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Wembley Fraggle | |
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Fraggle Rock character | |
Created by | Jim Henson |
Voiced by |
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In-universe information | |
Species | Fraggle |
Gender | Male |
Wembley Fraggle is a fictional puppet character who appears in Jim Henson's television series Fraggle Rock , as well as its reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock . [1] In the original series, he is performed by Steve Whitmire. [2] In Back to the Rock, he is performed by Jordan Lockhart. Bob Bergen voiced him in the animated series.
In both the original series and its reboot, Wembley is one of the five main characters, and the best friend of the show's protagonist Gobo Fraggle. Wembley is cheerful, indecisive, and insecure. He has a tendency to get overexcited in certain situations. Wembley is always seen wearing a t-shirt with a banana tree motif on it. He works as the siren for the Fraggle Rock Volunteer Fire Department. [3]
Wembley, along with the other Fraggles, was first conceived and developed by series creator Jim Henson. The Wembley puppet was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Rollie Krewson. Wembley's name was derived from Wembley Stadium in London. [4] In-universe, his first name has the meaning of "one who is indecisive",[ citation needed ] suiting Wembley well. When building Wembley, Rollie Krewson used a ping-pong ball for the distinctive shape of his nose; the ball has a hole in it where the puppeteer's finger can be inserted to move the mouth. Krewson also rebuilt Wembley for Back to the Rock. [5] During the audition process for Fraggle Rock, fellow Muppeteer Jerry Nelson (later to play Gobo) performed Wembley. [6]
Wembley is a rod puppet, meaning that his arms are controlled by rods attached to the puppet's hands. Wembley's puppet has the unique ability among Fraggles to roll his eyes, often used in scenes to show that he is growing nervous or excited. This is achieved by swapping out the regular head of the puppet for one with a radio-controlled mechanism inside. [7]
Steve Whitmire performed Wembley on the original series. Following Whitmire's departure from the Muppets in 2016, John Tartaglia physically performed Wembley for the short-form TV series Fraggle Rock: Rock On! for Apple TV+ in 2020, with Frankie Cordero dubbing the voice. [8] For 2022's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, Jordan Lockhart assumed the role. [9]
Wembley appears as one of the five main characters in the original Fraggle Rock series and Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, as well as the short series Fraggle Rock: Rock On! He also appears in Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series , voiced there by Bob Bergen. Along with the other Fraggles, he appeared (performed by Steve Whitmire) in the 1987 TV special A Muppet Family Christmas .
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, surrealist, 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 children's films, television, music, and other media associated with the characters. Owned by the Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the franchise was purchased by the Walt Disney Company in 2004.
Fraggle Rock is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim Henson.
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.
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.
The Jim Henson Company is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for its innovations in the field of puppetry, particularly through the creation of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets characters.
David Charles Goelz is an American puppeteer and voice actor known for his work with the Muppets. He is best known for performing the characters Gonzo the Great, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot, and Beauregard. Goelz joined Jim Henson's Muppet team in 1973 and has been a key performer in many Muppet productions, including The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and various movies and television specials.
Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer, best known as a Muppet performer on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and other projects for The Jim Henson Company. His roles on The Muppet Show included Scooter, Statler, Janice, Beaker, and Sweetums and characters on Sesame Street included Gladys the Cow, Don Music, and Forgetful Jones.
Rollie Krewson is a puppet designer and builder known for her work on various Muppet productions. She interned with Jim Henson's company in the mid-1970s. Although she now works primarily as a designer/builder, she began as a performer, doing small bits on The Muppet Show and other projects.
Karen Leigh Prell is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in Fraggle Rock.
Gobo Fraggle is a fictional puppet character from the television series Fraggle Rock, created by Jim Henson. He is performed by Jerry Nelson in the original series, and by John Tartaglia in its 2022 reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. In both iterations of the program, Gobo is one of the five main characters, and the protagonist overall.
Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series is an American animated children's television series based on the original live-action version of the same name created by Jim Henson. NBC aired this spin-off program on Saturday mornings at 10:00 AM for one season during 1987. It was later shown in reruns on Disney Channel from May 5, 1990 to June 1995.
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson is a one-hour special that aired on CBS on November 21, 1990. The program was a tribute to Muppet creator Jim Henson, who had died earlier in 1990 due to toxic shock syndrome caused by a streptococcus infection, and featured characters from The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, and Sesame Street.
Mokey Fraggle is a fictional puppet character created by Jim Henson. She is one of the five main characters in Henson's television series Fraggle Rock, well as its 2022 reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. She is performed by Kathryn Mullen in the original series, and by Donna Kimball in Back to the Rock. Mona Marshall voiced her in the animated series.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock is an American children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of creatures. It is a reboot of the 1983 series Fraggle Rock by Jim Henson. The first season was released on Apple TV+ on January 21, 2022. It was renewed for a second season which was released on March 29, 2024.
Boober Fraggle is a fictional puppet character from the television series Fraggle Rock. He was created by Jim Henson. He is performed and voiced by Dave Goelz in both the original series and its 2022 reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, with Frank Meschkuleit providing the puppetry in the latter. In the animated series, he was voiced by Rob Paulsen. In both iterations of the show, Boober is one of the five main characters, alongside Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, and Red. Boober is a misanthropic, depressed, and superstitious Fraggle. He lives alone in a small cave, and spends much of his time worrying about death and disease. His occupation is doing laundry for all the Fraggles in Fraggle Rock, and he also enjoys cooking, particularly with radishes. He has an alter ego named Sidebottom, who represents the more extroverted side of Boober's personality. In Back to the Rock, it is revealed that Boober's baloobius glows when he feels most at ease with himself, something that happens to other Fraggles as well.
Red Fraggle is a fictional character in Jim Henson's television series Fraggle Rock, as well as its reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. She is one of the five main characters from the series, alongside Gobo, Wembley, Mokey, and Boober. She was performed and voiced by Karen Prell in both the original series and its reboot; Barbara Goodson voiced her in the animated series.
Jerome Crystal, better known by his nickname Doc, is a fictional character from Jim Henson's television series Fraggle Rock. He is the only major human character on the show, as well as the only character to appear in all 96 episodes of the series.
Uncle Traveling Matt is a fictional puppet character from Jim Henson's television series Fraggle Rock. Matt is a major supporting character from the series. He is performed and voiced by Dave Goelz in both the original series and its reboot Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. Patrick Pinney voiced him in the animated series.