Floyd Pepper

PERFORMER	Jerry Nelson 1975-2003
	Matt Vogel 2008-present
	→CASTING HISTORY...
DEBUT	1975
DESIGN	Michael K. Frith designer
	Dave Goelz builder

Original concept sketch.

Floyd Pepper

Performing on The Muppet Show

Floyd Pepper is the bass player for the Electric Mayhem band on The Muppet Show. He first appeared in the 1975 pilot The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. One of the more vocal band members, Floyd's hip sarcasm is often directed at other Muppet Show regulars, particularly Miss Piggy. Frequently paired with Janice, Floyd also has a certain influence on Animal, or at least as much as anyone can. In picture books such as The Case of the Missing Mother, or certain installments of the Muppet comic strip, Floyd is practically Animal's keeper, pulling his chain and looking after him.

At a Museum of Television and Radio seminar in 1992, performer Jerry Nelson said:

“I always thought of Floyd as a character who had probably been a beatnik first, and then — just like real life — probably been a beatnik, and then he was into jazz and poetry, and then he probably went along with the chase into rock and roll, because he needed a job. He drew the line at punk, as I probably did myself, I think. That's why I can relate to Floyd, I guess, because he's all those things.”

Floyd's costume and last name are a reference to the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and he lists his musical influences as including Fats Waller, Fats Domino, Minnesota Fats and David “Fathead” Newman….

The Muppet Show

On The Muppet Show, Floyd regularly appeared backstage and interacted with characters outside of The Electric Mayhem. He has also been involved in the plot of a few episodes.

In episode 123, Floyd led the band in quitting because they didn't like the theme song. Floyd later told Kermit that the band would stay if he wrote the theme song. However, Kermit did not like this new theme (Fugue for Frog), and it was never explained on the show how Kermit was able to get the band to stay. They just appeared in the next episode, as if there was never any conflict at all.

In episode 201, Floyd was very active backstage, as the band decided to make Fozzie Bear an honorary hip person because he planned on making "Lullaby of Birdland" the closing number, and he gave Fozzie a pair of shades for being hip. However, after the performance, the band took a vote and decided that Fozzie was no longer hip, and Floyd took Fozzie's shades away.

In episode 305, Floyd was chosen to appear in the Muppets performance of "Camelot", in a role that Floyd wasn't too thrilled to be playing.

In episode 316, when the annoyed Statler and Waldorf leave their box, Floyd and Janice take place on the balcony and make reflexions during the show instead of the two old codgers.

In episode 407, when Dudley Moore decided to have a music-making robot, M.A.M.M.A., provide the music for the show, the band was against this, and Floyd did most of the talking for the band.

In episode 506, Floyd portrayed the role of the Catepillar in the Muppets performance of Alice in Wonderland.

Some of Floyd's songs include "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "New York State of Mind".

Movies and Specials

Floyd was also very active in the Muppet movies and specials. In The Muppet Movie, he introduced each member of the band to Kermit and Fozzie. In one scene in Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets, he and John Denver went fishing, and sang "Gone Fishin'" together. Floyd and Janice also introduced a selection of Muppet music clips together in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.

Attire

His original outfit was a suit similar to the ones worn by The Beatles on their album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", along with a green hat, though he sometimes wore the Muppet Show's signature purple tux as well.

During the last season of The Muppet Show, Floyd switched to a red jacket and varying shirt colors. In a Muppetism and a number of other later productions (including the French produced Muppets TV and the Studio DC: Almost Live specials), he wore a blue jacket and a brown hat.

Since the Muppets' 2009 appearance at the D23 Expo, he regularly wears a jacket resembling his original outfit, with round gold buttons replacing the gold-threaded sling design on his chest. For his appearance on The Muppets, a replica of his original outfit was created. It was also used in Muppets Most Wanted, although Floyd still regularly appears in his gold-button outfit in promotional material.

Floyd in his original outfit

In his red jacket, which he began wearing in 1980

On Muppets TV

In his green outfit on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Back to the roots, in an outfit resembling his original attire

In a replica of his original outfit, recreated for The Muppets

Casting history

Main Performers

• Jerry Nelson: The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) - Muppets Party Cruise (2003)
• Matt Vogel: Studio DC Hosted by Dylan and Cole Sprouse (2008) - present

Alternate Performers

• John Kennedy: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) and A Green and Red Christmas (2006)

Appearances

Performing on The Muppets Go to the Movies.

Floyd Pepper and John Denver sing together at the Grammy Awards in 1983.

Jerry Nelson's Floyd autograph

• The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence
• The Muppet Show (see Muppet Show episodes that didn't feature main characters)
• American Express commercial
• Royal Variety Performance
• Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring
• The Muppet Movie
• The Muppets Go Hollywood
• A Christmas Together
• The Muppets Go to the Movies
• The Great Muppet Caper
• Polaroid
• Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets
• Grammy Awards
• The Muppets Take Manhattan
• Little Muppet Monsters
  • Episode 102: Space Cowboys
• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
• A Muppet Family Christmas
• The Muppets at Walt Disney World
• The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• Muppet Beach Party
• Kermit Unpigged
• Muppet Treasure Island
• Muppets Tonight
  • Episode 101: Michelle Pfeiffer
  • Episode 102: Garth Brooks
• Muppetisms
• Muppets from Space
• Muppet RaceMania
• I Love Muppets
• It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
• "We Are Family" music video
• Muppets Party Cruise
• The Muppets Wizard of Oz
• A Green and Red Christmas
• Studio DC: Almost Live!
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
• D23 Expo (2009)
• Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. commercials
• Muppet viral videos
  • "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• Christmas in Rockefeller Center
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
• America's Funniest Home Videos
• "The Muppet Show Theme music video"
• The Muppets
• Jimmy Kimmel Live
• My Muppets Show
• Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
• Toyota
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
• Muppets Most Wanted
• The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
• The Muppets

Live appearances

• The Muppet Show On Tour
• The Muppet Show on Tour: 2nd Edition
• Here Come the Muppets
• Muppets on Location: Days of Swine and Roses
• The Muppet Show Live
• D23 Expo
• Just for Laughs

Book appearances

• The Muppet Show Book (1978)
• The Comic Muppet Book (1979)
• Robin Hood (1980)
• Kermit & Cleopigtra (1981)
• The Muppets Go Camping (1981)
• Two for the Show (1982)
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill (1982)
• The Case of the Missing Mother (1983)
• The Muppet Guide to Magnificent Manners (1984)
• Ask Kermit: All About the Human Body (1996)
• Jim Henson's Bedtime Stories (1989)
  • "Kermit and the Best Present of All"
  • "All Work and All Play"
• The Phantom of the Muppet Theater (1991)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009)
• Muppet Robin Hood (2009)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book: The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson (2009)
• Muppet Peter Pan (2009)
• Muppet Snow White (2010)
• Kermit's Costume Caper (2012)
• The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)

Merchandise

• Floyd Pepper Action Figure
• Floyd plush
• Vinylmation figure

See also

• Floyd Pepper Through the Years