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Steve Whitmire

Puppeteer, The Muppets and Sesame Street

Puppeteer, The Muppets and Sesame Street

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Steve Whitmire Biography

Steve Whitmire is a puppeteer who started working for The Jim Henson Company on March 24, 1978 (his 18½ birthday). His career with the Muppets began on The Muppet Show, where he developed his first major character, Rizzo the Rat. Other main characters included Bean Bunny and, on Fraggle Rock, Wembley Fraggle and Sprocket. When Jim Henson passed away in 1990, Whitmire was selected to take over the roles of Kermit the Frog and Ernie. Following Richard Hunt's death and Jerry Nelson's retirement, he took over the roles of Beaker and Statler, respectively. His wife, Melissa Whitmire, has also puppeteered on occasion.

In July 2017 it was reported that Whitmire's tenure with The Muppets had ended in October 2016, and that Matt Vogel would take over performing duties of Kermit the Frog.

Born near Atlanta, Georgia, Steve Whitmire became interested in puppetry in his childhood, around the time that Sesame Street began airing in 1969. Whitmire recalled, "I wrote a letter to Jim Henson at the time, and he wrote back. It's an amazing thing for a ten-year-old to get a letter back from a TV star." Building on that early enthusiasm, Whitmire created his own puppets and performed throughout high school, even winning the school talent show on one occasion. After graduating high school, he briefly puppeteered at local theme park The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, performing his own character Otis the Beach Bum, and later co-hosted The Kid's Show with his best friend Gary Koepke for WATL in Atlanta, which was nominated for a state Emmy Award.

Whitmire first made contact with the Muppets through Caroll Spinney, whom he met at the Southeastern Regional Puppetry Festival in 1977. That fall, Spinney informed Whitmire that auditions were being held for puppeteers for Sesame Street; upon calling the Henson offices, Whitmire learned that Jane Henson was coming to Atlanta the following week to inspect the Kermit balloon for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and that she could meet with him while there. After seeing Whitmire perform, she recommended him to Jim Henson, who eventually formally auditioned him and asked him to join the performers on The Muppet Show. His first day of performing was March 24, 1978.

Whitmire slowly became a major performer. On The Muppet Show, he often performed one-shot characters, right hands, and filled in when two of another performer's characters were in the same scene (for example, if Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy were in a scene together, Whitmire would generally perform Fozzie). He was given his own recurring characters, such as Foo-Foo, Rizzo the Rat, and Lips, all of whom were minor characters on The Muppet Show, with very little dialogue.

Whitmire became one of the core Muppet performers since performing on The Muppet Show and received his own major characters on Fraggle Rock, where he performed Sprocket and Wembley Fraggle, and the semi-recurring role of Marlon Fraggle. He would also add more characters to his repertoire over the years, performing many roles on The Jim Henson Hour, and Rizzo the Rat would gradually become a core member of the main cast.

Following the end of The Muppet Show, Whitmire continued to work within the Henson fold. He performed the Skeksis Scientist in The Dark Crystal, and was one of only 2 puppeteers who both operated and voiced his characters, the other being Brian Muehl. (Jerry Nelson also did vocal work on the movie, but did not puppeteer.) Whitmire commented on this: “Jim Henson and Frank Oz had people submit tapes of what they thought a Skeksis would sound like, and it just so happened that the voice I did was exactly what they had in mind. So I just happened to get lucky and get a voice that worked with no particular effort... It just happened to be the one that was the right one.[3]” Whitmire also puppeteered for the 1986 Henson film Labyrinth, and starred as Mew in the television special The Christmas Toy.

In The Tale of the Bunny Picnic, he performed the special's protagonist, Bean Bunny. Bean Bunny would soon go on to become a main character, starting with The Jim Henson Hour, for which Whitmire also performed a variety of other characters, including Flash and Waldo C. Graphic. He also appeared on-screen as himself in The Secrets of the Muppets.

Whitmire performed many characters on Dinosaurs, most notably B.P. Richfield and the face of Robbie Sinclair (with voices later looped) and was also heard as various one-shot hand puppet characters, such as Mr. Mason Dixon. Following the end of the series in 1994, he was paired with Dave Goelz as the title duo on Jim Henson's Animal Show with Stinky and Jake, playing Jake and various other characters. In addition to reprising Kermit, Rizzo, and Beaker on Muppets Tonight, Whitmire also performed the regular roles of Andy Pig and Mr. Poodlepants.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 07/20/2024.

Steve Whitmire Videos

  • Steve Whitmire Tribute - YouTube
  • Kermit the Frog Puppeteer Steve Whitmire Discusses Firing - YouTube
  • Muppet Voice Comparisons - Kermit the Frog! - YouTube

FAQs on booking Steve Whitmire

  • How do I book Steve Whitmire to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Steve Whitmire for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Steve Whitmire, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Steve Whitmire or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Steve Whitmire

    Speaking fees for Steve Whitmire, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Steve Whitmire are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Steve Whitmire, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Steve Whitmire speak about?

    Steve Whitmire is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Acting, Culture, Entertainment, Television & Film.
  • Where does Steve Whitmire travel from?

    Steve Whitmire generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Steve Whitmire’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Steve Whitmire for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Steve Whitmire for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Steve Whitmire or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Steve Whitmire is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Steve Whitmire for your event is available upon request. Steve Whitmire generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Tiffany Thornton, Sofia Wylie, Thomas Doherty, Naomi Scott and Meaghan Martin. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Steve Whitmire for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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