The Muppets Unveil Kermit The Frog’s New Voice

The Muppets have unveiled the new voice of Kermit the Frog, Steve Vogel, after the exit of Steve Whitmire and he sounds pretty good. The iconic Muppet character was originally voiced by Jim Henson, who brought the muppet’s green and down to earth leader to life. Since then, the role has seen only one other actor when Whitmire inherited the role after Henson’s passing. However, Whitmire was fired from the Kermit role earlier this year.


Dispensing truth and wisdom to children and children-at-heart, Kermit returns to the stage in a brief new clip featuring the first performance of newcomer Steve Vogel.

In the “Muppet Thought of the Week” video [above], Kermit shares: “Dreams are how we figure out where we want to go. Life is how we get there.” The character hilariously tries to exit stage left, then realizes he made a mistake and dives over to stage right. Vogel manages to capture Kermit’s wisdom as well as his smaller messages about how to live your life. He sounds like Kermit, and while no man can really compare to Henson’s take, fans of the character might not be disappointed. Vogel’s tone is softer than Whitmire’s, but he sounds just as friendly.


Kermit isn’t an easy character and he’s one with a history that extends deep into pop culture, almost into American folklore. The loveable muppet leader has done everything from wrangle his compatriots to being romanced by pigs. In the wake of the cancellation of ABC’s The Muppets, however, Kermit and his pals have taken to YouTube in between movie gigs to provide hard working fans and kids at home with a laugh. These new shorts are cute and fun and give new actors like Vogel a chance to showcase their skills.


It’s worth noting that Vogel has managed to capture Kermit’s sense of charm and easygoing behavior with talent and a good writing staff, but the true test of any performer is seeing how they hold up in a crowd. Kermit won’t truly be Kermit until he’s sung The Rainbow Connection or argued with Miss Piggy or tried to corral the gang.


However, much like this “thought of the week,” portraying an iconic character like Kermit has to be any performer’s dream and Vogel’s life has brought him there. While the future of the Muppets remains a mystery, a person achieving their dream is just what they’re about. Consequently, Vogel is right where he belongs and doing just fine.