It's Time to Meet the Muppets: Get to Know 10 Forgotten Characters (2024)

Celebrity
Nostalgia

The Muppets' sprawling cast of colorful characters includes more than just Kermit, Piggy and the gang

John Russell

John Russell is a Writer/Reporter at PEOPLE. He joined the PEOPLE team in 2024. His work has previously appeared on VanityFair.com, Slate.com, Billboard.com and in Out Magazine.

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Published on May 30, 2024 11:09AM EDT

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When it comes to the Muppets, just about everyone can name the A-listers. Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf and the gang are literally everywhere. They’ve starred in multiple TV shows and movies since the mid-’70s, have robust presences on social media and have even been the subjects of perennial memes.

Even second-tier characters like the Swedish Chef, Sam Eagle and the members of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are recognizable to folks with little more than a passing familiarity with Jim Henson's beloved creations.

But as any diehard fan will point out, the Muppets cast is vast, with lesser-known characters perpetually popping up to fill out their wacky world.

As Disney+’s new documentary Jim Henson: Idea Man, streaming May 31, delves deep into the late puppeteer’s life and legacy, take a look back at these 10 “forgotten” Muppets.

01of 10

Wally

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Before The Muppet Show premiered in 1976, Jim Henson and co. produced two pilots for ABC. The first, 1974's The Muppets Valentine Show, starred not Kermit the Frog, but a legitimately forgotten character named Wally, performed by Henson. Here he is in a scene with guest Mia Farrow.

02of 10

Nigel

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A second pilot, 1975's The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, starred Nigel (again performed by Henson) alongside more recognizable characters Sam Eagle and Floyd Pepper. The character went on to appear as the The Muppet Show's orchestra conductor.

03of 10

Clifford

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Originally created for NBC's 1989 series The Jim Henson Hour, Clifford (performed by Kevin Clash) appeared as the host of the Muppets' late-night talk/sketch comedy show Muppets Tonight, which aired on ABC from 1996 to 1998.

04of 10

Uncle Deadly

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Uncle Deadly has been lurking in the Muppets' shadows since the '70s, when he made his first appearances on The Muppet Show. Originally voiced by Jerry Nelson (who also voiced many other characters like Floyd Pepper and Kermit's nephew Robin), he reemerged in 2011's The Muppets voiced by Matt Vogel (who has also voiced Kermit since 2017) and had a supporting role as Miss Piggy's wardrobe supervisor in ABC's short-lived primetime series of the same name.

05of 10

Skeeter

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Created as an athletic tomboy foil for both her nerdy twin brother Scooter and for Miss Piggy's diva antics, Skeeter appeared in every episode of the animated Muppet Babies series in the '80s, but has never appeared as a live-action puppet. Over the years, various Muppets creatives have joked that she grew up to be an explorer or that she's in the witness protection program to explain her absence.

06of 10

Link Hogthrob

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One of the stars of the "Pigs in Space" sketches in The Muppet Show, Link Hogthrob's ego and vanity matched those of his costar, Miss Piggy. Originally voiced by Henson, Link was featured in many Muppet Show sketches, but became more of a background character following Henson's death in 1990.

07of 10

Dr. Julius Strangepork

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Unlike his "Pigs in Space" costars Link Hogthrob and Miss Piggy, elderly mad scientist Dr. Julius Strangepork (originally voiced by Jerry Nelson) rarely appeared in other sketches on The Muppet Show. He's gone on to make primarily silent background cameos in more recent Muppet movies and TV shows.

08of 10

Beauregard

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A custodian introduced in the third season of The Muppet Show, Beauregard wasn't just relegated to backstage shenanigans. The character, voiced by Dave Goelz, appeared in various sketches on the show, and had a memorable role as a cab driver in 1981's The Great Muppet Caper.

09of 10

Lew Zealand

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Originally intended as a one-off character in a sketch on a 1978 episode of The Muppet Show, Lew Zealand and his signature boomerang fish act went on to become a staple of the series. The character, originally voiced by Jerry Nelson and by Matt Vogel since 2008, has appeared in nearly every Muppet film and TV show since.

10of 10

Crazy Harry

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Crazy Harry has delivered some of the Muppets' most explosive moments. The pyrotechnics-obsessed character's origins go all the way back to The Muppet Show's two original pilot episodes, The Muppets Valentine Show and The Muppets: Sex and Violence, and he continues to appear anytime the franchise calls for a big bang.