother. universe will iron it out
Kermits personality is actually pretty even keeled. Not bitter or depressed, just kind of an easy going guy that ponders the world around him. He’s a loyal friend and is a bit idealistic. Switching people to portray him takes away from the authenticity!
Give the song "Its not easy being green a listen". That song over all others captures the deep soul of Kermit the Frog and of Jim Henson. Kermit never shied away from being sad at times. He frequently would experience the full range of emotions we all do like depression. Its the way in which Kermit dealt with and overcame these difficulties that was educational for children and made the character so special and endearing. Kermit was smart and meaningful, he taught children lessons about what to do during such times of sadness, not by being happy all the time or perfect, but by being real and authentic, but having the heart to manage these struggles and to survive them.
Kermit was a nuanced meaningful character.
For a whole generation, Steve Whitmire WAS Kermit. Brian Henson personally chose him to continue the character, after Jim died. His first appearance as Kermit is still one of the most popular films they ever did - "The Muppet Christmas Carol". Steve also played Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Bean Bunny, and Belinda Cratchit as well. From this interview and others, it seems Steve wanted to keep the character more innocent, while Brian Henson and Disney disagreed.
His first appearance as Kermit was actually in the 1990 CBS special "The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson".
He also played Ernie and other characters on Sesame Street
he also played several characters
This is all disney I’m sure Brian Henson tried fighting against them
@@GeorgiaOverdrive He didn't voice Kermit there
Jim Henson would be absolutely appalled if he saw how bureaucratic and corporatised his kids have made his franchise and even more so by how they've shafted this guy after everything he's done for them over the years. He's held the show together single-handedly. Without Kermit, there is no Muppets. He was a Godsend....he took up the mantle when the execs were going to continue the show on without that iconic character. The show would've been off the air in a year had Steve Whitmire not stepped up to the plate....he worked alongside Jim for years and was probably was mentored to some degree..."bitter victim"...what does that even mean?
Disney decided to fire him, the Hensons had nothing to do with it.
www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-make-steve-whitmire-a-muppet-again
If only Jim had agreed to go to the hospital 2 hours earlier...
@@griffnull8371 Yea they did, they were consulted.
Jon Ford Hensons wanted him fired also.
This sounds like age discrimination.
They basically don’t want to continue to pay whatever level he had gotten to.
He's such a gentle speaker, like Jim Henson. They should have worked with him, I mean 27 years!
Give this guy his job back!!!! The new Kermit sounds awful
Yeah, he sounds like he’s been doing drugs
Many kids now won't know the true Kermit.
3DGuy 29609 Sad days bro 😢
I have to agree. Or at least find or hire someone who do a better Jim Henson impression and train them. Maybe they could even work out an agreement where Matt Vogel does the puppet work and Steve re-dubs the lines in post production.
@@JCBro-yg8vd Matt Vogel seems deeper than the original voice. 😔
He handled that very well you could tell they were trying to push his buttons but he never gave in I'm so proud
Yeah he did
I noticed that
It's possibly he was replace because of a friend working in there got a friend this job to replace him.
They were asking him to respond to the accusations that the producers leveled at him and asking him the questions that most people probably would ask, such as why did he wait so long to speak out. Also known as DOING THEIR JOBS.
Well to fair, pushing buttons isn't as bad as what was done to Kermit.
Usually, a board fired someone important to show off how much power they have and to show a lesson to everybody else to keep their mouth shut and obey.
Do you wanna bet that they found something not that damaging about him like political views or other views not enough to make a scandal but enough to hate him and fire him.
This is a new dictatorship.
I cannot believe how the USA changed back to....
living in a true Mccarthyism era
True, I didn’t even consider that aspect originally. That’s gotta be a serious loss of morale to all the other coworkers and staff. I can’t imagine losing a coworker you worked with for like 20 years and was one of the lead roles.
I mean, I do know what it’s like to lose a coworker you’ve worked with for almost 10 years, because of the pandemic I lost several coworkers that I had worked with for years. It’s not a pleasant thing. After so many years you work together so well and effortlessly. Definitely miss them.
I wish the best for the rest of the crew. Sounds like they have terrible bosses/managers.
This is TODAY. They aren’t trying to help this man.
This was 3 years ago.
@@MarcusStaAnaBurSelF
Excuse me. They “weren’t” trying to help the man, and currently, TODAY isn’t trying to help American society in general.
@@CrowCreekOutdoors I thought you meant literally, I said 3 years ago because *THIS* video was uploaded 3 years ago.
@@MarcusStaAnaBurSelF 👍
"The minute the Muppets are reduced to being roles that are auditioned for and cast, it takes all the individuality out of them." -Steve Whitmire
And that's what makes the Muppets so special. They aren't characters. They're people.
www.change.org/p/the-walt-disney-company-make-steve-whitmire-a-muppet-again
What but you do that for most classic characters that's absurd.
I don't know what Jim Henson thought was going to happen when he was trying to sell it to Disney; had he lived I feel like he might've had the same remorse Lucas had
@@RoyalKnightVIII I doubt it for the Muppets they try their best to do business as usual for the most part.
@@RoyalKnightVIII The Muppets wanted to opt out but it was too late.
He quoted things that Jim Henson had said and absolutely would say about the integrity of the characters. I feel so bad for Steve on this situation and upset that Disney tried to force his hand to retire. An artist doesn't just up and retire. They keep doing what they're passionate about.
Yep... and we all are. Even though I, for one, DO hope he gets to come back and start performing Kermit the Frog and all the other Muppets he performed+took over performing, someday in the future again soon.
This will give him the opportunity to make his own stuff
Luigi Laitinen. Not going to happen. Disney will NEVER hire him back.
They wouldn’t do this sort of thing with Mickey & Friends. What makes the Muppets any different?
funny enough everything he is saying is exactly what Frank Oz has been saying and he is known for being outspoken
It seems to me Disney’s power influences a lot of the questions asked here.
Once Disney takes over, it’s all about the money. Jim Henson is rolling over in his Grave
Walt Disney would be rolling in his grave too
I wonder how Henson would feel about the actions of his family.
This is from the Muppet Studio and the Henson family, not from Disney.
The new Kermit they have is just horrible doesnt even sound like the character.
Yeah, I can't even watch his parts I skip ahead on the new Disney plus show. Wish they brought him back.
Agreed, Matt Vogel is the worst possible choice when it comes to sounding like Kermit.
@@parkerpattillo I don't even like his Big Bird voice
Princess, Yes. Matt Vogel’s Big Bird is more congested and deeper than Carroll Spinney’s, but still a very close match.
But his Kermit sounds like Constantine doing another horrible impression of Steve Whitmire’s.
Did this interview seem kind of biased to anyone else? 🤨
how so?
ABC is owned by Disney so their you go
odette bengochea This is NBC though?
Same old liberal media
Shawn Cummins lmao why even bring politics?
his Kermit is just childhood and nostalgia. even if you didn't grow up with him he's a lovely person and a great puppeteer.
My exact words. I love watching all the interviews I can find with him.
He's just the childhood kermit. The real kermit. STEVE cannot be replaced. He will still be in our hearts as kermit
I and my children met the puppeteer years ago in Kermit,Tx and he was the most caring and thoughtful professional when he signed Kermit dolls and interacting with our family. Someone who can show that passion and patience in Texas heat and be as sweet as possible to tons of people and keeping a smile on has my respect and support.
The new Kermit sounds so bad. This guy IS the character.
No, _Jim Henson_ was Kermit.
Well, Kermit has to get used to a new hand. I am sure after that we would all need time to feel ourselves again.
@@well_i_liked_it It's been four years already!
Nope! Steve Whitmire was NOT the character of Kermit. He didn’t create Kermit, he didn’t develop and evolve Kermit, he didn’t give Kermit any of his characteristics or charms. Steve was just the man that was asked to take over the role of Kermit after Jim Henson passed away.
Why would they do that fire the person who did Kermit for so many years that’s just dumb
I heard Kermit developed a drink problem..took some time out in therapy to find himself.
Considering this was right after the new show failed, I think it's obvious that they threw him under bus as an attempt to blame him for the studio's failings. Kermit wasn't even the problem with the show, it was other characters like Fozzie that we're ruined. I remember Mark Hamill being asked about playing Steve's character in The Dark Crystal series, and Mark had nothing but compliments to give Steve.
@@litigioussociety4249 Kermit got threw under a bus? That's a lawsuit right there
He was there for 70 years
because they ARE dumb
27 years on the job and sacked for being "difficult", something smells fishy.
Way to talk over him. How about listening? We didn’t get to hear him out.
"Reporting" in 2020.
It was almost like they were puppets for the establishment.
Amazing Supergirl . Thank you . I felt the interviewers specifically the male was biased. He was an AssH. They came across as passive aggressive. Listen to the line of questions and the way they were put out there.
I don’t like the new Kermit voice I miss Jim and Steve
Same
Same
Thrash Metal 101 I love your username
Same I miss the old voice puppeteers
I miss them to
The muppets are dead. Disney owns the name rights but without any of the original members calling them the muppets is just a joke.
This only leaves i think Dave Goelz as far as original performers who are still working with The Muppets go. I’d be interested to hear Frank Oz’s thoughts on this escapade.
@@SecondValveSteam Who cares about Frank Oz. Dude quit on Jim Henson did we all forget that?
@@MrAprilfoolsday He went on to other opportunities. Wouldn't you?
The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted were pretty good though, is it about to get worse?
@@MrAprilfoolsday Henson didn't stop from pursuing a director's career. In fact, he told him he had to do what he felt best. And Oz was deeply appreciative of that.
Of course he is Kermit. It's the human not the cloth that animates the soul of the character.
@@CinnaMae420 Steve Whitmire was already replaced a few years ago. The new guy that voices and controls Kermit (Matt Vogel) was really miscast and he really sucks at being Kermit. They should have gone with Peter Linz, who would have done Kermit much better.
Firing Steve Whitmire was one of the worst decisions Disney has ever made.
Steve had an issue with how Disney was handling the muppets just like Frank Oz, so they got rid of him. They even wanted him to sign an NDA so he wouldn’t come out against them and when he refused they threw him under the bus.
It’s a shame :( I liked his Kermit performance. The “new” one sounds so weird now.
What is an NDA?
@@tenmahakusho6390 Who is Kermit now? And who else does s/he voice?
@@Alan.Bishop Non Disclosure Agreement
@@Alan.Bishop
Matt Vogel is the so-called voice of Kermit currently.
Steve has been Kermit for the majority of my life and I really want him back. It seems to me like Disney and the Hensons are treating him really unfairly. It makes me sad and makes me fear for the future of the Muppets. They're not just a brand name, not to me. I went to see The Muppets when it came out in 2011 and I cried thinking about how magical it was to see all the kids in the theater discovering the Muppets for the first time. That magic is what the Muppets mean to me and that's what they're losing lately. I'm actually relieved that Jim isn't alive to see how his legacy is being tarnished.
If Jim was still alive, his legacy wouldn't have been tarnished as he would have kept them on the right track.
Disney treats our cherished cultural icons- this time Kermit the Frog's longtime puppeteer- the like dirt for not kowtowing to thier corporate idiocy/ Wokeness..
Taking the individuality and uniquely Muppet characters out , and what's left ?
A bunch of one-dimensional crap characters busy virtue signalling for thier NWO Masters- Corporate Disney Inc..
I don't know how they can sleep at night knowing that they fired the only guy who could keep Kermit alive
Neither can I.
Because they only care about profit
“Difficult to work with”. This is the kiss of death in Hollywood and it’s sad when it’s just slander. Really destroys a career. Just like will smith and the original Aunt Viv. So sad.
and Aunt Viv blamed it on racism.
@@Wanderlust1972 LOL
@sunny you should go back and watch the reunion. She blamed it on the fact that no one knew what she was going through. She was actually one of the first people women with her skin tone to land such a big role so it wasn’t so much about race anymore but about colour and representation. It was a positive thing that turned negative unfortunately.
@@MelePaasi black woman won an Oscar in the 40s, gone with the wind.
@@MelePaasi She said, "Difficult to work with is the kiss of death for a black woman"
So, they were in talks to make Steve a Creative Executive, but then went ahead and canned him anyway? Something doesn't add up. Either Steve is lying or Disney decided that he wasn't going to agree with them on everything and that he wasn't worth their time after all. I'm with Steve on this, Disney's track record is terrible when it comes to the treatment of their employees. I've been doing a fair bit of research on Steve for the past 5 years and everything he said in this interview is consistent and true to form.
Maybe Steve was difficult to work with, but still I think this whole firing seems odd. Why fire at this point at time. And the Henson family supporting this, though they might be justified, might not have been the best thing to do because it just gives Disney more power over characters that are not legally attached to them.
Maybe the Hensons and Steve maybe should have talked it out, but not fully discredit the man even with his flaws. He took over Kermit for the longest and every party should have at least bit more considerate after Disney ordered the firing.
e M Disney’s a parent company, they own theirselves.
@@mrmickeyrich I'm sure the Hensons have a clause in their contract that they can't publicly disagree with Disney's handling of the Muppets in general. They must publicly concur with every decision Disney makes or endanger their residuals.
Walt and Jim are rolling in their graves right now
Well really just Jim, this came much after walt's death
Walt had nothing to do with the muppets
Walt was an anti-semite. He also had nothing to do with the Muppets personally.
I miss Jim and Walt even though I wasn't alive when he lived
Brooks Brooks I’m saying walt because of what disney’s become in general.
Wouldn't the character being "a bitter victim" be a writing issue?
Sacking him has really worked well for them huh? A guy with the shittest Kermit impression was cast in a Disney+ series. I don’t expect to see a muppet movie for a long time if not ever again.
Is it me or does this guy look like brad pitt in 10 years?
He does
Jim Carrey? His new show ‘Kidding’ .. was that made about this guy?
Looks like him now
I thought it was thats why i clicked the video i though brad pitt had a meltdown
Dumb
Like a lot of kids in the early-to-mid 90s, I was in that weird area where I had Jim's Kermit via recycled Sesame Street bits as well as Steve's Kermit with the newer material. It wasn't really a bother when I was little, but actually watching Steve get thrown out and be replaced with Matt Vogel now is the first time I've felt uncomfortable with a Muppeteer change
The Kevin Clash one hit me pretty hard too. Controversies aside, Kevin WAS Elmo.
Mariana Gonzalez Yea. I still remember that Kevin Clash's thing to.
Mariana Gonzalez He really was. There's only one Elmo, Hoots and Clifford.
I don’t see Kermit as Kermit anymore because of his voice
I feel absolutely horrible for this man, he dedicated his life to "his job", in reality it was he dedicated his life to Kermit. Where were the rumors for the past 27 years that he was difficult to work with, you would think if he was that hard to work with they would release some sort of paperwork or something? To blatantly fire this man who put all of his heart and soul into Kermit and making children and adults happy including myself! It is just so very sad. I wish Jim Henson was alive I can guarantee this would not have happened. Whenever they "replace" a puppeteer you know immediately not in just the sound, but the movements of the puppet as well, it is truly an art form. Shame on them, I feel like they fazed him out, and wanted some young person to replace him or something else like that, there is just something not right with this. I wouldn't be surprised if this man now has PTSD, and no I'm not over exaggerating, this was his whole life and now it's gone, a piece of this man is gone forever. It's not like he came to terms that he wanted to make it to 30 years and then decide to retire. Just think he put everything into this job only to get fired, no thank you party or anything he did for the muppet family 😥. Sorry for the long post, I know I don't know everything about what happened but this wasn't handled right, and my heart is broken for him.
I feel the same way.
@@Asukenick It is just so upsetting, do you know if they brought him back in some way? Or did they just forget about him completely?
@@Marieq no
Steve was "aged" out by Disney/Muppets. This is just wrong! The Muppets were more than just "roles". The Hensons' sold out!
The Kermit voice on the new muppet show is AWFUL!! I can't even watch scenes with him the voice isn't even close!
Doug Working Too nasal and a bit high. The voice has to come from back/bottom of the throat. Besides, you also have to know how to operate a puppet.
Singing is good, though.
I've read a bit on this sounds to me like executives used Steve Whitmire as the fall guy for a failed series! Compassion had everything to do with this. They should have listened to him. Steve Whitmire even doubted himself in this interview such a shame how he felt. I get the same feelings where I work at times the top people sometimes need to stop look at situations from the wise eyes!
Jim Henson was Original Kermit. Steve will always be a muppet legend thanks for what you did
I'm so heartbroken! He voiced Wembley, my favorite Fraggle. And I've never had a problem with his Kermit. Maybe Kermit has become more cynical lately but it's a tough world out there and it didn't feel out of character. His little "we failed" speech in The Muppets 2011 really made me tear up. "If we failed we failed together and to me that's not failing at all. " Disney makes no sense sometimes. Like they fired the guy who created Stitch/Lilo and Stitch TWICE. He wrote good stuff! Wth??
Leona Livingston Have you seen Kermits girlfriend? I'd be cynical too
Writers make Kermit sad. Not sure how he got blamed.
Whitemire was practically left in charge by Henson to carry the legacy of his character and franchise from that point forwards, this is an insult and I'm still angry.
They didn't do "conference calls" and this man tells everything about Disney's Muppets. Rip Kermit
I still cannot get used to Vogel's Kermit we miss you Steve Whitmire I miss you.
I sure do. He was the best.
@@Asukenick I love Jim the most but Whitmire almost sounded exactly like him!
@@MarioSonicPhillyFan700 I know yet most people say Matt sounds more like Jim than Steve ever did.
@@Asukenick That's rediculous
@@AsukenickI don’t get why people think that. Matt is a great performer. He’s one of my favorite Muppet performers. But my god, he was not a good choice to takeover as Kermit. He doesn’t sound like Kermit. He just sounds like someone trying to do a Kermit impression
I only just heard about this. After watching the newest Muppet show on D+ I was horrified at how wrong Kermit's voice sounded.
D+ is an old school grade for fail and this is a huge fail
Whether he was hard to work with or not, he deserves respect for not going with some BS PR narrative.
Steve says he did nothing wrong. Brian Henson said he's been a problem since the 90s and regretted not firing him and recasting Kermit before selling to Disney in 2004. Something doesn't add up, to me, if Steve was that big of a problem, they probably would of fired him sooner. There are 3 sides to a story, the 3rd side being the truth. We'll never know the exact truth on why he was dismissed
Agreed. Maybe Steve did cause some trouble in the past. But there’s no way it could’ve been that terrible. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have kept him around for 26 years
@@superjackster0165 He was with the Muppets for 38 years but played Kermit for about 26.
..."after 12 years with Disney"... That explains everything.
Kermit will never be the same again
Geez when a person understands a family business more of than the founders daughter is just sad.
I couldn't believe that Disney and Jim's family fired him after Disney has changed the Muppets. I grew up watching him perform Kermit the frog because I was born in the 90s. When I heard that he retired/got fired, I felt that part of my childhood tore apart. As a matter of fact, I recently met him through a video chat from GalaxyCon back in December 2022. He is such a friendly and pleasant person to talk to. No matter what happens, I will always support Mr. Steve Whitmire.
He really is the best.
He will always be Kermit the frog to me. He was my childhood Kermit.
No one could do Kermit better than him and Jim.
Bring back Steve Whitmire. The Muppets will be a shambles without him.
They already are in shambles without him 😔
They were shambles long BEFORE him, OOOOOHHHH HO HO HO HOOOO!!!
They’ve been in shambles since Jim died.
JUSTICE FOR WHITMIRE! DISNEY HAS MADE THEIR BIGGEST MISTAKE YET! 😡😡😡😡😡
I AGREE! THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE FIRED HIM! NOW THANKS TO DISNEY, THE MUPPETS HAVE GOTTEN JUST WORSE! MATT VOGEL HAS TAKEN OVER THE ROLE OF KERMIT! Don't get me wrong, I like Vogel, BUT HE JUST MAKES KERMIT SOUND LIKE STINKIN' CONSTANTINE DOING A BAD KERMIT IMPRESSION, NO MATTER HOW MANY STINKIN' TIMES I HEAR HIM! I know some of Whitmire's characters are recast, and they are just fine, BUT WHAT ABOUT RIZZO AND LIPS (the trumpet player for Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem)?! JUST WHEN LIPS BEGINS TALKING AGAIN, THEY HAD TO STINKIN' FIRE WHITMIRE! NOW HE'S NOT TALKING! AND WHY WOULD THEY FIRE HIM OVER PERFORMING KERMIT AS A BITTER VICTIM?! DIDN'T THEY WANT HIM TO ACT LIKE THAT ON THAT ABC MUPPET SHOW? BECAUSE IF THEY DID, THE HENSONS ARE JUST BEING WAY TOO HYPOCRITICAL! IT'S 2018, AND I'M STILL MAD ABOUT THIS. TO ME, THIS IS WORSE THAN THE NEW MUPPET BABIES REPLACING SKEETER WITH ANOTHER MUPPET! (I, unlike other Muppet fans, personally have no problem with them creating Summer Penguin instead of just putting eyelashes on an already existing Muppet and calling it their twin, but it would be nice to see her in a guest appearance and/or even see her as a live action Muppet like Scooter, BTW) BUT STILL DISNEY SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE FIRED WHITMIRE IN THE STINKIN' FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!
As The Duke of Artz I agree Disney made a big mistake to fire Steve Whitmire.
I listened to Matt Vogel's performance as Kermit and it didn't sound like the Kermit the Frog that I remember.
As The Duke of Artz I say we support Steve Whitmire and have Disney give him a second chance as Kermit the Frog again by sending the Walt Disney studios and the Jim Henson Studios a letter.
Disney legit sucks so much balls right now
DoubleDuck yes
Guess again. Sincerely, Star Wars.
He seems like a really nice genuine dude
He is.
Bring Steve back! The new Kermit sucks! 😢
This man was the voice of my childhood please bring him back. Kermit is not the same without him
Seems like a good guy.
Your right. A 20 year old with attitude
I missed it... I didn't see anything ? "Difficult" is code for & just means someone doesn't think the way you do, unfortunately people with "power" fire people in this fashion every minute of every day & people who can't fire someone because they think differently, they participate in the running of someone out of town in some back stabbing cowardly way...funny how that works
gentle
They handed the role to Matt, who also took over many of Jerry Nelson's puppets, including Floyd Pepper and Robin.
Mr. Man co workers of his had stated that he was the easiest to work with and was not difficult so I don’t understand how you’d see that.
These false allegations that he was difficult to work with really backfired at Jim's daughter.
Well, his skin isn't green so he mustn't voice a green character.
True. Shrek would be a better choice
Stfu
Nice guy! Maybe that was the problem......Undeserved and glad he went public and didn't hide under a retirement lie! Shows he has morals and values....something lacking in today's world! Disney has gone down the toilet for the most part! I miss the old days!
Ashlyn M I am completely disgusted with Disney and disappointed with the Henson family for supporting it. Steve is clearly hurts by his dismissal his characters were so warm, if anyone is bitter and depressed it's the Hensons
Me too. I commend him
I'm appalled that, one, I'm just learning this 3 years later and, two, that his 27 year contribution to not only the character but also the company was just summarily dismissed. These aren't cartoon characters who can have multiple voice actors replace them. These are physical characters who come to life through the movements of a living performer and their choices as an actor as well as their voice.
This is outrageous Jim henson would be mad about this
Steve Whitmire kind of looks like what Jim Henson looked like in his later years with the hair and a beard
He was nicknamed Kermit in his youth and shares the same birthday with Jim.
isn’t as though Jim was easy to work with himself...... so that excuse of Steve being difficult to work with does not sit well. especially after him being there for so long. i am sure there were personality clashes and stern words exchanged- that is just how you have to be sometimes when working on such massive creative projects. certainly not an easy business or world to work in. i feel for him; he genuinely seems heartbroken.
Disney is making a whole lot of VERY BAD DECISIONS! I liked "The Muppets" in 2010, but after that, everything rolled downhill! "The Muppets Most Wanted" was by far the worst Muppet movie I have ever seen, and was a mockery of the previous film! Then they broke Kermit and Miss Piggy up! (OMG! Would they announce that Mickey and Minnie Mouse are getting a divorce?! So stupid!) And now they are firing Steve Whitmire because he is one of the few Muppet players who is still loyal to Jim Henson and everything his Muppets stood for. Disney is ruining the Muppets! They need to make a complete "about face" before they destroy one of the most beloved franchises they own!
Also, I forgot to mention, if Disney is actually trying to ruin The Muppets, what makes them think that the world is going to thank them for it? The Muppets are not their competition anymore! As the most beloved creators of family-friendly entertainment, their duty is to preserve the legacy of The Muppets, guard it just as surely as if "Ol' Uncle Walt" gave them the franchise (I believe if Walt Disney had lived to see The Muppets, he would be just as much a fan of them as we are.) No, Disney Company, you are about to throw away one of the greatest creations you currently own! Please, for your own sakes if not for ours, don't do it!
Do you believe Jim Henson himself would stand by this decision? I don't think he would. I'm sure he would've been very upset with the Disney corporation and done everything to get Steve back. But then again, when Jim was alive, Steve only did minor puppet characters. I feel like the Muppets were so much better in the 70s/80s before Jim's sudden passing and I wish I was around back then.
Under any other company, the franchise would be worse off or even resting in peace. See the sad fate of Felix.
As you know by now... Too late.
RIP Star Wars, Muppets, and everything else Disney has stuck their poisonous claws in.
This is a case study in how to properly advocate for yourself in the face of criticism. What a wonderfully honest man. Even though the interviewers made this quite difficult for him, he still shared his truth. So underappreciated.
This got recommended to me and it's very ironic that Dark Crystal got cancelled by Netflix.
If everything Steve is saying is true than the reap what you sow effect is going to humble the Hensons again.
I've seen people on tiktok do better impressions of Kermit than the new VA. You can't get any better than someone hand picked by Henson himself. Like Julia Roberts said *Big mistake. HUGE*
In a former employment I dealt with all the major movie studios on a daily basis and Disney were by far the worst to deal with, Absolutes c**ts if I'm honest. They try to bully everybody they deal with.
I was trained by Steve years ago, and he was always nice to me. (puppeteer)
I can tell Steve was a very nice person. Being difficult sometimes is hardly a bad thing. No one is perfect.
All 3 interviewers were attacking him as if they were paid by disney.. Zero ethics
That's literally the case. Disney owns the company that owns this news show.
@@aniquinstark4347 I didn't know that but it was obvious to the blind.. Thanks for the info.
Not just Kermit, but also Rizzo, Bean Bunny, and Wembley Fraggle. The only OG puppeteer left is Dave Goelz and it’s one of the reasons why The Muppets lost peoples attention. It lost its originality and familiarity to those who grew up watching it. Now it’s just terrible. There are hundreds of people who can do a better Kermit the frog impression than the man currently performing him.
Between this and joining Autism Speaks, I can't help but feel the Jim Henson Company is being sabotaged.
Agreed
Which is what Jim did not want and why he started to sign a deal with Disney
Rehiring Kevin Clash...
Wtf I just found this, I had no idea. How can you fire this dude!? It's his whole life's work. Disgusting.
I grew up with Steve Whitmire as Kermit and I'm now in my '40's. I'm sorry to hear they decided to go in a different direction and that 27 years meant nothing to the Hensons. I just don't see why they couldn't keep using him until he decided to move on.
Kermit doesn't even sound like Kermit in the latest show, sad.
The family needs to remember the friendship and love Jim had with this man. He knew them as kids... I am sure friendship and love must have been there that is the saddest of all.....
ALL THE BEST STEVE😎
Disney is HORRIBLE. Now that they've gotten rid of Steve, frankly Seth MacFarlane's goofy impression of Kermit sounds better than the new, official "voice" of Kermit. No offense, Matt Vogel, but you're no Kermit!!
If you watch Jim with Kermit out in interviews, he's quick and dry with a bit of sass. The spirit of the character took a bit hit after the Disney acquisition. Disney has ruined a lot of things over the years. Pixar is the only truly original thing left. They must be able to run more independently than others.
they are
This is extremely upsetting as I'm a huge fan. Give him his job back!!
new muppet trailer dropped and kermit sounds nothing like the real thing
It's not even that hard to find someone who can do it but the character of Kermit is off now. No one could watch the whole first new episode. Now we know why.
Just watched the new Disney muppet episodes/shorts and I right away noticed how horrible the new Kermit was. I didn’t know he was fired . What a shame.
You know I watched this a couple years ago and I am as disappointed and upset for Steve now as I was then. Kermit, the muppets and the Henson family will never be looked at as genuine as the did before this happened.
The new Kermit sounds nothing like Kermit though if not this guy get someone who sounds like Kermit at least
It's a sad day when the corporation of the Muppets became more important then the creative process and heart of the Muppets. I commend Steve for coming forward.
The guy who does Kermit's voice now should be fired out of a cannon.
I watched some of muppets now (the new show). Kermit sounds like he has been taking drugs lol
I completely agree. I can't even watch anymore.
It's not even a matter of being a curmudgeonly old school Muppet fan, it's hard to perfectly replicate a character's voice after its original voice actor has died (Statler and Waldorf haven't been the same since Jim Henson and Richard Hunt died). But Mickey Mouse has always sounded like Mickey Mouse, and Kermit the Frog should always sound like Kermit the Frog. This sounds like somebody doing a bad Kermit the Frog impression.
I agree that his voice doesn’t work at all, but it’s not his fault that he was casted
to be fair, he is still getting used to the role, he will probably sound better as time goes by
Just randomly seeing this clip now. I knew there was something... off about the current/recent Kermit character, but I couldn’t explain it. This makes more sense now...
Hats off to Steve for refusing to sign an NDA, muppets are far too corporate now and not the same.