Kermit the Frog facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kermit the Frog
The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Sam and Friends character
First appearance	Sam and Friends (1955)
Created by	Jim Henson
Voiced by	Jim Henson (1955–1990) Steve Whitmire (1990–2016) Matt Vogel (2017–present) Frank Welker (Muppet Babies (1984), animated segments in Little Muppet Monsters, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, Family Guy) Matt Danner (Muppet Babies (2018))
Performed by	Jim Henson (1955–1990) Steve Whitmire (1990–2016) Matt Vogel (2017–present)
Information
Species	Muppet frog Muppet lizard (Sam and Friends)
Gender	Male
Occupation	Entertainer, stage manager, show producer
Family	Robin the Frog (nephew)
Significant other(s)	Miss Piggy (1976–present)
Nationality	American

Kermit the Frog is a famous Muppet character. He is one of Jim Henson's best-known creations. Kermit first appeared in 1955. He is the main character in many Muppet shows, like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. He has also been in movies, TV specials, and public service announcements.

Jim Henson was the first person to perform Kermit until he passed away in 1990. After that, Steve Whitmire performed Kermit until 2016. Now, Matt Vogel performs Kermit. Other actors, like Frank Welker and Matt Danner, have also voiced Kermit in animated shows like Muppet Babies.

Kermit sang two very popular songs: "Bein' Green" in 1970 and "The Rainbow Connection" in 1979. "The Rainbow Connection" was featured in The Muppet Movie, which was the first full-length Muppet film. This song became a big hit, reaching No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Kermit's look and voice are known all over the world. In 2006, a book called Before You Leap: A Frog's Eye View of Life's Greatest Lessons was published, written as if Kermit himself wrote it!

How Kermit Was Created

Kermit first appeared on May 9, 1955. This was on a TV show called Sam and Friends. The very first Kermit puppet was made from an old spring coat that belonged to Jim Henson's mother. His eyes were made from two halves of ping pong balls.

At first, Kermit looked more like a lizard. He appeared on TV many times before it was decided he was a frog. His famous collar was added to make him look more like a frog. It also helped hide the part where his head and body joined. In some countries where Sesame Street is shown, Kermit's name is changed to fit the local language.

The Performers Behind Kermit

Puppeteer Jim Henson in 1989

Jim Henson created Kermit in 1955 for his TV show, Sam and Friends. He continued to perform Kermit until he passed away in 1990. Jim Henson's last time performing Kermit was on The Arsenio Hall Show. This was just twelve days before he died.

After Jim Henson's death, Steve Whitmire became the new performer for Kermit. Steve's first public performance as Kermit was in 1990, during a TV special called The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. He performed Kermit until 2016. Then, in 2017, Disney announced that Matt Vogel would take over the role.

Steve Whitmire in 2014

For the animated cartoon Muppet Babies, Frank Welker voiced Baby Kermit. He also voiced an adult Kermit in another show called Little Muppet Monsters. More recently, Matt Danner voices Baby Kermit in the 2018 version of Muppet Babies.

Kermit's Story

Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog performing together

Kermit the Frog has a made-up life story, just like a real person. In this story, he was born in Leland, Mississippi. He had many, many brothers and sisters, about 2,353 of them! However, in a 2011 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Kermit said he was from the swamps of Louisiana.

In the 2002 movie Kermit's Swamp Years, we learn that Kermit was 12 years old when he left the swamp. He was one of the first frogs to talk to humans. The movie also shows him meeting a 12-year-old Jim Henson for the first time.

Fozzie Bear is Kermit's best friend

Fozzie Bear is known as Kermit's best friend. Kermit even mentioned this in his "autobiography," Before You Leap. They were often seen together in sketches on The Muppet Show and in other Muppet products.

On August 4, 2015, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy announced that they were no longer a couple. Later, in September 2015, Kermit was said to have a new girlfriend, a pig named Denise. But around February 2016, Denise supposedly broke up with Kermit.

Kermit's Career Highlights

Kermit's first appearance on Sam and Friends

Kermit has been a very important character on both The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. But he was famous even before Sesame Street started in 1969. He starred in Sam and Friends. Many Muppets, including Kermit, also appeared as guests on shows like Today and The Ed Sullivan Show starting in the 1960s.

Kermit was one of the main Muppet characters when Sesame Street began. He often taught lessons about simple topics. He also acted as a news reporter, interviewing storybook characters for "Sesame Street News." He sang many songs on the show, including his famous "Bein' Green".

Kermit with The Muppets

Muppet entrance at Disney's Hollywood Studios

In The Muppet Show TV series, Kermit was the main character. He was the showrunner and the stage manager of the theater show. He tried to keep everything in order while the other Muppets created funny chaos. Jim Henson once said that Kermit's job was a lot like his own: "trying to get a bunch of crazies to actually get the job done." It was on this show that the funny story of Miss Piggy always chasing Kermit began.

Kermit the Frog singing "Bein' Green"

On Muppets Tonight, Kermit was still a main character, but he was the producer instead of the front-man. He appeared in many funny sketches like NYPD Green and Flippers.

Kermit was also the mascot for The Jim Henson Company for a long time. You can see a Kermit puppet at the National Museum of American History. Kermit also appears in Muppet*Vision 3D, a fun attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World. He also appears at the Magic Kingdom in The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History.

Kermit's Movies and TV Shows

Kermit the Frog has been in almost every Muppet production. He has also made guest appearances in other shows and movies.

Here is a list of some of his most well-known appearances:

Awards and Special Honors

Kermit's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Kermit has received many special honors. On May 19, 1996, he was given an honorary degree at Southampton College in New York. He even gave a speech at the graduation! He is also the only "amphibian" to have spoken at the famous Oxford Union. In 2003, a statue of Jim Henson and Kermit was put up at Jim Henson's old college, the University of Maryland, College Park.

Kermit was also the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1996. A giant Kermit balloon has been part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1977.

On November 14, 2002, Kermit the Frog received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

For Kermit's 50th birthday in 2005, the United States Postal Service released new stamps. These stamps featured photos of Kermit and some of his Muppet friends. The background of the stamp sheet shows Jim Henson sitting with Kermit on his lap.

In 2013, the very first Kermit puppet from Sam and Friends was given to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. It is now on display in their pop culture gallery. In 2015, a small museum dedicated to Kermit opened in Leland, Mississippi. It has puppets and other items related to him.

Kermit's name is even used in science! One of the special research planes flown by the NOAA Hurricane Hunters is named after Kermit. The other plane is named after Miss Piggy. In 2015, a new type of Costa Rican glass frog was discovered. It was named Hyalinobatrachium dianae. This frog became very popular online because it looks a lot like Kermit!

Kermit in Internet Culture

Muppets Most Wanted poster

Kermit has become famous in internet memes. One popular meme shows him sipping tea. This picture came from a 2014 Lipton advertisement. It was turned into the "But That's None of My Business" meme, which you can find on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

In 2016, another new meme appeared. It shows Kermit talking to a hooded version of himself. This hooded Kermit represents a person's inner thoughts. The picture for this meme comes from a scene in the Muppets Most Wanted movie, where Kermit and Constantine are looking at each other.

See also

In Spanish: Kermit the Frog para niños