Steve Whitmire
|
|
Steve Whitmire (born September 24 1959) is a puppeteer.
He is currently the voice of the famous Sesame Street Muppets, Kermit the Frog and Ernie, which were originally voiced by Jim Henson. Muppets that have always been performed by Whitmire include Rizzo the Rat, Foo-Foo, Wembley Fraggle, and Bean Bunny.
Born near Atlanta, Georgia, he became interested in puppetry in his childhood. While in high school, Whitmire swore to his classmates that he would one day be Kermit the Frog. He worked with puppets after he graduated from high school, and eventually got a job working on The Muppet Show in 1978. Whitmire performed in the films The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal, then on the television show Fraggle Rock. After Jim Henson died in 1990, Whitmire became the new voice of Kermit the Frog and Ernie.