Kermit the Frog is getting a new voice as Steve Whitmire quits!

Don’t be alarmed if Kermit the Frog sounds a little different from now on. Steve Whitmire, who has voiced the famous muppet for over 27 years has called it quits! Steve took over the role of voicing the beloved green felt frog back in 1990 after the death of Jim Henson and has been a part of the Muppets show since 1978.

Steve was handpicked by Jim Henson’s family to take over the role after Jim Henson’s death. He has voiced the character through a string of Muppet movies and shows, including The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. He has also lent his voice for several other Muppet characters including Rizzo The Rat, Beaker and Waldorf’s partner Statler. Though no reason has been given for his departure, it’s sad to see him go!

It has been confirmed by a Muppets Studio spokesperson that he will be replaced by Matt Vogel, who is famous for voicing Kermit the Frog’s evil doppelgänger, Constantine, in Muppets Most Wanted. Matt has also lent his voice for Sesame Street’s Count Von Count since 2013. He will be making his Muppets debut with a Muppets Thought Of The Week video which airs next week.

Kermit the Frog was last photographed modeling alongside Kendall Jenner for LOVE Magazine’s cover a day after the 2017 MET Gala and looked like a dapper little guy.

In related news, back in April 2017, the Museum of the Moving Image was asking fans of Jim Henson’s Muppets to donate for an exhibition featuring original puppets of beloved characters like Elmo, Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. The original Muppets had been donated by the Henson family in 2013 and the museum wants to preserve them for the sake of posterity. The museum owns hundreds of Henson puppets, costumes and props which were showcased for fans and the Muppets community.

photo credits – shutterstock