Matt Vogel | |
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Born | Matthew James Vogel October 6, 1970 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1993–present |
Spouse | Kelly C. McDonnell (m. 1997) |
Children | 5 |
Website | www |
Matthew James Vogel (born October 6, 1970) [1] is an American puppeteer, actor and director. Vogel has worked for Sesame Workshop and The Muppets Studio. He has performed for the Muppets, Sesame Street , and Oobi . He has been the performer of Kermit the Frog since 2017 and the full-time performer of Big Bird since 2018.
Vogel first auditioned for the Jim Henson Company in 1993 and joined the crew of Sesame Street in 1996 as an ensemble puppeteer. He has served as a director and puppet captain on Sesame Street since 2008. He inherited many of Jerry Nelson's Muppet character roles in 2008, when he began performing with The Muppets Studio. Since 2017, he has been the performer of Kermit the Frog.
With the Muppets, Vogel is one of the principal cast performers with the roles of Kermit, [2] Floyd Pepper, Uncle Deadly, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Robin the Frog (until 2017 when Peter Linz took over to allow Kermit and Robin to still be in scenes together), Sweetums, Camilla the Chicken, [3] Dr. Julius Strangepork, Pops, '80s Robot and Constantine under his tutelage. [2] On Sesame Street, Vogel is the performer of Big Bird, Count von Count and Mr. Johnson as well as Biff, Herb the Dinosaur, Hansel, Forgetful Jones, Sherlock Hemlock and one of the Yip-Yip Martians. He also performs Alex, a Muppet whose father is in jail, for the Sesame Street in Communities initiative page on incarceration. [4] On Oobi , he performed Angus. [5]
Beginning his puppeteering career at the Jim Henson Company in the 1990s, [6] Vogel later served as the assistant puppeteer for Ernie on Sesame Street, performing with Steve Whitmire. [7] After studying the role of Big Bird under the performance of Caroll Spinney since 1996, he inherited the role in 2015, explaining "It takes a lot of physical exertion" and "I'm wearing the body of the bird". [8] [9] Spinney remarked that "Vogel" is the German translation for "bird". [9] He also took over the puppetry of the Sesame Street character Count von Count, and also the voice after Nelson died in 2012. [9]
With The Muppets Studio, Vogel has been performing since 2008, and has appeared in The Muppets , Muppets Most Wanted , and a short-lived primetime series. [10] Vogel performed the Muppets that were used in Kenneth's view of the world in the 30 Rock episode "Apollo, Apollo". [11] In 2016, Vogel voiced the character, Wilkins in Alice Through the Looking Glass directed by James Bobin. [2]
From 2017 onward, Vogel was cast as the new performer for Kermit the Frog, replacing Whitmire. [12] His first official performance as Kermit was a "Muppets Thought of the Week" segment uploaded on the Muppets' official YouTube channel in August 2017. [2] In 2019, Vogel performed Kermit the Frog for a special return appearance on Sesame Street's 50th anniversary special (which also featured Vogel as Big Bird and the Count). [13]
In 2021, Vogel performed Kermit the Frog when he competed in season five of The Masked Singer as "Snail" and was the first to be eliminated. [14] He later performed Kermit, Crazy Harry, and Uncle Deadly when they appeared in season eight with the rest of the Muppets during "Muppets Night" where he also sung "The Rainbow Connection" with Nick Cannon and the panelists. [15] Then he performed Big Bird and Count von Count in season nine during "Sesame Street Night". [16]
Vogel is originally from Kansas City, Kansas. He was a fan of both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show as a kid. Vogel interned at Messner Puppet Theater in his home town where he played his first role of Victor Frankenstein in Paul Mesner Puppets’ “Frankenstein” in 1993. [3] After 1993, he moved from Kansas City to New York. [3] Vogel has been married to his wife Kelly C. McDonnell since August 31, 1997; together they have five children. [17] [18]
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
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1996–present | Sesame Street | Big Bird (1998-present) [8] Count von Count (2013-present) Mr. Johnson (2014-present) Various characters | Also director (7 episodes plus various segments and other appearances) |
1994–1998 | The Puzzle Place | Skye Nuzzle | Season 3 |
1996 | Elmo Saves Christmas | Additional performer | |
1996–98 | Big Bag | Ensemble puppeteer | |
1998 | Elmo's World | Shade, Quongo the Monkey, Big Bird, Shelley the Turtle, Herb, Groucho Marx Muppet, etc. | |
1999 | The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland | Assistant for Big Bird | |
2000 | Between the Lions | Ensemble puppeteer | |
2002–07 | Play with Me Sesame | Assistant for Ernie | |
2003 | Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic | Big Bird | Theme park film |
2003-04 | The Planet Matzah Ball | ||
2003–05 | Oobi | Angus | |
2005–07 | Jack's Big Music Show | Leonard the Country Squirrel | |
2006 | Demon Days Live | Murdoc Niccals | Puppetry only, uncredited |
2006 | Blue's Room | Alphabet Puppy | |
2008 | A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa | Floyd Pepper Camilla the Chicken Lew Zealand Robin the Frog Pigeon Son | |
2011 | The Muppets | Floyd Pepper Camilla the Chicken Sweetums '80s Robot Lew Zealand Uncle Deadly Crazy Harry | |
2013 | Scooby-Doo! Adventures: The Mystery Map | Fred Jones | Puppetry only |
2014 | Muppets Most Wanted | Constantine Floyd Pepper Sweetums Pops Robin the Frog Lew Zealand Crazy Harry '80s Robot Camilla the Chicken Uncle Deadly | |
2015–2016 | The Muppets | Uncle Deadly Floyd Pepper Sweetums Lew Zealand Crazy Harry Camilla the Chicken Robin the Frog | |
2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Wilkins | Voice |
The Furchester Hotel | Big Bird Count von Count | ||
Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas | Count von Count Constable/Mr. Johnson Big Bird (puppetry only) | Also director | |
2017 | The Muppets Take the Bowl | Kermit the Frog Uncle Deadly Floyd Pepper Lew Zealand Crazy Harry Camilla the Chicken Dr. Julius Strangepork Snowth Sweetums (voice) | Live show at the Hollywood Bowl, Sept. 8–10 |
2018 | The Muppets Take the O2 | Kermit the Frog Uncle Deadly Floyd Pepper Lew Zealand Crazy Harry Camilla the Chicken Dr. Julius Strangepork Sweetums (voice) | Live show at the O2, Jul. 13-14 |
2019 | Muppet Babies Play Date | Kermit the Frog (baby) | Puppetry only |
Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration | Big Bird Count von Count Kermit the Frog Forgetful Jones Mr. Johnson Sherlock Hemlock | ||
2020–2021 | The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo | Count von Count Big Bird Biff Mr. Johnson | Also director Big Bird was a special guest in his role since Caroll Spinney's death. |
2020 | Amphibia | Crumpet the Frog | Voice role, Episode: "Swamp and Sensibility" Credited as Kermit the Frog [19] |
Muppets Now | Kermit the Frog Uncle Deadly Floyd Pepper Camilla the Chicken Cacti | ||
2021 | The Masked Singer | Kermit the Frog / Snail [20] | Season five contestant |
Muppets Haunted Mansion | Kermit the Frog Floyd Pepper Pops Crazy Harry Lew Zealand Uncle Deadly Sweetums | ||
Donkey Hodie | King Friday XIII | ||
A Capitol Fourth | Kermit the Frog | Co-hosting with Vanessa Williams | |
2022 | Best in Snow | Kermit the Frog [21] | Disney+ special |
The Masked Singer | Kermit the Frog Crazy Harry Uncle Deadly | Episode: "Muppets Night" | |
2023 | The Masked Singer | Big Bird Count von Count | Episode: "Sesame Street Night": |
The Muppets Mayhem | Floyd Pepper | Main role |
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | The Muppets Christmas Caroling Coach [22] | Kermit the Frog Camilla the Chicken | Voices, theme park show at Disneyland during Disney Merriest Nights |
James Maury Henson was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and as the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986).
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson in 1955. 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.
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses television, film, music, and other media associated with the characters. Originally owned by the Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the franchise was purchased by the Walt Disney Company in 2004.
Elmo Monster is a red Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. A furry red monster who speaks in a high-pitched falsetto voice and frequently refers to himself in the third person, he hosts the last full five-minute segment on Sesame Street, "Elmo's World", which is aimed at toddlers. He was most often puppeteered by Kevin Clash, but since Clash's resignation in late 2012, Elmo has been puppeteered by Ryan Dillon.
Big Bird is a Muppet character designed by Jim Henson and built by Kermit Love for the children's television show Sesame Street. An eight-foot-two-inch-tall (249 cm) bright yellow anthropomorphic bird, he can roller skate, ice skate, dance, swim, sing, write poetry, draw, and ride a unicycle. Despite this wide array of talents, he is prone to frequent misunderstandings, on one occasion even singing the alphabet as a single word. He would refer to grocer Mr. Hooper as "Mr. Looper", among other mispronunciations. He lives in a large nest behind the 123 Sesame Street brownstone and right next to Oscar the Grouch's trash can. In Season 46, the nest sits within a small, furnished maple tree, and is no longer hidden by used construction doors. He has a teddy bear named Radar.
Caroll Edwin Spinney was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street from its inception in 1969 until 2018.
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson in his feature film debut. This was the second of the two theatrical feature films to be based on the children's television series Sesame Street, after Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird. It stars Mandy Patinkin and Vanessa Williams alongside Muppet performers Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Steve Whitmire, and Frank Oz.
Jerry Nelson was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned 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.
Steven Lawrence Whitmire is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on The Muppets and Sesame Street. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire inherited the roles of Ernie and Kermit the Frog after Jim Henson's death in 1990; he performed the characters until 2014 and 2016, respectively. As part of the Muppet cast, he has appeared in multiple feature films and television series, performing a variety of characters on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock and during such occupations has been employed by The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, and The Muppets Studio.
Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on Broadway. He was best known as a designer and builder with the Muppets, in particular those on Sesame Street.
David Charles Goelz is an American puppeteer, puppet builder and actor, known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf, Zoot and Beauregard, originating on The Muppet Show. Goelz's puppeteering roles also included in Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. Outside of puppeteering work, he was also the voice of Figment in the Journey into Imagination with Figment attraction at Epcot.
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird is a 1985 American musical road comedy film directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. Based on the children's television series Sesame Street created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, it was the first theatrical feature-length Sesame Street film. It stars Muppet performers Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson and Frank Oz alongside Sandra Bernhard, John Candy, Chevy Chase, Joe Flaherty, Waylon Jennings, and Dave Thomas with Sesame Street regulars Linda Bove, Emilio Delgado, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Alaina Reed, and Kermit Love in supporting roles and the voices of Laraine Newman, Brian Hohlfeld, Cathy Silvers, Eddie Deezen, and Sally Kellerman. It tells the story of Big Bird being assigned to the Dodo Family by a social worker working for the Feathered Friends as he soon runs away from them to get back to Sesame Street as he is searched by the social worker, his friends, and two con artists.
"Bein' Green" is a song written by Joe Raposo, originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It later was covered by Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and other performers. Bein' Green is considered the signature song of Kermit the Frog.
Eric Jacobson is an American puppeteer. He is best known for his involvement with the Muppets, performing Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets Studio, as well as Sesame Street characters Bert, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Guy Smiley—all roles that he inherited from the characters' original performers, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, and Jim Henson.
Elmopalooza! is a Sesame Street 30th anniversary special that aired on ABC on February 20, 1998. It was taped in the middle of the 29th season of Sesame Street, and features music video remakes of several classic songs from the show performed by celebrity guests.
Peter Linz is an American puppeteer and voice actor. Known for his work with the Muppets, Linz's most prominent role is performing for the character Walter who was introduced in the 2011 feature film The Muppets. Since 1991, Linz has performed on Sesame Street, where he later took on the roles of Herry Monster and Ernie on Sesame Street in 2017. Linz recounts receiving the role of Walter as his favorite; "Apart from my wedding day and birth of my children, being cast as Walter was one of the greatest moments of my life. I was beyond happiness."
Joseph Mazzarino is an American puppeteer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his roles on Sesame Street as Murray Monster, Stinky the Stinkweed and other Muppets, and being Head Writer and Director on Sesame Street, winning 22 Emmy Awards for his work.
Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration is a 2019 musical television special to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street. Hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the special aired on November 9, 2019, on HBO, followed by a November 17 airing on PBS. It stars the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, including Kermit the Frog, from the past and present. Many retired cast members and characters reunited on the street for the first time in years since their last appearances. This is the final Sesame Street special to feature long-time Muppet performer Caroll Spinney, who performed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for 50 years as well as the cast members Emilio Delgado and Bob McGrath, who played Luis and Bob, respectively, for 45 years.