Walter: Unsung Muppet Hero

James V. Carroll - 2011 brought us a new Muppet movie featuring an all-new character responsible for getting the gang back together. That’s just a movie, of course. The Muppets were already around and working in numerous projects over the decades since the loss of their creator and entertainment legend Jim Henson. The Muppets' closing credits led a lot of fans to believe that Walter had served his purpose as a fan-boy plot device. It was time for him to join Clueless Morgan and Polly Lobster on the unemployment line, or maybe he’d head over to some downtown Manhattan boardroom to pitch a new angle on Ocean Breeze Soap with Bill, Gil and Jill. That would have been a great injustice to such a delightful character and Muppet hero.

Our first glimpse of the spunky little fella came from a beautiful magazine spread for Entertainment Weekly. He initially received a backlash of fan criticism over the perception of a somewhat stiff, generic appearance. A lot was riding on his fleece and felt shoulders so I don’t blame him for looking a little nervous. Besides, simplicity is the heart of the best Muppet designs. He’s displayed enough wild expressions in The Muppets, crazy dance moves in the Lady Gaga & The Muppets Holiday Spectacular and a very passionate performance in “The Weight” number for Jimmy Fallon’s epic Late Night finale to legitimize his place with the rest of the gang.

In recent years we have seen the Muppets begin to grow stale without new characters and new situations to explore. Every theater troupe knows the vitality of this. The Muppet Show had a way of throwing things against the wall to see what sticks. Unfortunately, the gang doesn’t currently have the privilege of a weekly show, but Walter seems perfectly content with being thrown against anything for the sake of his friends. That, by itself, is not enough. It is important that he distinguish himself from the other Muppets. His debut certainly showcases his fanaticism, musical prowess and whistling skills, but it does a lot more than that. Peter Linz portrays Walter as a live-wire and that’s a genuine thrill to watch.

Walter's rise to fame was swift. His character was thrust upon the public whether we were ready for him or not. That’s a really big gamble that has been tried several times before with mixed results. Clifford served a similar role in the ill-fated Muppets Tonight. Fans were already familiar with the character from The Jim Henson Hour, but his character hadn’t really been established with a wider viewing audience. His initial introduction on stage exclaiming, "Hi, I'm Clifford. Your homey made of foamy!" was kind of cringe-worthy and outdated, even by 90s standards. Most of us warmed-up to him over time. The poor guy had big flippers to fill and it was a mistake to hire anyone except Kermit to host a Muppet show. Lesson learned. Clifford has some funny moments and he’s one of the more visually stunning Muppets. I was hoping his character would develop over time, yet it appears he's taken an indefinite sabbatical along with the extremely talented Kevin Clash.

Pépe is an example of the correct way to introduce a Muppet. The prawn, like fellow diva Miss Piggy before him, began as more of a chorus Muppet than a main player. He immediately struck a chord with everyone and the writers followed suit. The rest is history. That's how it usually works. Pépe, along with the rest of Bill Barretta's stock of characters, helped revitalize the Muppet brand in the late 90s. He also lends a legitimate spark to the rather hollow Muppets From Space. I imagine poor Seymour is somewhere clipping coupons and living on canned beans. I hope Pépe remembers to send a check to his forgotten friend every once in a while.

Walter didn't have several episodes to cultivate his persona. He had one shot to make an impression. This humble little guy wasn’t some interloper trying to take Kermit's place like Matt Vogel's masterfully performed Constantine in Muppets Most Wanted. Instead, he became the guide for young audiences to experience the Muppet gang for the first time. He was a helpful fan whose adoration for Kermit is apparent in nearly every frame of the 2011 film. This could have been the formula for a rather dull character if not for the absurd lengths Walter takes his helpfulness. This is evidenced by his willingness to be tossed over an electrified fence as many times as it takes in order to meet with Kermit.

Some fans and critics have claimed that Walter only serves as a needless version of Scooter. I'm going to invoke my own inner-Walter and choose to see that as a misunderstanding rather than the blatant Muppet racism that it probably is. While Walter has a warm skin tone and often serves as Kermit's helper, the similarities end there. Walter is timid and gracious. Many people misremember Scooter. He's not the nerdy one-note computer enthusiast that the Muppet Babies made him out to be. Richard Hunt provided him with a very colorful, passive-aggressive personality. Scooter confidently elbowed his way into the Muppet group through nepotism. After all, until recently his Uncle J.P. Grosse owned the Muppet Theatre. Scooter has lofty dreams of becoming a rock star as seen in his "Six-String Orchestra" number and his idolization of Muppet Show guest star Elton John. These are things that would easily cause poor Walter to run through a wall or faint. Scooter has a playful side and can be a little stinker at times. He often delights in the chaos that ensues while attending to Kermit’s needs. An argument could be made that he has a hand in encouraging some of this backstage grief for his own amusement. Scooter had an agenda during those early days and worked hard at it. That’s what solidified him as a lovable main player that David Rudman continues today while he accompanies Scooter as he scolds TED audiences about perceived technological slights against puppets in the digital age and helping the gang figure out the new Toyota Highlander.

Walter didn’t save the Muppets from Tex Richman. He saved the Muppets from a zombie-like fate of retracing old steps. Walter’s presence, and the possibilities created by it, has breathed new life into the group. The Muppets never went away like Segel and Stoller suggested in their movie, but they haven’t been this lively or fun in years. The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets From Space, and It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie are all noble attempts at bringing back the magic, yet the main cast often appears to be suffering from a peculiar melancholy. Walter brought some much-needed spark back into the Muppets and that makes him a hero in my eyes. It’s also what keeps the Muppets from merely being nostalgic relics of the past. They have a future and Walter is part of it. I enjoyed him. I hope he stays with us for a very long time and brings some new guys like Constantine with him to join our favorite fuzzy anarchists.

Walter is not Scooter, he's not a Clifford-type, and he's certainly not a generic whatnot. Walter is earnest. He's so kind-hearted that it blinds him to many obvious obstacles around him. That often causes him to become self-involved with his own selflessness and all of this behavior appears to come by choice rather than delusion. Or maybe he chooses the delusion. Either way, it's clear that he's kind of a mess and that’s what makes Walter a Muppet. A very manly Muppet!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 3

Ryan Dosier - Hi-ho, Muppet fans! Ready for more of my storied trip visiting the set of Muppets Most Wanted last May? If you're not, read Part 1 and Part 2 to catch up with what happened so far! To recap: I spent an amazing day on set at Los Angeles Union Station with ToughPigs' Matt Wilkie where we met Walter, watched the Muppet film, were treated to a private rehearsal of "We're Doing a Sequel," and spent the entire day with all of the Muppet performers. Yeah. All of that.

The day after my first day on set, I had lunch with huge Muppet fan and now great friend of mine Rachel Herrick. You know Rachel from her great Muppet movie video reviews that she did for The Muppet Mindset. This was my first time meeting Rachel and it was wonderful! After that, I went to Disneyland with my awesome, awesome friend Raymond Persi (story artist at Disney Animation Studios and voice artist in Wreck-It Ralph). Ray told me he was probably getting on set the next day as well through his Disney connections. I was excited.

The next day, Peter Linz texted me telling me Disney would be sending me a call sheet for filming that day with information about where to park, when to show up, etc. The call sheet is an amazing little souvenir and I'll always treasure it. This is the first time I found out that they would be shooting on Hollywood Boulevard with 200 extras. I was floored. Peter told me to show up around 7pm and prepare to be there all night for shooting if I wanted to stay. Obviously I did. Eventually I worked it out with Raymond to ride with him to set and I was on my way--again.

When we arrived on set, we found that the entire block in front of the El Capitan Theater was shut down for filming. The crew was setting up huge shots, there was a crane, tons of lighting, and a whole lot of union workers. It was amazing. When we got there, we were greeted by Tracy Gilbert, who works at the Muppets Studio. Tracy led us into the El Capitan, through the main lobby, into the basement, into a room they use for kid's birthday parties. Tracy told us there would be press interviews with some of the cast and crew, but we were absolutely not there as press--which is a round about way of saying, "If you tweet about this, you die." We had no idea what to expect, but we were thrilled. Eventually, Matt Wilkie and Rachel joined us in the basement. I'm still not positive how Rachel got on set, but I'm still impressed.

Anyway! The press interviews got underway, and we saw the costume designer, producer Todd Lieberman, and Peter Linz and Walter answer questions from the crowd. I was just so blown away, I really don't remember asking any questions. I don't think I did. But it was crazy awesome. Afterwards, Peter and Walter took pictures with everyone again. Matt and I got in line for pictures, but the Disney people who were there when we took pictures with Walter the other day glared at us, so we stepped out. Here's Rachel's awesome picture with Walter, though!

After the interviews, the press (and all of us) were led outside to watch some filming. The scene we saw is actually the very first scene of Muppets Most Wanted, with Kermit, Piggy, and Walter standing in front of Jason Segel and Amy Adams lookalikes. It was really weird to see two unknown actors that vaguely look like Jason and Amy wearing their exact costumes from the end of The Muppets. But, it was amazing to see Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, and Peter Linz work. They were ad-libbing quite a lot, since the scene didn't really have any specific dialogue. It was awesome.

While we were watching them film, I ran into one of my favorite people: Cristina Barretta. Cristina is Bill's wife and we've been friends since 2010. Anyone who has read any of my stories about getting to do awesome stuff with the Muppets knows that 90% of the time, it's because of Cristina Barretta that I have such an unbelievably great time. Cristina had brought her son Jackson, her dad, and some friends to the filming and introduced me around to everybody. Then she wrangled Bill and Peter to take a picture with me (that she insisted she take). That picture is at right. Once again, I owe Cristina the world.

After that, we were brought back inside for more interviews. This one was with Kermit the Frog. After the interview, they announced Kermit would take pictures with us, and I nearly passed out. I was the last one in line, so when it was my turn to go up to Kermit for my picture, I was the only one. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, but before I knew it, Kermit the Frog was looking at me, smiling, and waving. Kermit said, "Hey, Ryan!" and I floated over. Kermit saw my t-shirt and said, "Wow, I love that shirt." He pointed at himself on the shirt and I felt Kermit touching me. Again, nearly passed out. All this time I completely forgot that Steve Whitmire was literally right there. It didn't even register with me, because KERMIT THE FROG was right there taking a picture with me. Here is that picture.

I really can't describe that feeling of meeting Kermit the Frog. So I won't even try, just know it happened and it was perhaps the highlight of my career. After our froggy photos, they brought us back outside again to watch more filming. But this didn't last long before we were taken back inside again, this time for Miss Piggy's interview. Again, they allowed us all to get pictures taken, and again I was the last one in line. What happened when I met Miss Piggy is still my favorite thing. I walked up to her, waved briefly to Eric, and I said, "Hello, Miss Piggy." Miss Piggy rolled her eyes and grumbled "Hello, Ryan..." I had no idea what to do, so I laughed and said, "Did I do something wrong?" At this point I should mention that the entire Los Angeles press corp was standing there watching this interaction. Miss Piggy looked at me, then looked at the press corp and said, "No, no. This is Ryan, one of moi's many stalkers!" I was literally stunned silent and that's when they took the picture. Sheesh.

So after Miss Piggy nearly killed me, we went back outside for even more filming. It was around this time that the press members started to leave, so the whole shoot became a lot more informal. We got to talk to Eric Jacobson for a long, long time. The lot of us stood in a circle, in the middle of the road on Hollywood Boulevard, and just talked and talked to Eric for at least half an hour. He is the nicest, funniest, most intelligent guy and I really can't get over that fact. He's such a delight and I love every second I get to spend hanging out with him. After we talked, we took a picture.

By this time it was at least midnight and the production showed no signs of slowing down. Rob Corddry came in and filmed his cameo. David Rudman performed Scooter. Thog walked down Hollywood Boulevard. It was amazing. At about 1:00 am, the production paused for dinner (at least I think it was dinner) and everyone walked over to the adjacent Hollywood High School to have craft services in their cafeteria. I think it was probably Matt Vogel or Bill Barretta that invited me, Matt, and Rachel to come eat (Raymond had already left at this point), so obviously we did. Once again, the food was amazing, but the company was even better. Dave Goelz invited Matt and I to sit at his table with him, so we talked to Dave for quite a bit. Later I got to talk for awhile with Debbie McClellan, which is always wonderful, and John Bernstein, who works on DVD/Blu-ray content for Disney and who oddly enough went to my college. We bonded over pizza places and crappy dorm rooms.

After the food, everybody returned for more filming. We saw Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Walter, Rowlf, and Scooter shooting the opening group scene from Muppets Most Wanted ("Those were paid dancers"). During this scene, Dave Goelz was dismissed and went out of his way to come say goodbye to us--insane. The scene was so funny, and went over so well. The best part was Fozzie/Eric never being able to nail his line when the tumbleweed blows through the background. Every time he would flub it, the tumbleweed wrangler would have to run across the street, grab the tumbleweed, and run back. Movie making at its finest.

They shot different coverage for each character, so during some shots Matt Vogel wasn't needed and he came over to talk to us. Again, I can't reiterate how freaking cool Matt Vogel is. He treated me like family and was always so interested in talking to me. He's really the best. We took a picture in front of the Disney Soda Fountain store, so it looks like we're cross-promoting Iron Man 3.

Not too much more happened between then and the end of filming. But when they were finally ready to rap, James Bobin called out, "Martini shot!" and we realized that we were watching them film the final shot of Muppets Most Wanted. It was incredible. They shot it, got it in that one take, and Bobin yelled cut. The entire street started applauding and cheering and hugging each other and we got to be there in the middle of it all. Truly magical and a moment I'll never forget. Eventually everyone started leaving, so I said my goodbyes to the performers. Bill, Matt, and Peter all hugged me and Steve, Eric, and David were so happy to have me there. Me. I still can't get over it.

By the time I got back to my hotel, it was 4:30 am. I had spent literally all night with the Muppets and I could not have been happier. And that's my story, Muppet fans. The story of how I met Walter, Kermit, and Miss Piggy, hung out with the Muppet performers, ate lots of craft services, and saw the final shot of Muppets Most Wanted filmed. Thanks for reading, believing, and supporting. I couldn't have done any of it without your support! I also have to say an endless amount of thank yous to Peter Linz, Debbie McClellan, Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, and everyone who was so freaking kind to me.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 2

Ryan Dosier - Greetings, Muppet fans! When we last spoke about my journey to the set of Muppets Most Wanted last May, I had just gotten my picture taken with Walter and I had just watched a dozen Muppets shoot a scene in front of an Amtrak train. (To recap fully, just read Part 1.)

So! Where could we possibly go from there? Well, after getting our pictures with Walter, Matt Wilkie and I returned to the main hub where all the cast, crew, and extras were having lunch. It was a fully catered craft services lunch that you hear about. Honestly there was everything. Pasta, chicken, fish, cookies (more on those later), ice cream... everything. It was awesome. And Matt and I got to eat it for free and no one said anything to us. Very strange, wonderful times.

And yet the times got even stranger and wonderfuller. Matt and I sat down at one of the few empty tables and started eating. We were only a few bites in when Peter Linz and Matt Vogel came to sit with us. I don't know if this was because there was nowhere else to sit... but I doubt it. Almost immediately after sitting down, Peter and Matt whipped out their iPhones and started showing us pictures on-set pictures they had taken. I distinctly remember shots of Louise Gold and Annie Sue, Walter and Ricky Gervais in their trench coats, Peter and Bill Barretta performing the flamingos, the Muppet performers freezing at the gulag set, and so much more. It was unreal.

And yet it got more unreal. After lunch, the producers dismissed all of the extras, background puppeteers, and 90% of the crew, but somehow Matt and I got to stick around. At that point, things got crazy, as all of the Muppet performers--Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and David Rudman--came to sit at our table. There we were, me and Matt, just casually hanging out with our heroes. No one questioned it, no one asked why we were still there... everyone was just so happy to sit and talk to us. Unbelievable.

Honestly, I can't think of any words to describe that moment. It completely blew me away to be in the presence of these people that I adore--and to be with them all at one time? I was stunned. I can't recall what we talked about, but I do remember lots and lots of laughter. I know that I was a part of something special there and I'm thankful for every single thing that led to that moment. Out of everything I've gotten to do because of The Muppet Mindset, I think that one moment, sitting with seven of my heroes as just one of the guys, is the culmination of it all.

And yet, it didn't stop there. While we were waiting (and at that point I wasn't even sure what we were waiting for), I asked to take a picture with Peter. Of course he said yes, so we posed for the picture... and then Dave Goelz wanders in because he was jealous he wasn't in the picture. Ridiculous. Here's that glorious picture:

After that, I noticed David Rudman was eating a cookie... and obviously I had to get a picture of that. The performer of Cookie Monster eating a cookie? Come on. Anyway, here's that picture:

At one point after that, the Union Station crew was putting away the tables, so we had to get up. I grabbed my backpack to move it out of the way. Dave Goelz saw me do this and said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you leaving?! You can't leave!" I said, "No, no I'm just grabbing my backpack." He was relieved. I was confused. And enthralled. The day just kept getting better.

And then the day turned into the best. We finally found out what we were waiting around for when some of the performers went into a back room to do some on-set ADR (automated dialogue replacement, aka dubbing). Steve, Eric, Bill, and Dave stayed behind for a rehearsal with James Bobin. There, in the grand hall of Union Station, Steve Whitmire pulled out Kermit, Eric Jacobson pulled out Fozzie, Bill took Statler, and Dave took Waldorf, and the four of them rehearsed the lines leading up to "We're Doing a Sequel" and the first few bars of the song.

So Matt and I sat there, watching our own private Muppet rehearsal and hearing the start of "We're Doing a Sequel" nearly a year before the film's release. I'm not kidding when I say that those lines of the song did not leave my head for 10 months until I heard the whole thing. I knew then and there that Muppets Most Wanted would be a hysterical, incredible experience. They must've rehearsed that opening a dozen times, because the lyrics were ingrained in my brain. Again, I could not believe I was there experiencing this.

After the rehearsal wrapped, everyone was finished and the day was over. At this point it was probably about 5 in the evening, making for a long, hugely fulfilling day. As we were leaving, Peter and Debbie McClellan told Matt and I that they would be filming another scene--this one on Hollywood Boulevard--two days from then. They said we could come and they would be in touch... so my trip was clearly just beginning. Hard to believe that after the day I had just had, there would be another day on set with the Muppets. But... more on that later.





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Most Wanted, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - Isn't life funny? One minute, it's 2013, the next, it's 2014, then it's May 2014 and you realize it's been literally an entire year since you had one of the greatest experiences of your life. What's worse, you realize it's been a year and you haven't written anything about one of the greatest experiences of your life. I can attribute this to many things... lack of approval from Disney, not wanting to spread spoilers--but mostly it's just me forgetting to sit down and write. But that's being fixed right now!

One year ago today, May 6, 2013, I was on a a bus headed for Los Angeles Union Station. I had been invited by my amazing friend Peter Linz to be his guest on the set of Muppets Most Wanted while they filmed a few scenes in LA after months of filming in London. It was (and still is) an unbelievable gift for Peter to invite me and a really, truly can never thank him enough or repay him for what I got to experience over the few days I was there.

I arrived at Union Station around 9:00am. Peter had told me to get there at 10, but I wanted to make sure I was there early enough. Getting there at 9 happened to work out extremely well, because as I was walking through the station trying to get my bearings, I just happened to run into Bill Barretta. Bill and I go back almost five years. He was the first Muppet performer I ever interviewed and met in person so it's oddly fitting that he became my guide through my first on-set Muppet experience. Bill swept me up and walked me around, showing me the train platform where they would be filming.

As we were walking out onto the platform, a security guard stopped us (obviously, since he was guarding a big-budget film set) and Bill simply told him, "We're with the Muppets" and we got through. Me. I was with the Muppets. It was unbelievable just to hear those words... and then we went out to the train platform. There were large black crates, obviously holding the Muppets themselves. There were animatronic rats sitting on boxes that Bill was delighted to show off. Thog's head was sitting on the ground and Bill said, "Go ahead and touch him. Take a picture if you want." So obviously I did. Then I nearly fainted.

Somewhere in here, I ran into my buddy Matt Wilkie, who was on set as a correspondent for ToughPigs. I can't express how glad I was to have Matt on set with me. Not only is he a fantastic person to have around anytime, anywhere, but he was just as geeked out and freaked out as me. The number of times Matt and I turned to each other and mouthed "Oh. My. God." or audibly gasped together is too many for me to count. We had a blast and there's no one I would've rather had alongside me on set that day.

After Bill walked us around the set, he took Matt and I to the main hub where the extras, puppeteers, and crew would wait in-between and after takes. The first person we ran into was Steve Whitmire. Steve, who I had met a handful of times before, lit up immediately when he saw us. We talked for a little bit about the movie, he signed a photo of Kermit I brought, and took photos with Matt and I. Then I believe he said, "I've gotta go out front and film something. Will you guys be around later?" Matt and I, stars in our eyes, nodded, and Steve said, "Great! We'll talk more" and went off to be Kermit the Frog. Nuts.

After our Steve encounter, Matt and I discovered the bounties of craft services (thanks to Muppets Studio chief Debbie McClellan, who assured us it was fine that we eat something) and had some coffee (bad idea, considering how jittery I already was) and breakfast. We sat down with the group of extra hands--the background Muppet performers. It was such a treat to talk with hugely fun and talented folks like Nathan Danforth (my awesome friend), Michael Oosterom, Bruce Lanoil, and Mike Quinn. Mike, especially, was incredible to talk to, with more than 30 years of history with the Muppets, plus credits in Star Wars (he's Nien Nunb!!) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Mike and all of the puppeteers treated us so well and I'm so glad to call them friends.

After awhile, Bill came back and assigned each of the puppeteers a character to perform. He sat down and rattled off names such as Wayne, Lips, Lew Zealand, Janice... I'm pretty sure I sat slack-jawed just hearing the Muppets I'd get to see in person. After he was done, Bill told Matt and I we could follow him out onto the platform. When we got there, we saw Kermit the Frog and I had to stop for a second. I had seen Kermit in person a few other times before, but I was never this close. I was six feet from the frog and he was on camera working his magic. The scene he was filming was unfortunately cut from the final film, but every take there was a line that required Kermit to turn and point. Each time he did, he looked directly at me and pointed, and each time my heart skipped a beat.

The scene they were filming also featured lines from Scooter and Beauregard, so David Rudman and Dave Goelz were standing off camera feeding the lines to Kermit. In between takes they both came over to talk to me and Matt. They were incredible as always (duh). During one conversation with David, he was so into our talk that he actually missed his cue. It was hilarious and probably my fault entirely... but everyone got a good laugh out of it. Eventually we were found by Matt Vogel and Peter Linz, who are two of the greatest people I know. They took us to more craft services and then talked to us for what felt like an hour chatting about the movie. Matt said, "Your the fans, ask us anything!" and they answered. It was crazy. It was here I first found out Matt was performing Constantine, found about about a helicopter scene, Walter jumping from a moving train, and more.

While we were talking with Matt and Peter, one of the puppet wranglers walked by carrying no fewer than six Muppets--including Dr. Teeth and Janice--and asked Peter if he wanted to take Walter now. He gave Matt and I a sly grin and said yes. Then he put on Walter and he came to life. Walter talked to Matt and I for a little bit and I seriously felt like a kid in a candy store. It was one of the coolest things I've ever gotten to do. It was my own private little moment with Walter and it doesn't get better than that.

And then they called for the puppeteers to get in place and true Muppet magic was turned on. There, directly in front of me, maybe four feet away, was Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Walter, Scooter, Rowlf, Swedish Chef, Floyd, Animal, Dr. Teeth, Janice, Zoot, Lips, Bunsen, Beaker, Wayne, Lew Zealand, Sweetums, and Thog. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and honestly I still don't believe it. It was truly breathtaking and like a dream to see all of these Muppets alive right in front of me. It was fascinating to see James Bobin direct them (and boy is he brilliant at it). I honestly don't know if I'll ever see anything quite like that again. I have no words to explain how utterly amazing it was.

After they wrapped the scene, the Muppets were whisked away (I'm still miffed I didn't get a picture with Lew Zealand) and Matt and I finally got to talk to Eric Jacobson. Eric is really the nicest guy around and one of the easiest people to talk to. He signed a picture of Fozzie I brought and then asked Matt and I if we were sticking around for lunch. I believe we said, "If we're allowed to" and he said, "Of course you are! Come on with me." So Matt and I started to follow Eric... but then we had to stop because we saw Peter and Walter chatting with the members of the press that were on set that day. Eric went on to lunch and we told him we'd catch up with him later.

Thank goodness we stuck around, because, thanks to Debbie McClellan, Matt and I got to sneak into the back of the line of press people getting their photos with Walter. When I got to Walter he said, "Hey, hey, Ryan! What pose should we do? Ooooh! I got it!" Walter then jumped on my shoulder and grinned wildly... and so did I, because how can you not? Then this picture happened:

And I think that's where I'll stop the story for today. What happened the rest of that day is more than enough to fill another article, and then there's a whole other day on set as well! There's still lots more story to come, Muppet fans, so be on the lookout for Part 2 and Part 3 of my incredible visit to the set of Muppets Most Wanted--a year later!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppet Performer Interviews from the Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere

As you know, (and if you don't, check it) your pals at The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs attended the World Premiere of Muppets Most Wanted as members of the venerable press line. The popularity of our initial video was so huge that Muppet fans demanded more--and obviously we live to please. So we're thrilled to showcase the full interviews we conducted with the Muppet Performers. We interviewed Steve Whitmire, Peter Linz, Bill Barretta (and his awesome son Jackson), David Rudman, and Eric Jacobson--plus we talked to Dave Goelz, but not on camera. We sincerely hope you enjoy!









The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Muppets Most Wanted World Premiere Exclusive Coverage

Ryan Dosier - In celebration of Muppets Most Wanted's North American release, I am thrilled and proud and honored and so lucky to present our exclusive coverage of The World Premiere in Hollywood. Our coverage is a joint effort between The Muppet Mindset and ToughPigs.com and we couldn't be happier to share it with our great friends. Huge thanks to Joe Hennes, Matt Wilkie, Daniel Shick, Lindsay Kwek, and Cristina Barretta. Enjoy!!








The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

See Muppets Most Wanted Opening Weekend and Win!

As everybody reading certainly knows, Muppets Most Wanted opens in 3,000 theaters across the United States and Canada starting tomorrow! After months and months of waiting, Muppet fans will finally get to see Kermit, Miss Piggy, Constantine, and the whole Muppet gang dominate the big screen again.

I'm sure that most of you are going to see the film as soon as you possibly can, but if you can't decide if you should see it opening weekend or not, allow me, Matt Vogel, and Peter Linz to provide you some incentive. Details below:

SEE MUPPETS MOST WANTED OPENING WEEKEND AND SUBMIT YOUR TICKET STUBS FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES SIGNED BY MATT VOGEL AND/OR PETER LINZ!

If you see Muppets Most Wanted on Thursday, March 20, Friday, March 21, Saturday, March 22, or Sunday, March 23, submit photographic proof of your ticket stubs to muppetmindset@gmail.com for a chance to win a prize signed by Muppet performers Matt Vogel (Constantine) and Peter Linz (Walter). Winners will be chosen at random by Ryan Dosier and announced on Monday, March 24th via Facebook and Twitter. Only one entry will be counted per person. Submitting ticket stubs more than once will not help your chances. Submitting more than one ticket stub does not help your chances. The winner will be decided completely at random.

So there you go, Muppet fans! A chance to win actual signed stuff from two of the most talented and nicest guys in the world. Go see Muppets Most Wanted opening weekend. Send us your ticket stubs. And above all, have a blast seeing the Muppets on the big screen again!

Huge, huge, heartfelt thanks to my incredible friends Matt Vogel and Peter Linz for their help with this--and a hundred other things.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Colleagues of Jerry Nelson Remember the Legend

Today we feature a very special article from three of Jerry Nelson's very close colleagues. First is a beautiful eulogy written for us by Joseph Bailey, writer for The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and many more things including last year's spectacular book Memoirs of a Muppets Writer. Today, we are honored to host Joe's memories of his friend Jerry Nelson. At the end of the article we feature memories from our good friends Muppet writer Jim Lewis, writer for Muppets Tonight and countless other things, as well as Muppeteer Peter Linz. I asked Jim and Peter three questions about Jerry for them to answer. We all hope these memories of the legendary Jerry Nelson bring you a smile or laugh--as Jerry would have wanted.

Jerry Nelson - The Puppeteer's Puppeteer

by Muppet writer Joseph Bailey

Jerry Nelson was a good friend of mine for almost 40 years. For 20 of those years, Jerry was my co-conspirator in that sublime, benign anarchy that was Jim Henson's Muppets. If you strung together all the material I wrote and Jerry performed it would fill many, many hours, if not days. Most of it broke down into two categories:

The first was material I had sweated over, somehow gotten past my boss, and hoped for the best in the studio. Jerry, in true Muppet fashion, would always find a way to make it work. Second were those very rare occasions with ideas that I felt were spot on and then honed to perfection, only to watch Jerry make them more perfect in performance.

But, I don't have to remind anyone how talented Jerry was. Thousands of examples exist on video. So, let me tell a little of what went into Jerry's performances.

Firstly, I'm sure Jerry would want to be remembered as an actor, for that was really his craft. Puppeteers are usually referred to as "performers" or "entertainers." But the truth is, they're really actors. Granted, they work in the theatre of the very, very absurd. But all theatre is an illusion and you can't find better illusionists than puppeteers.

Spencer Tracy was once asked by a young actor what was the secret of acting. "Just don't let them catch you doing it," Tracy replied. The reason Jerry's characters were so believable and so much fun was that you never caught him "acting." And, lest you think humor takes a back seat to "drama," when the great classic actor, Edmond Booth, was on his death bed, he was asked if dying was hard, he replied, "No. Dying is easy. Comedy is hard." Jerry Nelson made comedy look easy.

I've said that writing for the Muppets was like handing them a loaded blunderbuss and putting them in the vicinity of a barn door. They always hit it although not necessarily on the side I expected. So, if there's a shortage of barn doors in this world, an awful lot of them are Jerry Nelson's fault.

Jerry was also a tremendous vocal talent. He could sing on key in all of his dozens of voices. After performing a traditional English music hall song as a cockney busker Muppet, Jerry got a prolonged ovation from the English studio crew for the authenticity of his cockney accent. He was that good. 

Besides being a singer and musician, Jerry was also a composer. Even I didn't know this until Jerry produced a CD of his own musical material in 2010. It's called "Truro Daydreams," after the small Cape Cod town he loved so well. It is truly the poetry of Jerry Nelson.

Although he never used this talent with the Muppets, Jerry was also an accomplished marionetteer (if there is such a word.) At a party at Caroll Spinney's, I watched Jerry pick up a marionette that Caroll had acquired in his travels. The puppet was a simple silk handkerchief with five rings. There was a ring stuffed on each corner suggesting hands and feet. One in the middle of one side created a "head." Absentmindedly, Jerry took the controls and manipulated the little character with amazing grace and fluidity.

Since the Muppets never used marionettes, I asked him where he had learned the art. Jerry told me his first puppet job was working with Bil Baird. At his audition, Baird gave him a gangster marionette armed with a tommy gun. Jerry made the puppet aim the gun directly at Baird and say, "Awright, Baird! I think you'd better hire this kid!" Jerry got the job.

Now, let me tell you a little about Jerry Nelson the man. Jerry was warm, friendly, caring and eminently approachable. If it weren't for Jerry and Richard Hunt, I'm not sure I would have survived my first few weeks working on The Muppet Show in London. I knew nothing of the city, which is a jumbled maze of streets, all of which seemed to have the same name. But Jerry and Richard would pick me up in Richard's rusting Ford Cortina and carry me off to the best steaks, coldest beer, and coolest jazz in town.

Jerry also never took fame and celebrity seriously. No matter what, he remained the kid from Oklahoma. One night, the Muppets were at a party in the penthouse suite at ATV headquarters in London. ATV was the English company that produced The Muppet Show. Jerry had made a record of the A.A. Milne poem, "Halfway Down the Stairs," as Kermit's nephew, Robin the Frog. The record had gone platinum and Lord Lew Grade, who owned ATV, threw the party to celebrate.

At that particular time, we had just arrived in England and were working full time in the studio and running around trying to find a place to live. So, we had no personal time at all. After six or seven extremely laudatory speeches about Jerry's incredible talent, he turned to me and said, "If I'm such a big international recording star, how come I've been wearing the same pair of socks for three days?"

On a flight from London to New York, Jerry was seated next to the famous actor, Al Pacino. After they introduced themselves, they got into a conversation about show business and fame. Pacino said he liked being famous and how it had made his life easier. Jerry agreed, but countered by saying that he could play guitar and sing all night in any beer joint in Hoboken and never worry about being recognized by aggressive fans. When the plane landed, Pacino was mobbed by passengers and crew for autographs and photos. Jerry told me, "I grabbed my bag from the over-head, patted him on the shoulder, said, 'See you later, Al,' and walked off the plane."

There is a story of Jerry spending hours entertaining the young daughter of a studio hand who was suffering from double pneumonia. Sadly, Jerry had a lot of experience entertaining sick children. That's because Jerry had a daughter, Christine, who suffered from cystic fibrosis. She died at 21 in 1981. Jerry loved her so much I'm sure he would want me to tell you about her. Jerry told me about the night Christine died. It was one of those moments in life you never forget.

I knew Christine and she was truly Jerry's daughter. She was bright and beautiful and very funny. Because of her illness, Christine spent many stints in the hospital. But, when I went to visit her, instead of the standard hospital gown, she would be flitting around the ward in purple jogging shorts.

She also had a gag that she would pull whenever there was a new nurse on the floor. Christine had a stash of apple juice. She would fill urine sample bottles with it. When the nurse came to collect a urine sample, Christine would look at it critically and say, "I don't like the looks of that. I think I'll run it through again." Then, to the horror of the new nurse, she would knock back the sample in one gulp.

So now, I like to think that Christine and Jerry are together again with Jim and Richard and the rest of the gang in some ethereal Truro. It's a little known fact, but there is an official Muppet Theory of Death. It goes like this: When a Muppet person dies, he is met on the Other Side by the late puppet designer Don Sahlin, who presents him or her with a rubber chicken. (Okay, it's weird. But it beats the hell out of eternal damnation.) I'm sure Jerry has his rubber chicken and has already found a voice for it.

For Jerry / from Muppet writer Jim Lewis

1.) What is one moment or memory with Jerry Nelson that you will never forget?Jerry sitting on the couch at Jerry Juhl's house announcing "Party's started!" Which is how I felt every time I caught sight of Jerry smiling that "I know something and it sure is strange" smile of his.

2.) How has Jerry influenced your work and your life?Jerry was honest. He wore his heart on his sleeve. And lucky for us he could make his sleeve talk and sing. That incredible voice. That chuckle. The way he made you feel that we're "so damn lucky to be able to do this for a living." He made you want to join the fun, which is what I've been trying to do ever since.

3.) If you had to define Jerry Nelson in five words or less, what words would you use?I'm here to have fun.

from Muppeteer Peter Linz

 

1.) What is one moment or memory with Jerry Nelson that you will never forget?
My first or second season on Sesame Street, I was right-handing for the Count. I was new and inexperienced and apparently doing too much with the right hand. Suddenly, fiercely and without warning, the Count slapped his right hand with his left. It was a valuable lesson in right-handing that I'll never forget!

2.) How has Jerry influenced your work and your life?
Jerry was the star of my all-time favorite Jim Henson production, "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas" which I must have watched dozens of times when it first came out. I will forever strive to live up to the incredible example of his character work. And that VOICE!

3.) If you had to define Jerry Nelson in five words or less, what words would you use?
Cool. Musical, Far-Out, Kind, Deep

All of our thanks to Joe Bailey, Jim Lewis, and Peter Linz for sharing their memories of their friend Jerry.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: August 30, 2012

NEWS UPDATE: August 30, 2012

Last week, Grover stopped by ABC's Good Afternoon America to promote a new Sesame Workshop initiative called "The Partnership for Healthy Mouths and Healthy Lives." Grover showed up to brush his (lack of) teeth with a dentist, a bunch of kids, and the overly-perky show hosts. It's mostly the dentist talking about fairly boring things... but watching Grover try to brush makes it all worth it. I don't understand how to embed videos from Hulu at the proper point, but luckily our good friends at ToughPigs.com do! So head on over there to watch the video, and then watch the other video in which the hosts and Grover discuss I Am Big Bird!

New Muppet plush toys are now available at Toys R Us! Currently available are beanbag plush dolls of Kermit, Fozzie, Animal, and Gonzo for $7.99, medium sized dolls of Kermit, Gonzo, and Animal available for $14.99, and bendable plush toys of Kermit, Gonzo, and Animal as well. To the right is the adorable Fozzie beanbag plush, but you can find them all on ToysRUs.com.

This weekend in Atlanta, Georgia is the annual DragonCon fantasy convention! Guests at the convention this weekend include our good friends Peter Linz and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as well as Heather Henson! If you're in the area, you should absolutely join in the fun. Below is a breakdown of the various panels that Peter, Leslie, and Heather will be a part of:

• Friday, 4:00pm: The Muppets Screening w/ Peter Linz
• Saturday, 11:30am: Puppetry for Children’s Television with Peter Linz and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
• Saturday, 4:00pm: Heather Henson: "A Daughter Remembers" 
• Saturday, 4:00pm: Puppetry for TV with Peter Linz
• Saturday, 7:00pm: Leslie and Lolly Make Stuff Up LIVE!
• Sunday, 11:30am: It’s Time to Raise the Curtain... with Peter Linz and Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
• Sunday, 4:00pm: Create-A-Puppet Workshop w/ Lolly Lardpop
• Sunday, 7:00pm: Peter Linz Muppeteer

The annual Star Wars convention, Star Wars Celebration VI was held last week. Much like the Jedi Knights on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones, out of nowhere, Muppets appeared! (Congratulations, Ryan, that's the nerdiest thing ever said on The Muppet Mindset!!) During the Disney Parks panel at the convention, they revealed two new sets of upcoming Muppets/Star Wars figures! Amazingly, this series includes Bean Bunny as Wicket the Ewok and Uncle Deadly as Emperor Palpatine!! Check out the amazing pictures below!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

"Man or Muppet" Nominated for an Academy Award!

Early this morning, deep in the hills of Hollywood, nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards were announced. Muppet fans everywhere awaited the news of any nominations at all for The Muppets. Well, we didn't have to wait long to find out that The Muppets was nominated for Best Original Song with the touching, powerful, hilarious, magnificent "Man or Muppet" written by Bret McKenzie and performed by Jason Segel, Walter (Peter Linz), Muppet Jason Segel (Bill Barretta), and Jim Parsons!!

This is huge news, not only because it was nominated, but because "Man or Muppet" has a 50% chance of winning the Oscar, thanks to there only being two songs nominated in the Best Original Song category this year. The other song nominated is "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio. We may be living in the year when, for the first time, a Muppet movie takes home an Oscar.

I'm sure most of you are wondering why only one song from the film was nominated, well, I was too. It turns out, in 2008, after Disney's Enchanted was nominated for three songs and ended up not winning for any of them, the Academy Awards announced that a limit would be placed on the number of songs that can be nominated per movie, so that votes aren't split between them.

But whatever, because Bret McKenzie, "Man or Muppet," and The Muppets have all been recognized and honored with a nomination, and that's what matters. Life's a happy song for "Man or Muppet," and surely for Bret McKenzie, Jason Segel, James Bobin, Nick Stoller, Peter Linz, and everyone else on The Muppets team! Our huge, sincere congratulations to all of them. I also have to say that I told Bret McKenzie he would win an Oscar for "Life's a Happy Song"... but we'll just pretend I said "Man or Muppet," because, quite frankly, they both deserve an Oscar.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards air on ABC on Sunday, February 26. It hasn't been announced yet if the song will be performed live, but with only two nominees it seems silly not to. I would be shocked if Jason and Walter, at least, weren't there to perform, and I honestly expect a lot more! We'll see!

It's a great day to be a Muppet fan, a Muppet of a man, or a very manly Muppet!! Congratulations all around!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

Interview with Muppeteer Peter Linz and Walter

Ryan Dosier - Today I am so pleased, and honored, and proud to present The Muppet Mindset's third-ever audio interview, and perhaps our best interview ever. I had the extreme good fortune of talking with my friend Muppeteer Peter Linz, performer of Walter in The Muppets, Tutter in Bear in the Big Blue House, and a slew of others. Peter was both gracious, kind, and hysterical, and I think you can tell that we were both having a lot of fun in the interview. What's more, Walter actually happened to be around when Peter and I were talking and took time out of his big, movie star schedule to talk with me! Walter and I had met before, so it was wonderful to continue our repartee. But... enough out of me, I'll let Peter and Walter speak for themselves. The first video features only Peter, talking about the audition process for Walter, Muppets From Space, Bear in the Big Blue House, and a lot more. The second video features me and Walter just geeking out. Enjoy it... I know I certainly did.





All of my thanks, both professionally and personally, go out to Peter Linz for his kind heart, his witty mind, and his friendship. I know you're probably reading, Peter, so thank you! (PS - Still no PS.)

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com

The Muppet Mindset Goes Hollywood, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - Life is something that, I've learned multiple times over, can surprise you endlessly. Every day has the potential to be surprising and wonderful every time you wake up. The morning of November 10th, and the three days afterwards, was just that for me... surprising and endlessly wonderful. This is the story of how a 21 year old guy with a Muppet fansite lived his dream, presented in three parts. That guy is me, and that dream was living the high-life with big-shots and personal heroes in Hollywood for four days straight.

It all started just before Halloween, when a light shined my way as one of the greatest people to ever come into my life changed everything for me. Cristina Barretta, the unbelievably kind, generous, awesome, and, to me, life-changing wife of the one and only Bill Barretta (both of whom I had met in Los Angeles last summer) got me on the invite list for an early screening of The Muppets. Now, being a broke college student my better judgement was against the idea of flying to LA just to see The Muppets a week early... but being a Muppet fan, my real judgement jumped to the forefront and was smart enough to say HECK YES I WANT TO BE THERE!!

And thank goodness I did, because a few days later I received an email from Disney (you know... the mouse) with an invitation to the screening. I leaped from my chair just seeing the invitation come into my inbox... and then I read it. Here, see it for yourself! (Click to make it bigger.)

So, as you can see, I found out that I had been invited to the cast and crew screening of the movie being shown on the lot of The Walt Disney Studios. This was beyond anything I could have imagined and every single day I have thanked my lucky stars that I decided to jump on this opportunity. To make all of this even better? The World Premiere of The Muppets was happening at the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard just two days after the screening... and I would be able to go. Everything was perfect, falling into place...

November 10th came slowly but surely and I flew away from home, by myself, for the third time in less than two years, to Los Angeles. The kid from farmville, Illinois with a small but passionate blog about the Muppets was flying to Los Angeles to see the cast and crew screening of a multi-million dollar Disney movie. Somehow, it didn't add up... but I never did like math, so I went with it. I arrived in Burbank (where the Walt Disney Studios is located) and checked into my hotel and quickly got changed into a look that I came to call "casual but Muppet obsessed," wearing my friend Jamie Carroll's "Muppetational Mosaic" t-shirt underneath a blazer. I had to show everyone at the screening that I was a Muppet fan... and what better way to do that than with the greatest Muppet t-shirt on the market today?

While waiting outside the Disney Theater before the screening, something amazing happened... Peter Linz, performer of Walter, walked right past me. I hesitated for a moment, but virtually all of my previous experience with Muppeteers told me not to, so I walked over to him, said hello, and introduced myself. And Peter absolutely could not have been nicer to me. He was so excited that I made it out for the screening and was very hopeful that I'd love the movie. I told him that I already loved Walter and he said, "Don't say that! You'll jinx it!" (But I didn't.) He also made it a point to tell me that, for the past two months, he read The Muppet Mindset daily for his updates on The Muppets news. Worried that I might not see him again, I asked him to sign a miniature poster I had brought with me (more on that later), and Peter graciously obliged, signing as himself and Walter, whose message to me was: "Hi Ryan! Here's hoping we get Season 4 and 5 [of The Muppet Show] soon! Your friend, Walter." I don't know if that makes me the first person to have Walter's autograph... but I think I'm probably pretty near the first.

After Peter went to take his place in line to get in (behind me... which didn't make any sense), the line started moving and as we were walking in I saw Bill Barretta. Obviously, I jumped out of line just to go say hi and something like, "I don't know if you remember me, but..." But, not only did he remember me, he hugged me when I came up. Honestly? I don't know anyone nicer than Bill and his wife Cristina(maybe Peter Linz)... they truly made this trip for me. Bill told me he was excited for me to see the movie and mentioned something about Dancing With the Stars on Saturday. I grinned and nodded and laughed along with him and didn't pay much mind to what he said about Dancing With the Stars... but come the next day, I definitely would.

As I moved into the theater I grabbed a bucket of popcorn (adorned with Kermit, Piggy, Beaker, and Animal) and a water bottle and took my seat to wait for the movie to start. I wasn't sitting long, however, when Rocco Fonzarelli (I don't think that's his real last name... sneaky Rocco!), who worked on the sound team for The Muppets and did a great interview with The Muppet Mindset a few months ago, came over to give me a big hug and talked to me a little bit. We couldn't talk long, however, because the lights dimmed and people were asked to take their seats for the film. I looked around me and realized that the Barrettas were sitting a row behind me and Peter Linz was sitting two rows behind them. To say I was in good company would be a massive understatement.

Speaking of good company, who should walk down the aisle to the front of the theater to introduce the film? None other than director of The Muppets himself, James Bobin! Mister Bobin gave a brief intro and thanked everyone there for all of their work and reminded us (or, in my case, told us for the first time) that there would be food and drinks and socializing directly after the movie for everyone in attendance. At this point, I think it was physically impossible for me to stop smiling--which probably explains why I didn't cry during my first viewing. You'd be surprised how hard it is to produce tears when you're happier than you've ever been.

And then... well, then I saw the movie for the very first time--and you all know how that went (and if you don't, you can read all about it in my review from the day after). I've seen The Muppets five times now, and no matter how many times I see it, nothing will ever replace this viewing as my favorite. It was such an unreal experience... seeing the movie for the first time alongside most of the crew and two of my personal heroes--who were seeing it for the first time in its entirety--rocked my world to the core. It can not get better than that (or, at least not until that Saturday).

After the screening we all adjourned to a large banquet/dining room a few steps away from the theater. I hung out with Rocco a lot here and got to talk to Peter Linz again. We took a picture together and I told him I was right about Walter and probably annoyed him with all my gushing about how much I loved Walter and how much the character meant to me. Then I noticed James Bobin just mingling with everyone. I nervously approached him and introduced myself as "Ryan Dosier, I run a Muppet fansite," to which he responded, "Oh, brilliant! Which one?" When I told him I ran The Muppet Mindset he was very pleased. He told me that the site is "brilliant" (he's British, he says that a lot) and I think he mentioned that he loved Weekly Muppet Wednesdays. I'm honestly not sure... I completely spaced after I found out he reads the Mindset. Then I doled out compliment after compliment to him about the film and told him he could expect a good review the next day. I asked him to sign my poster, which he was kind enough to take the time to do ("Ryan - Keep up the good work! Cheers, James Bobin") and bid adieu to an incredibly talented, kind, and, dare I say, brilliant person.

After that I caught up with the Barrettas again, and Bill signed my poster ("Best fishes, okay! Pepe  Bill Barretta") while we were talking. I also got to finally see Cristina, who, again could not have been nicer and happier to see me. She mentioned something about Dancing With the Stars too, and this time I payed attention. She told me all the performers were going to film a big musical number for the show on Saturday after the World Premiere and asked if I wanted to go with her. I think I nearly exploded... but I contained myself long enough to say YES ABSOLUTELY. She gave me her phone number, told me to text her the next day, and said she'd be in touch.

And with that, I left to go back to my hotel after the most spectacular day of my life (at that point). I slept soundly and giddily that night and the next day I wrote up my review of the movie, went to The Tonight Show taping to see Eric Stonestreet (of Modern Family), had dinner with my good buddy Rocco (who told me all sorts of awesome Muppet stories from his time on the film), and hung out with Rocco and Jill Breitzman, who works for Disney and The Muppets Studio, who told me that everyone at The Muppets Studio loved my review of the movie... including James Bobin and the producers. It's magic, that's all there is to it. Pure magic.

Be sure to read Part 2 of Ryan's adventures in Hollywood, which includes the World Premiere and green carpet of The Muppets, and much, much more! 

Plus, check out Part 3 where Ryan talks about the after party, meeting Jason Segel, backstage and the green room at Dancing With the Stars, and meeting not one, not two, but three Muppets!!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com