Character recasts

The two performers of Kermit the Frog
Jim Henson (1955-1990) and Steve Whitmire (1990-present)

A list of instances in which a character was recast with another performer. Main performers are marked in bold; cases in which someone held a puppet up in the background of a group shot are not included. If a performer was cast as that character in only one production (or for only one year), the title of that production is noted. If the performer performed the character for more than one production, a date range is listed. For further details, see the Casting History section of the respective character page on the wiki (linked in the header).

The Muppets

Animal

• Frank Oz — 1975-2000
• Eric Jacobson — 2002-present
• Drew Massey — Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony, Episode 9 (2005)

Beaker

• Richard Hunt — 1977-1991
• Steve Whitmire — 1992-present
• Kevin Clash — The Muppet Show Live (2001)

Dr. Teeth

• Jim Henson — 1975-1990
• Bill Barretta — 2005-present
• John Kennedy — various (1991-2003)
• Victor Yerrid — From the Balcony episode 9 (2005)

Floyd Pepper

• Jerry Nelson — 1975-2005
• Matt Vogel — 2008-present
• John Kennedy — 2005-2006

Fozzie Bear

• Frank Oz — 1976-2000
• Eric Jacobson — 2002-present

Janice

• Richard Hunt — 1977-1990
• Eren Ozker — 1976-1977
• David Rudman — 2008-present
• Fran Brill — 1975
• Matt Vogel — Muppet RaceMania (2000)
• Brian Henson — 2002-2003
• Tyler Bunch — The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)
• John Lovelady — Julie Andrews: My Favorite Things (1975)

Kermit the Frog

• Jim Henson — 1955-1990
• Steve Whitmire — 1990-present
• John Kennedy — Muppetfest (2001), Muppets Ahoy! (2006)
• Artie Esposito — America's Got Talent, the MTV Video Music Awards, D23 Expo (2009)
• Unknown — off-screen dialogue for some portions of The Case of the Stolen Show (2012)

Link Hogthrob

• Jim Henson — 1976-1990
• Steve Whitmire — 2000-present

Lew Zealand

• Jerry Nelson — 1978-2003
• Matt Vogel — 2008-present
• Bill Barretta — 2002-2005

Mahna Mahna

• Jim Henson — 1969-1976
• Bill Barretta — 2001-present

Miss Piggy

• Frank Oz — 1976-2002
• Eric Jacobson — 2002-present
• Jerry Nelson — Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (1974)
• Fran Brill — The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)
• Richard Hunt — The Muppet Show Season 1 (1976-1977)

The Newsman

• Jim Henson — 1976-1989
• Jerry Nelson — Muppets Inside (1996)
• Brian Henson — The Muppet Show Live (2001), Muppets Party Cruise (2003)
• Steve Whitmire — 2008-present

Robin the Frog

• Jerry Nelson — 1971 - 2003
• Matt Vogel — 2008 - present

Rowlf the Dog

• Jim Henson — 1962-1990
• Bill Barretta — 1996-present

Sam the Eagle

• Frank Oz — 1975-2000
• Eric Jacobson — 2005-present
• Kevin Clash — It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
• Drew Massey — Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony Episodes 11, 15, 18 and 33 (2005-2006)

Scooter

• Richard Hunt — 1976-1991
• David Rudman — 2008-present
• Adam Hunt — Muppets from Space (voice only)
• Matt Vogel — Muppet RaceMania (voice only)
• Brian Henson — It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
• Rickey Boyd — The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

Statler

• Richard Hunt — 1976-1990
• Jerry Nelson - 1975, 1992-2003
• Steve Whitmire — 2002-present
• Drew Massey — 2005-2006
• Bill Barretta — Jimmy Kimmel Live (2003)

The Swedish Chef

• Jim Henson — 1975-1990
• Bill Barretta — 1996-present
• David Rudman — The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
• Steve Whitmire — I Love Lucy Movie Mania Screen Test (1999)
• Victor Yerrid — From the Balcony: Episode 26 (2006)

Sweetums

• Richard Hunt — 1976-1991
• John Henson — 1996-2005
• Matt Vogel — 2009-present
• Jerry Nelson — The Frog Prince (1971 - puppeteer only)
• Carl Banas — The Frog Prince (1971 - voice only)
• Rob Mills — The Jim Henson Hour (1989 - Episode 107: Health and Fitness)
• David Rudman — The Cosby Show (1990 - Episode 138 Cliff's Nightmare)
• Victor Yerrid — Family Feud (2001), Barnes & Noble promotion (2003), Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony Episode 13
• Noel MacNeal — A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008)
• Ed Christie — filling in for John Henson on a few occasions

Uncle Deadly

• Jerry Nelson — 1976-1979
• Matt Vogel — 2011

Waldorf

• Jim Henson — 1975-1990
• Dave Goelz — 1992-present
• Victor Yerrid — 2005-2006
• Jerry Nelson — Muppet Meeting Films (1974) (as P. Fenton Cosgrove)
• John Lovelady — Des O'Connor Entertains (1976)

Sesame Street

Barkley

• Toby Towson — 1977-1978
• Brian Muehl — 1978-1984
• Fred "Garbo" Garver — 1984-1993
• Bruce Connelly — 1993-present

Bert

• Frank Oz — 1969-present
• Eric Jacobson — 1997-present

Betty Lou

• Fran Brill — various (1970s - 1980s)
• Lisa Buckley — 1993-1998
• Marilyn Sokol — 1974-1975
• Frank Oz — 1969 (including Pick Your Pet, where she's called Lucy Jones)
• Jim Henson
• Caroll Spinney

The Big Bad Wolf

• Jerry Nelson — 1971-2012
• Kevin Clash — various (1980s - 2000s)
• Joey Mazzarino — 1990s-2006
• Martin P. Robinson — 1990s-2006
• Tyler Bunch — 2007-present
• Matt Vogel - 2013

Cookie Monster

• Frank Oz — (1969 - present)
• David Rudman — (2001 - present)
• Jim Henson — in The Ed Sullivan Show and commercials
• Joe Raposo — in "Everyone Likes Ice Cream" (voice)
• Caroll Spinney — in a 1969 sketch in which various monsters whisper the letter C.

Count von Count

• Jerry Nelson — 1972-2012
• Matt Vogel — 2013-present

Dr. Nobel Price

• Brian Muehl — 1979-1984
• Kevin Clash — 1984-1988

Elmo

• Kevin Clash — 1985-2012
• Jerry Nelson - "We Are All Monsters" sketch (1980)
• Brian Muehl — 1980-1984
• Richard Hunt — 1984
• Peter Linz - launch of Spaghetti Space Chase (2013)
• Ryan Dillon - White House Easter Egg Roll appearance, Sesame Street Explores National Parks (2013)

Ernie

• Jim Henson — 1969-1990
• Steve Whitmire — 1993-present
• John Tartaglia — Play with Me Sesame (2003)
• Billy Barkhurst — voice-over for A Sesame Street Christmas stage show (2009) and Can't Stop Singing (2012)

Forgetful Jones

• Michael Earl — 1979-1981
• Richard Hunt — 1981-1992

Gladys the Cow

• Richard Hunt — 1973-1992
• Jennifer Barnhart — 2003-present

Goldilocks

• Camille Bonora — 1991-1997
• Alice Dinnean-Vernon — 1997-2004
• Jennifer Barnhardt — 2005
• Leslie Carrara-Rudolph — 2012

Grover

• Frank Oz — 1969-present
• Eric Jacobson — 1997-present

Guy Smiley

• Jim Henson — 1969-1990
• Eric Jacobson — 2005-present
• Don Reardon — Let's Make a Word CD-ROM game (voice only)

Kermit the Frog

• Jim Henson — 1955-1990
• Steve Whitmire — 1990-present

Mr. Snuffleupagus

• Jerry Nelson — 1971-1978
• Michael Earl — 1978-1980
• Martin P. Robinson — 1980-present

Sherry Netherland

• Julianne Buescher — 1993-1996
• Alice Dinnean-Vernon — 1996-1998

Sonny Friendly

• Richard Hunt — 1986-1992
• David Rudman — 1992-2000

Telly Monster

• Brian Muehl — 1979-1984
• Martin P. Robinson — 1984-present
• Bob Payne — 1979

Two-Headed Monster

• Peter Friedman and Richard Hunt — ca. 1978
• Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson — ca. 1980-1991
• David Rudman and Jerry Nelson — 1992 – 2000
• David Rudman and Joey Mazzarino — 2001-present

See also

• Save the Muppets
• Sesame Street Human Recasts