Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Friday 14 July 2017
Fired voice of Kermit the

Frog says he’s ‘devastated’

By ANDREW DALTON has kept silent in the ensu- nature character, and the
Associated Press ing months in the hopes centerpiece of the Mup-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — It isn’t that he could get his bosses pets franchise, from 1955
easy being green. But no to change their minds. until 1990, and when he
longer being green is ap- He said he offered “mul- died it was unthinkable for
parently even harder. tiple remedies” to the rea- many to imagine someone
Steve Whitmire, the pup- sons he was given for his else doing it.
peteer who was fired after firing. But Whitmire took up the
In this July 11, 2015, file photo, Kermit the Frog, left, and puppeteer 27 years as Kermit the Frog He would not say what role, and became the only
Steve Whitmire attend “The Muppets” panel on day 3 of Comic- said Thursday he is “devas- those reasons were, nor Kermit many of today’s
Con International in San Diego.
Associated Press tated to have failed” Mup- would Muppet Studio or its young adults and kids have
pets founder and his men- parent company Disney, ever known.
tor Jim Henson. who have not responded The two made TV appear-
Whitmire has been with the to requests for comment ances on “Late Night with
Muppets since 1978, and from The Associated Press. Jimmy Fallon,” ‘’30 Rock”
took over as Kermit after Muppets Studio said in a and “Saturday Night Live”
Henson died in 1990. He statement to Time maga- and in films like “Muppets
wrote an emotional blog zine that it “thanks Steve for Most Wanted” and “The
post in response to his fir- his tremendous contribu- Muppets.” Addressing
ing a day after it was made tions to Kermit the Frog and friends and fans, Whitmire
public. the Muppets franchise. We wrote on his blog that “I just
He said he was let go wish him well in his future want you all to know that
against his will, and would endeavors. The Hollywood I am sorry if I have disap-
never have left voluntarily. Reporter and ABC News pointed any of you at any
“For me the Muppets are reported Wednesday that point throughout our jour-
not just a job, or a career, longtime Muppets perform- ney, and to let everyone
or even a passion. They are er Matt Vogel will take over know that I am devastated
a calling, an urgent, unde- as Kermit. to have failed in my duty to
niable, impossible to resist Kermit was Henson’s sig- my hero.”q
way of life,” Whitmire wrote.
“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.”
Whitmire said he was in-
formed that Kermit would
be recast in October, and

CBS News announces partnership with BBC

NEW YORK (AP) — Brit- network access to an orga- formally with CBS over the
ain’s BBC News is ending nization that is larger and past few years and that the
a long-running agreement more comprehensive than American network match-
to share reporting and re- Sky News, which had been es its current needs well.
sources with ABC News in its British partner. He said it The BBC thanked ABC for
the United States and in- does not mean CBS will be “a long and fruitful partner-
stead will match up with looking to cut back on its ship.”
CBS. own staff. ABC News has recently
CBS News President David BBC spokeswoman Char- hired two BBC News per-
Rhodes said Thursday the lotte Morgan said the Brit- sonalities, Ian Pannell and
deal with the BBC gives the ish network has worked in- James Longman.q

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