Animal (Muppet)

Last updated

Animal
The Muppets character
Animal (Muppet).jpg
First appearance The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) [1]
Created by
Performed by
In-universe information
Species Muppet
GenderMale
OccupationDrummer
NationalityAmerican

Animal is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show , and the wild and frenzied drummer of the fictional band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The character was performed originally by Frank Oz and currently by Eric Jacobson. His original concept sketches, which show him as a very hairy human, were drawn by Bonnie Erickson and Jim Henson.

Contents

Characteristics

Original performer Frank Oz has stated that Animal's character can be summed up in five words: sex, sleep, food, drums, and pain. [3] Animal's vocabulary is generally monosyllabic and limited to guttural shouts and grunts, often repeating a few simple phrases, as well as his trademark gravelly laugh. During performances, Animal is usually chained to the drum set by a collar around his neck, as his musical outbursts are extremely violent. In some episodes, he has been summoned to chase off performers who are 'being annoying'.[ citation needed ]

From The Muppet Movie (1979), as the members of Electric Mayhem introduce themselves:[ citation needed ]

Animal: [flails and babbles wildly, pants, and yells as Fozzie clutches an also-frightened Kermit in fear]
Floyd: Oh yeah, that's Animal. Show 'em whatcha do, Animal!
Animal: I want to eat drums! [loudly chews on a cymbal]
Dr. Teeth: No, no, beat drums, beat drums.
Animal: [open eyes wide] Beat drums! Beat drums! [hits the third tom-tom drum three times with his head, grunting before each hit]
Floyd: Down, Animal!
Animal: Down!
Floyd: Back!
Animal: Back!
Floyd: Sit!
Animal: Sit! [laughs shortly as he gets back up to look at Scooter, who is introducing himself]

Unique among characters on the show, Floyd Pepper has trained his fellow musician to obey a few simple off-drum commands correctly, suggesting dog training.[ citation needed ]

Animal's bushy eyebrows and hair, outrageous behavior, and wild drumming has sometimes been compared to several classical hard-partying Id-worshipping rock drummers, such as The Who's Keith Moon, [4] Led Zeppelin's John Bonham, [5] and Cream's Ginger Baker. [6] Animal is a savant, versatile session drummer, to back Muppet tunes, capable even of finishing a slow song, if the singer is a nice lady. He can match both Buddy Rich and Harry Belafonte in drum-offs on The Muppet Show , Questlove on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2011, and Dave Grohl on The Muppets in 2015. [7]

Animal shows a talent for jazz in a television advert for the Renault Clio car with French footballer Thierry Henry. [8]

Animal has sometimes run afoul of Muppet Show guests. In 1981, the aforementioned scene with Buddy Rich ends with the seasoned pro learning Animal's gonzo style, and performing it with twice the speed and proficiency. [9] Animal throws a drum onto the irascible entertainer's head, who later quipped "I'm just glad it wasn't a piano contest." When he repeatedly interrupted Rita Moreno's rendition of Fever with loud drumming outbursts, she became annoyed and slammed his head between a pair of cymbals (to which Animal responded by saying "Uh, that's my kinda woman!", before passing out). In another episode, he chased Mark Hamill and Angus McGonagle the Argyle Gargoyle offstage at Kermit's request after they snuck onstage. In another episode, Animal became hostile toward Dudley Moore when Moore tried to replace the band with a programmable, music-playing robot. On another occasion, however, Animal is starstruck by James Coburn after the movie tough-guy demonstrates his own violent streak in a parodic manner:[ citation needed ]

Coburn: There's a right way and a wrong way to handle aggression...
Animal: Aggressionnnnn...
Coburn: You don't want to bust a chair up like that – [takes the chair Animal is mauling] you bust it up like this! [smashes chair to bits on the staircase banister (forcing Animal to duck) and coolly walks back up to his dressing room]
Animal: [eyes wide] My kinda guy! [races after him] Jimmy! Jimmy!

A common gag involves someone imparting a figure of speech to Animal: Animal turns to the audience, his eyes go wide and he goes berserk, taking the figure of speech literally. For example, Jim Nabors once spoke the traditional theatrical good luck wish "Break a leg", whereupon Animal indulged him by trying to break Nabors's leg. Another gag would occasionally occur when the band plays a slow song: Animal will get about halfway through and then after announcing "Too slow!" launch into a faster paced version of the song. The band would usually comment that Animal lasted much longer than they thought he would.[ citation needed ]

Animal is a literal skirt-chaser. In The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), he chases a female student out of the auditorium, chanting "Woo-maaaan!" after her. He also chases cars. While some Animal gags involve a role reversal, or a moment of intellectualism, others are still more subtle, such as in this piece of dialog from The Great Muppet Caper (1981), where it is revealed that Animal has a passion for the impressionist paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir:

Kermit the Frog : What's wrong with the drummer? He looks a little crazed.
Zoot: Oh, he's just upset about missing the Rembrandt exhibit at The National Gallery.
Animal: [Correcting him in a wild, angry tone] Renoir!!

In the film Muppets from Space (1999), Animal meets his match in the form of a security guard played by Kathy Griffin—after chasing her down a hallway with his "Woo-man" call, he later comes running back around the corner, yelling "HELP HELP!" with Griffin calling after him about how they'll settle down, buy a house, and have children.[ citation needed ]

Ty Pennington commented about the possibility of Animal having ADHD when the character appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition . [10]

Animal's lack of social grace is on display at the very end of The Muppet Movie . After the credits, his face fills the screen as he admonishes the audience: "Go home! Go home!" [11]

Performers

Animal was performed by Frank Oz from his first appearance in the pilot for The Muppet Show until his 2000 appearance in the video game Muppet RaceMania . He has been performed regularly by Eric Jacobson since his 2002 appearance in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie . [2]

On The Muppet Show, Animal's drumming was performed by Ronnie Verrell up until his death in 2002. [12]

Animal has had roles in all Muppet movies, and was the only member of The Electric Mayhem to be included regularly on the Muppet Babies cartoons.[ citation needed ]

Animal was voiced by Howie Mandel in the first two seasons of Muppet Babies , followed by Dave Coulier in subsequent seasons. Animal was performed by Rob Mills in the series finale of The Jim Henson Hour , and he was occasionally performed by Kevin Clash on Muppets Tonight in the absence of Frank Oz. John Kennedy also briefly performed Animal in a 2002 commercial for MasterCard, as well as for the 2003 video game Muppets Party Cruise . Drew Massey performed Animal in Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony . In Jim Henson's Little Muppet Monsters , Animal was voiced by Hal Rayle (who also voiced Gonzo and Miss Piggy).[ citation needed ]

Appearances in other media

In 1993, Animal performed The Surfaris' song "Wipe Out" on the Muppet Beach Party album. Animal's track was also released as a single in the UK where it reached number 38 in the charts. [13]

Animal was the official mascot of the U.S. Ski Team during the 1998 Winter Olympics. [14] He was also featured in one of eleven commemorative stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service. [15]

In 2010, Animal was featured in a viral video alongside power-pop band OK Go, where he challenged the band's drummer, Dan Konopka, to a staring contest. Animal ultimately wins and forces Dan to be his roadie for a year. [16]

Animal and his fellow Muppets made a guest appearance on the Halloween 2011 episode of the wrestling TV show WWE Raw , where he was a guest timekeeper. Animal is present in the 2011 film The Muppets , having gone into anger management therapy since the Muppets disbanded. He also made a special appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as a guest drummer with The Roots house band, and on the eighth UK series of The X Factor in 2011, where he drummed for Olly Murs on his song "Dance with Me Tonight". [17]

In 2022, Animal was featured in the Game Awards prior to the "Best Sound/Music" award. His skit prominently centers around his jokes towards video games, such as Elden Ring's infamous Malenia boss battle, Metal Gear Solid , and Animal Crossing , and haste towards the next award's winner, on which he also participates with. [18]

On July 28, 2023, Animal made a surprise appearance with My Morning Jacket to close out their headlining set at the Newport Folk Festival. [19]

Filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kermit the Frog</span> Muppet character

Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created in 1955 and originally performed by Jim Henson. An anthropomorphic green frog, Kermit is the pragmatic everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably as the showrunner and host of the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show and a featured role on Sesame Street. He has appeared in other television series, feature films, specials, and public service announcements through the years. He also served as a mascot of The Jim Henson Company and appeared in various Henson projects until 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Muppets</span> Puppet characters created by Jim Henson

The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they have become a media franchise encompassing films, television, music, and other media associated with the characters. Owned by the Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the characters of the Muppets franchise were acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Piggy</span> Muppet character

Miss Piggy is a Muppet character known for her breakout role in the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show. She is notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, her tendency to use French phrases in her speech, and practicing karate. The character is also known for her on-again/off-again relationship with Kermit the Frog which never ends permanently. Frank Oz performed the character from 1976 to 2002 and was succeeded by Eric Jacobson in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fozzie Bear</span> Muppet character

Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show, best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic. Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a pink and white polka dot necktie. The character debuted on The Muppet Show, as the series' resident comedian, a role where he uses the catchphrase "Wocka wocka!" to indicate that he had completed a joke. He was often the target of ridicule, particularly from balcony hecklers Statler and Waldorf. Fozzie was performed by Frank Oz until 2001, after which Eric Jacobson became the character's principal performer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Nelson</span> American puppeteer (1934-2012)

Jerry Nelson was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Known for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and various Muppet movies and specials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scooter (Muppet)</span> Muppet character

Scooter is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show, known for being the backstage stage manager, utility stage crew member, and general all-around "gofer". He was originally performed by Richard Hunt until his death in 1992, and is currently performed by David Rudman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowlf the Dog</span> Muppet character

Rowlf the Dog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Known most notably as the resident pianist on the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show, Rowlf is a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. Laid-back and wisecracking, his humor is characterized as deadpan and as such, he is one of few Muppets who is rarely flustered by the show's prevalent mayhem. Henson's closest collaborators and family members have claimed Rowlf to be the Muppet character most similar to Henson's real-life personality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem</span> Fictional rock band from The Muppet Show

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, or simply The Electric Mayhem, are an American Muppet rock group that debuted in 1975 on the pilot for the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show. They are the house band for The Muppet Show, with personalities and appearances inspired by prominent real-life rock music and jazz performers. They subsequently appeared in various Muppet films and television specials and have also recorded album tracks and covered numerous songs. The Electric Mayhem consists of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone, and Lips on trumpet. The band's members were originally performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and Steve Whitmire, respectively; they are presently performed by Bill Barretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, David Rudman, Goelz, and Peter Linz, respectively.

<i>The Muppet Movie</i> 1979 film by James Frawley

The Muppet Movie is a 1979 musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley and produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film to feature the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film was written by The Muppet Show writers Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns. Produced during the third season of The Muppet Show, the film tells the origin story of the Muppets, as Kermit the Frog embarks on a cross-country trip to Los Angeles, encountering several of the Muppets—who all share the same ambition of finding success in professional show business—along the way while being pursued by Doc Hopper, a greedy restaurateur with intentions of employing Kermit as a spokesperson for his frog legs business.

<i>The Muppets Take Manhattan</i> 1984 film by Frank Oz

The Muppets Take Manhattan is a 1984 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Frank Oz and the third theatrical film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Muppet performers Jim Henson, Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, as well as special appearances by Art Carney, James Coco, Dabney Coleman, Gregory Hines, Linda Lavin, Liza Minnelli, Joan Rivers, and Brooke Shields. Filmed in New York City during the prior summer, it was released theatrically on July 13, 1984, by TriStar Pictures. A fantasy sequence in the film introduced the Muppet Babies characters.

<i>Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie</i> 2002 American fantasy comedy television film

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and is the first television film featuring the Muppets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rizzo the Rat</span> Muppet Character

Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show, created and originally performed by Steve Whitmire until 2016.

The Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of The Magical World of Disney on May 6, 1990, ten days prior to Henson's death. It was the last Muppet project completed by Henson.

Jane Ann Henson was an American puppeteer and co-founder of Muppets, Inc. with her husband Jim Henson.

<i>Emmet Otters Jug-Band Christmas</i> Christmas TV special first aired in 1977

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban, itself inspired by "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. The special features characters from Hoban's novel, in a teleplay adapted by Jerry Juhl. The special features narration by Kermit the Frog, who tells the story of Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma, a poor family of otters who struggle to get Christmas presents for the other as a result of their financial situation. The special was produced by The Jim Henson Company and first premiered on CBC Television on December 4, 1977.

<i>The Muppet Show</i> (comics)

The Muppet Show is a comic book series based on the variety television series of the same title created by Jim Henson and featuring The Muppets. The series was written and drawn by Roger Langridge and published by Boom! Kids, an imprint of Boom! Studios. In 2011, the Boom! license with Disney Publishing Worldwide expired. Disney's own comic book publishing subsidiary, Marvel Comics, renamed the series Muppets and published four issues in 2012.

The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years is a one-hour special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It was shot in Toronto, Ontario in 1985 and aired January 21, 1986 on CBS.

The Muppets Go Hollywood is a one-hour television special that promoted The Muppet Movie, the first theatrical film in The Muppets franchise. It first aired May 16, 1979 on CBS, six weeks before the American release of The Muppet Movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzo (Muppet)</span> Muppet character

Gonzo is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show, known for his eccentric passion for stunt performance. Aside from his trademark enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzo is the ambiguity of his species, which has become a running gag in the franchise. He has been considered to be of various origins, including a Frackle in his debut appearance in The Great Santa Claus Switch, an extraterrestrial in Muppets from Space or an avian creature.

References

  1. ↑ Shemin, Craig (2014). Disney's The Muppets Character Encyclopedia. New York: DK Publishing. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-4654-1748-0.
  2. 1 2 Setoodeh, Ramin (March 11, 2014). "How Kermit and the Muppets Got Their Mojo Back". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  3. ↑ Larena (September 25, 2009). "In Honor of Jim Henson's Birthday, Five Mindblowing Muppet Revelations (Wayback Machine archive)". CNN. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Myers 'to play' Who's Keith Moon". BBC News . September 30, 2005. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  5. ↑ McStarkey, Mick (September 25, 2021). "The five greatest drummers inspired by John Bonham" . Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Five Questions with Beware of Mr. Baker Director Jay Bulger". Filmmaker Magazine. March 10, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  7. ↑ Respers France, Lisa (December 2, 2015). "Dave Grohl takes on Animal in epic 'Muppets' drum battle". CNN.
  8. ↑ Carter, Melanie (October 25, 2003). "Thierry And 'Animal' Explain The Meaning Of Va Va Voom". carpages.co.uk. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Buddy Rich vs. Animal on the Muppet Show / Boing Boing". Boingboing.net. November 20, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  10. ↑ "New Muppet Stuff Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". toughpigs.com. March 6, 2005. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008.
  11. ↑ Adler, Shawn (May 31, 2007). "Stay In Your Seat! 'Pirates,' 'X-Men,' 'Harry' Keep Going, Even After Credits Roll". MTV. Archived from the original on March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Drummerworld – Animal – Ronnie Verrell". September 18, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Official Charts". Official Charts .
  14. ↑ "U.S. Snowboarders Have An 'Animal' Attraction". The Washington Post. June 11, 1997. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Jim Henson, Muppets, Get Stamps of Approval". USPS.com. US Postal Service. September 28, 2005. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  16. ↑ Beale, Scott (June 28, 2010). "OK Go Drummer In Epic Staring Contest With Animal From The Muppets". Laughing Squid. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  17. ↑ Grant Cumberbatch, Aimee (October 27, 2017). "X Factor live shows: From Britney to Beyoncé, 10 of the biggest acts that have ever performed on the series". Evening Standard. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ "The Game Awards 2022". youtube.com.
  19. ↑ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (July 30, 2023). "Animal from the Muppets rages on the drums with My Morning Jacket at Newport Folk Festival". Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved August 7, 2023.

Animal on Muppet Wiki

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.