Studio Reveals Why Kermit the Frog Actor Was Fired

The Muppets Studio is speaking out about the dismissal of Steve Whitmire, who voiced Kermit the Frog. In a statement given to The Associated Press, the studio says that the 57-year-old actor was fired after “repeated unacceptable business conduct” that happened over “a period of many years.”

The studio also claims that Whitmire “consistently failed to address” the issue.

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On Monday, Whitmire spoke out in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter claiming that he was fired for expressing views on the manner in which his character should be portrayed in ABC’s Muppets mockumentary series.

Whitmire, who voiced Kermit for 27 years, says he was given two reasons for being fired last October: “unwanted notes during the short-lived Muppets reboot on ABC and a union disagreement.”

“The first issue was that they felt I had been ‘disrespectful’ in being outspoken on character issues with the small group of top creative people during the ABC series,” said Whitmire. “I have been outspoken about what’s best for the Muppets since the Muppets came to Disney [2004]. The fact is I have respect for everyone who was involved in the creation of that series for their own particular contributions. At the same time, I also have insight into their limitations with respect to how well they know the Muppets.”

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A source close to Muppets studio said that Whitmire’s communication style was “overly hostile and unproductive.”

Despite Whitmire’s claims, the studio indicated that there was not one specific incident that led to Disney parting ways with the puppeteer.

Read Muppets Studio’s full statement below:

“The role of Kermit the Frog is an iconic one that is beloved by fans and we take our responsibility to protect the integrity of that character very seriously. We raised concerns about Steve’s repeated unacceptable business conduct over a period of many years and he consistently failed to address the feedback. The decision to part ways was a difficult one which was made in consultation with the Henson family and has their full support.”

Lisa Henson, the daughter of Muppets creator Jim Henson, says that Whitmire “played brinkmanship very aggressively in contract negotiations.”

Whitmire says he was “devastated” by the studio’s decision to fire him.

“The hardest part is that I genuinely like both of the executives who chose this action, and that makes this all the more disappointing,” he said. “My sadness is over knowing how important it is for the success of the Muppets to have the characters remain consistent and seeing the value of that ignored.”

Kermit The Frog will now be voiced by Matt Vogel.