Sesame Street fanatics had one big question in mind for the past few days after the news about the replacement of Kermit the Frog's voice talent spread everywhere. Neither the Disney-owned Muppet Studios nor Steve Whitmire, the voice behind Kermit were generous enough to immediately give details on the issue.
On Thursday, the puppeteer broke silence and finally gave a statement through an emotional blog post entitled the Muppet Pundit. The voice actor stated that he was devastated to have failed in his duty and to his hero.
Whitmire began handling and voicing over Kemit the Frog since 1990, when his hero, Jim Henson passed away. Henson was the original voice actor for the said character.
The voice actor further stated about how he kept silent for nine months after receiving a call from the Muppet Studios in October 2016 telling him that there will be a change of casting and that to keep his post, he offered remediation on the two stated issues the management mentioned.
The former Kermit voice actor however expressed his desire to do whatever the company requires as he believes that his involvement with the show is in the Muppet's best interest.
Synopsis:
For me the Muppets are not just a job, or a career, or even a passion. They are a calling, an urgent, undeniable, impossible to resist way of life. This is my life's work since I was 19 years old. I feel that I am at the top of my game, and I want all of you who love the Muppets to know that I would never consider abandoning Kermit or any of the others because to do so would be to forsake the assignment entrusted to me by Jim Henson, my friend and mentor, but even more, my hero.
Muppet Studios, on the other hand released a statement at Time Magazine on Wednesday expressing how thankful they are on Whitmire's contributions and that they wish him well in his future endeavors.
Fans are still keeping their fingers crossed hoping that the studio will once again consider Whitmire's service.
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