After 27 Years, Kermit The Frog Is Getting A New Voice

Article origination

In this July 11, 2015, file photo, Kermit the Frog, left, and puppeteer Steve Whitmire attend "The Muppets" panel on day 3 of Comic-Con International in San Diego. Whitmire will no longer be performing the character.
*Tonya Wise/Invision/AP, File*

Television's most famous amphibian is set to get a new voice.

Steve Whitmire, the puppeteer who for 27 years has performed as Kermit the Frog, is no longer voicing the green lead of the various Muppets TV programs and films, a spokesperson for The Muppets Studio confirmed to NPR. He will be replaced by longtime show veteran Matt Vogel.

The spokesperson did not immediately comment on the reason for the switch.

Whitmire, who first joined the Muppets in 1978, had served as the man behind the frog since the death of show creator Jim Henson in 1990. And as NPR's Rose Friedman notes, Whitmire wasn't just a one-Muppet man: He has also played Bert's best pal Ernie, Rizzo the Rat and Beaker, among other characters.

That said, Vogel has plenty of experience as well. He has voiced Sergeant Floyd Pepper, and The Associated Press notes that during his career he has also stepped into the roles of Big Bird and Count von Count.

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