Interview with Muppeteer Bill Barretta - Part 3

Interview with Bill Barretta

Part 3

RYAN:   Welcome back to The Muppet Mindset. We’re here with Bill Barretta (we’ve let him out for a bathroom break, we swear) for the final part of our interview. Bill, any final first words?

BILL:   Final, first words…hmmm…Bye and hi?

RYAN:   On Sesame Street, you have the honor of performing Elmo’s father, Louie. Though Louie rarely appears on the actual show, he is used quite frequently in the “Talk, Listen, Connect” specials benefiting military families. How did you get cast as Louie?

BILL:   Kevin Clash had this beautiful song written by Mark Radice called “Proud” about a father and son and wanted to record it with Elmo. He asked me if I would sing the dad part and so I did. The song came out beautifully and I think it caught people’s attention at Sesame and so they decided to work with Kevin on developing that relationship further and integrating Louis into some upcoming projects. Oh, and then building the puppet.

RYAN:   Why does it seem like all of the bad things happen to Elmo’s family? Louie gets deployed, Elmo’s mom loses her job—Thank goodness for all of the funds from Tickle Me Elmo or else the Elmo family would be in bad shape.

BILL:   I think you probably already know the answer to this but Elmo is the platform that Sesame needs to use for these sensitive topics especially when it applies to families and children. And yes, pimping out their son to bring in the cash hasn’t hurt them either.

RYAN:  You have performed Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, and Swedish Chef for many, many years. What is it like to take over three hugely iconic characters—especially three characters performed by Jim Henson?

BILL:   I think my initial reaction was pure excitement. But it didn’t take me long to realize that it was not going to be easy. I’ve resigned myself to the idea that I am basically doing an impersonation of these characters and only that at best. These characters came from within Jim and were a part of him. There is no way I could ever be comfortable performing these characters as if they were my own. For me, I am honored beyond my wildest dreams to be performing them and I hope that while I am doing them that I am able to capture some of the spirit and integrity that Jim brought to the world with these guys.

RYAN:   Did you know Jim at all before he passed? How was it decided that you would take over these characters? What is a recasting process like for characters like these?

BILL:   Only briefly was I in his company years ago. Once when I saw him coming through the entrance of Sesame Place – where I ran from my manned post and said. “Mr. Henson welcome to Sesame Place can I show you anything”. He said, “Do you know where the new automated characters are?” That happened to be by coincidence the manned station that I had left unattended. So I took him there. And then again I met him with Brian in New York at his apartment.

I’m not sure exactly how they were all decided. I know Brian asked me to perform Rowlf after discussing it with the family. The other thing was, I never thought I would be performing Rowlf or Dr. Teeth because I had begun performing Bobo and he was my “vocal tribute” to those Jim voices that I always loved. Now it’s quite difficult to separate them all and I have to try and make sure they maintain their character and not be too hung up on the voice. It’s the personality of the character that separates them as individuals.

Recasting is often something that grows out of a pre-existing pool of performers. It’s so important to the creative process if we are lucky enough to fulfill roles with people that we already have relationships with. Again, as I mentioned earlier, it’s the relationships below the puppets that are truly driving the characters. If you throw a total stranger into the mix it becomes a large learning curve to get to that place that seems so easy and seamless to watch as the characters interact with each other. And it’s not that new performers aren’t welcome, but the ideal situation is that it might grow from the core group somehow…We’ve been lucky.

RYAN:   I do a few Muppet voice impressions just for fun, including Rowlf and Dr. Teeth. I’ve always wondered how it affects your throat to do such deep, gravelly voices for long periods of time. I only toss around a few lines every once in awhile and my throat hurts. Is there a special trick you use to keep your throat from hurting during long recording sessions?

BILL:   Not really. Water’s good or lemon juice works well if you need it, but water mainly.

RYAN:   It’s been so great lately that we’ve been seeing more and more of Rowlf, Scooter, The Electric Mayhem, and other classic Muppet characters. Has there been a conscious decision within The Muppets Studio to bring these classic characters back to the spotlight?

BILL:   This is a difficult question to answer. I know that Debbie McClellan who is really the most familiar with the characters and their history really tries to keep all the characters alive and well as best she can. But now that David Rudman has begun to perform Richard Hunt’s characters, and very well I will add, and Vogel is doing Jerry’s, I think it is more comfortable for the Studio to try and have them more present.

RYAN:   This Christmas the Muppets performed “The Twelve Days of Christmas” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Do you know how they chose the Muppets to perform? It was so cool to see Rowlf, Scooter, Sam Eagle, and Robin on late night TV.

BILL:   As you probably know it was based on The John Denver Special, so the original characters that the core group now performs were in it, but then I believe Steve, Eric and Debbie decided who else should be in it.

RYAN:   Whose idea was it to have Rowlf performing with The Roots?

BILL:   I think it was people at the Fallon show. In the original John Denver version Rowlf was a cut away shot to him at the piano, so it kind of stayed true to the original in that way.

RYAN:   At the D23 Convention in Anaheim last year Pepe, Gonzo, and Fozzie got to meet with tons of fans. How much fun was it to get to socialize with Muppet fans live and in-prawn?

BILL:   It was wonderful, but I have to say not the most comfortable way of doing it. Dave, Eric and I would have preferred not having a wall between us and the folks there, but I hope people enjoyed it, nonetheless.

RYAN:   When the Muppets rolled in on the river boat, was Pepe singing “Prince Ali” from Aladdin? That’s what it seemed like in the one video Disney released.

BILL:   That was one of the songs we did. Except the words were changed to “I’m Pepe, fabulous me, Pepe the King Prawn”. Other songs were Miss Piggy’s version of “Cruella DeVille”, titled “Miss Piggy, That’s Moi” and a finale of Rainbow Connection and The Magic Store.

RYAN:   When you were shooting the material for the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotions in Disneyland, were you and the other Muppeteers given some time to explore the theme park and enjoy yourselves, or was it all just business?

BILL:   Yeah we did actually have some time one day to go around the park, but we really worked long hours. Some in the day while guests were there, but mostly during the hours when the park was closed. Long nights.

RYAN:   In the commercial with Fozzie, Pepe, and Sara Ramirez, was the effect of Fozzie shocking Pepe with defibrillators added in post-production or was a stunt-prawn used?

BILL:   Though we do have a stunt Pepe, that was a post effect.

RYAN:   After six years in the House of Mouse, it appears that the Muppets are finally being accepted and utilized in the Disney family. Is there a distinct change in the way the Muppets are thought about within the company, or has it always been positive and it’s just now had enough time to shine through?

BILL:   Everything takes time. Especially when a large company like Disney who is used to taking 2D or CG characters and exploiting them throughout all of the various outlets that they have available to them. How do you use that same business model with a smaller, reparatory-like group of characters that are not animated? The Muppets live in our world and if you want to stay true to the integrity (original or single performed, not multi-casted characters) and philosophy of the Muppets, it makes it harder to meet those larger scale demands that Disney requires. It has taken time for The Muppet Studio to find the right exposure for this very specific situation and it’s not easy. They’ve hung in there and fought for the right thing and it is now paying off. It’s a selective strategy that can be very risky, but they’re doing it and it’s become quite fun to be a part of. I’ll admit, it was frustrating for a while, but I understand how tough it must be to be in their shoes.

RYAN:   Pepe has always been a huge flirt and it seems like he’s been able to say things or get away with things that human actors—or even other Muppets—wouldn’t be able to get away with. Why do you think this is?

BILL:   I suppose it’s just because of who he is. His character type dictates that approach to life. In a way he’s like Ralph Cramden. He’s got big, bold and not very gracious opinions, but everyone knows in the end that he’s just a blow hard. Also, I think the Spanish side of him allows him to get away with dialogue that is misconstrued or misinterpreted. And being Spanish, he’s very passionate emotionally, which makes it fun to put him into different situations and see how he reacts.

RYAN:   Alright, now I’ve got some random questions for your characters. Do you think they’d mind answering a few?

BILL:   I guess it depends on who you’re asking? But give it a shot.

RYAN:   For Johnny: Where did you meet Sal and does he work cheap? I could really use a servant monkey.

JOHNNY:   Uh…I am currently not at liberty to discuss the details of how we met due to some legal ligamentations going on at the moment between myself and the PETA people.

As far as if you are implying that I pay Sal for his services, I must inform you at this time that he is a friend of the family and asked to be my gentlemen’s monkey as an act of love and respect.

I have to say, I don’t think Sal is going to like the term servant you use; thank God he can’t read too good.

RYAN:   For Bobo: I’m trying to work out but the traditional exercise strategies just aren’t working for me. Do you have any special tips?

BOBO:   Stop exercising. Any special tips…beef tips?

RYAN:   For Pepe: I have a very good friend with a fantastic accent, yet for some reason he’s still single. What is he doing wrong?

PEPE:   He’s talking too much, okay. There is the old saying…Accents speak louder than words. It’s true okay.

RYAN:   For Pepe: I also have a very good friend who is recently single—and female. Would you like her number?

PEPE:   Is it toll free?

RYAN:   For All: Who’s the guy underneath you?

ALL:   Come again kid?       Is that what’s been itching?       Unbelievable, okay!

RYAN:   For Bill: What advice do you have for Muppet fans who someday want to work with the Muppets?

BILL:   Keep practicing. Set up a camera at home and work with it as much as you can. And don’t use reverse image monitors. We still work the way Jim started it all. Right is left and left is right. And more importantly, if you have a character or characters you perform, that you are comfortable with, make sure you can maintain that character while you are performing the puppet technically. And visa versa, if you are technically proficient; make sure your characters are equally strong. Finding that balance is very important.

RYAN:   Finally, Bill, what is your favorite flavor of muffin?

BILL:   I’m afraid I’m not a muffin man…Do you know the muffin man?

I guess if I had to choose, it would be blueberry…Why?

RYAN:   Bill, thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I can’t tell you enough how much I respect and love you and your work. I hope someday that I get to meet you and shake your hand. The Muppet Mindset is in debt to you forever for this amazing interview! If you ever want to be asked random, in-depth questions about you and your characters, The Muppet Mindset is always glad to oblige!

BILL:   Anytime Ryan. Hope I didn’t run on too long and I hope what I’ve said makes some sense.

I cannot adequately thank Bill Barretta enough for this fantastic interview. He's a great guy and the Muppets are so lucky to have him. I know I'm not alone in saying that I can't wait to see how Bill will make us laugh next!

I hope you all have enjoyed our interview with Bill Barretta! If you wish to thank Bill, leave a comment here or some where else where I'll see it and I'll be sure to pass it on to him.

Be sure to read Part One and Part Two of my interview with Bill Barretta!






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

Interview with Muppeteer Bill Barretta - Part 2

Read Part 1 and Part 3!

Bill Barretta Interview
Conducted by Ryan Dosier

Part 2

RYAN:   We’re back with Bill Barretta. When we last left Bill, we asked him about Bobo the Bear. Continuing on that same trend is out next question: very recently Bobo has been paired with Beauregard in Muppets.com sketches. How did this incredible pairing come about?

BILL:   You know, I’m not sure. I guess Jim Lewis and Kirk Thatcher made that choice when they were writing…

RYAN:   Let’s talk about Muppets.com some. What an incredible format for the Muppets. It really is the perfect fit for them. Short, hilarious video clips that showcase the characters and their traits. My favorite video is Elevator Bingo for the sheer ridiculousness and hilarity of it. Do you have a favorite video on the site?

BILL:   Yes, I love the elevator bit when they sing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. I just love how that simply grows organically.

RYAN:   Topo Sticky: one of the greatest new Muppet characters in years or the greatest new Muppet character in years?

BILL:   Really? All I can say is that there has to be some sort of unstable, bi-polar nut-job performing him. Hard to get through that one, because of the people cracking up on the set, me cracking up at the absurdity of it all, and most of all, enjoying Dave Goelz (who actually operated Topo in Pepe’s right hand) cover his mouth, trying not to laugh to the point of drippy things coming from his nose.

RYAN:   Did Topo Pepe’s pilot ever get picked up?

BILL:   They’re still in negotiations.

RYAN:   When the Disney web-designers were developing Pepe’s Room on the site, did you have any say in the overall atmosphere of it?

BILL:   Uh, yes they were kind enough to consult with me and we had some meetings about it. But ultimately, it was approved by The Muppet Studio. I like it.

RYAN:   How much creative input do the Muppeteers have in the videos on the site? Do you guys ever just grab some puppets and start wiggling them in front of the camera without a script?

BILL:   Actually, my former production company produced them. The cleverly written web pieces were by Kirk Thatcher and Jim Lewis. I directed them and I always try and get input from the Muppet performers. After all it has to make some sense to them first before it can come to life. In that case, as far as just grabbing a puppet, it doesn’t happen often. We have to carefully plan what we are going to be shooting so that we can stay on schedule and not go over budget. We shot four separate occasions, approximately 40-50 pieces within a two-day shoot schedule…not easy. Also, the Muppet Workshop really needs to know what’s coming, even though they can do magical things in a moment’s notice, it’s a lot for them to deal with on a shoot like this and any surprises doesn’t help their already immense undertaking.
   
RYAN:   Tell us about filming the “DO NOT TOUCH” button segments. Are these done in front of a green screen? How big does a green screen have to be to accommodate Big Mean Carl?

BILL:   Well, depending on which character you are shooting depends on whether you use Green or Blue screen. Kermit obviously can’t be shot on a green screen and that applies to some of the other characters depending on their coloring and costumes.

Carl is a big one. I love performing him except for the challenge of him being so big. But, the green screen covers about a 20X20 studio wall. We never work right up against it so that there aren’t shadows created so it has to be further away and big enough to stay within the aspect ratio of the camera lens.

RYAN:   Where do you shoot the drive-thru segments? Is it a local LA fast-food restaurant? Or just a random parking lot?

BILL:   It was shot outside of the studio where we were shooting the other pieces. Just a small parking lot that we thought might work fine…and I guess it did?

RYAN:   Of course, Muppets.com was not the only time the Muppets took the internet by storm. The viral videos on YouTube have become their biggest success since… well, in a long, long time. And I’ve just got to know, how did Rowlf ride a skateboard?

BILL:   Uh, well, I was sitting on a small rolling seat that is low to the ground and I basically rolled myself along with Rowlf above me. Is that what you mean?

RYAN:   Another highlight of the videos was seeing The Swedish Chef, Animal, and Beaker finally reunite and perform. Both “Habanera” and “Carol of the Bells” were fantastic and it’s just so much fun to see those three try to sing. Do you think we’ll continue to see more of them as a trio?

BILL:   That would be nice. I’m not one for repeating similar gags or themes. They tend to get old quickly for me, but if people like it and you’re not tired of it yet, then we should do more.

RYAN:   Obviously the biggest success on YouTube has come in the form of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” I honestly don’t even know where to begin with questions about it… Did you all know it would take the Internet by storm and become so insanely popular?

BILL:   How could we possibly know? But isn’t that fun? It really came out beautifully. Kirk Thatcher did a fabulous job directing along with the Soapbox production company and Ed Mitchell’s team who created the music track. Oh yeah, and the puppets were pretty good. But everyone involved at The Muppet Studio is really ultimately responsible for getting this out there…really well orchestrated.

RYAN:   Were you involved in any of the pre-production at all? Do you know how they selected all of the Muppets that would perform all of the various parts of the song?

BILL:   I actually don’t. I don’t even know for sure who came up with the idea. I should ask sometime…sorry.

RYAN:   Beyond being insanely awesome throughout the whole video, the highlight for me was seeing The Electric Mayhem finally return to their rockin’ out roots. My gosh, sir, your Dr. Teeth! It was pitch-perfect and absolutely wonderful. Was this the first time you had sung with Dr. Teeth in a production (not on an album)?

BILL:   I don’t know what to do with all of these compliments but to say thank you. Yes, I believe this was a first aside from the Christmas album. But like I said, my memory sucks. Oh, I think the Mayhem did a song in Wizard of Oz, but I can’t remember if they ultimately used the vocals of the song? It was in the Poppy night club.

RYAN:   I think you might have performed the most characters in the video. Let’s see… Pepe, Rowlf, Mahna Mahna, Dr. Teeth, Johnny, Bobo, Big Mean Carl, Lew Zealand, and Swedish Chef. Did you perform any of the penguins, bunnies, monsters, bananas or anything?

BILL:   I actually didn’t perform Lew, that is now a character performed by Matt Vogel who is doing an incredible job with Jerry Nelson’s characters. Uh, yes I did the banana “laying down” if it matters? I think a bunny? The monsters…Is that the group of Treasure Island pirates? If so, I did the big one (Angel Marie) at the back, I think I did a flower, can’t remember what else there might have been.

RYAN:   Do you know why they randomly tossed Dr. Strangepork into the video? Not that I’m complaining, it just seems random (awesomely random, though).

BILL:   Sorry, no idea…

RYAN:   This wasn’t the first time you performed “Bohemian Rhapsody” with the Muppets. Johnny and Sal sang it on the MDA Telethon a few years ago with altered lyrics. Was that a live performance? Is Tom Bergeron really as nice as he seems?

BILL:   Ah, so you did see it. We prerecorded the track, but the performance was live for an audience at about 2:00am. Talk about a tough crowd, but I think we woke them up. And yes, Tom is a genuinely nice guy and so smart and fast on his feet with comedy. Wish I had that brain sometimes.

RYAN:   According to Muppet Wiki, you directed the pilot for America’s Next Muppet that never saw the light of day. What is the story behind this pilot? There were a lot of confusing stories buzzing around about it when it was first announced but now it appears to have just disappeared.

BILL:   You know, I don’t know actually know the details of how it actually went away, but honestly, I didn’t love the concept and was fine moving on. Interesting idea and sounds intriguing when you hear the title, but it never really made sense to me. Why were the Muppets looking for people who performed puppets? I know that everyone knows that the Muppets are puppets, but a big part of the Muppets for me is the feeling you get when you believe that they’re really living in our world. It’s a very thin line to walk, but I prefer believing in the ridiculous illusion and not the obvious reality.

RYAN:   Beyond directing, you’ve also acted as producer on many projects including It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. What is it like producing a film that you also play a part in?

BILL:   Sometimes it can be hard to focus when it’s time to perform because I’m involved in various aspects of the shoot and it doesn’t always allow me a chance to just relax and play. Fortunately, there are obviously people who have been doing this stuff longer than me that I can depend on during these times. Often it can be a distraction, but really how bad could it be, I’m doing what I love and I’m just grateful to be a part of it all.

RYAN:   On that same note, what is it like to direct or produce your Muppeteer colleagues?

BILL:   I really love it. Especially directing. It gives me a chance to try and explore with them new ideas or moments that maybe they might not be comfortable with. It’s truly the best part about this stuff for me. I think after all these years of working next to them; I have a pretty good idea as to what makes them tick as individual performers, what challenges them and where their comfort zones are. This allows me to tap into those aspects of each of them when it feels right to do so. Being able to work and play with these incredibly talented, smart and instinctually funny guys challenges me to be better and better as well. We never have any problems with throwing out ideas, criticism or suggestions. All ideas are valid, and you may find that the best idea doesn’t come from any of us, but maybe one of the gaffers, or craft services person, etc. I always make sure people know on productions that we are open to anything and it really makes for a special set and experience. Or I’m just delusional and they all can’t stand me…that’s probably more like it.

RYAN:   Aside from the characters you perform routinely, there have also been characters that you’ve performed in films and haven’t appeared often (or at all) anywhere else. Talk to us a little bit about Clueless Morgan, Bubba the Rat, and Croaker the Frog.

BILL:   Poor Clueless. My first feature-film character. I enjoyed that simpleton. He was so innocent and naïve. And an incredibly simple, highly expressive and versatile eye mechanism created by Tom Newby. He was just a beautiful puppet to perform. Unfortunately, he was lost somehow after Muppets Tonight and has never been seen again. If anyone out there has seen him, please ask him to call home. His family misses him.

Bubba’s fun and different because he’s a rat with a deep voice. I don’t think there have been any other rats with that vocal range. He’s kind of like a Paul Sorvino guy. And he’s veeeery Sopranos Jersey…fun for me.

Croaker – Well, I don’t know what to say about him except I really didn’t spend a whole lot of time working on the character before the shoot. In fact, the Croaker and Goggles puppets were switched in the beginning. Goggles was the blue one. Joey Mazzarino and I put them on and soon realized that the characters we were thinking about doing actually fit better visually the other way around and so we switched. I guess he’s a cross between Marlon Brando and Joe Pesci.

RYAN:   Croaker was such a great character—one of the true highlights of Kermit’s Swamp Years—do you think he’ll ever be used in production again?

BILL:   Who knows? Maybe…I preferred Roy, the corny frog in the pet shop. I think he’d be fun to bring back as a friend of Kermit. You know those people are nice guys but they’re so hard to be around all the time because they’re just so darn corny.

RYAN:   And to close out Part Two… If you had to compare Bobo the Bear to one famous Hollywood actor, who would it be?

BILL:   I don’t know…honestly can’t think of anyone…anyone out there have a comparison?

That's it for part two of our interview with Bill Barretta. Only one more part to go! Next time we discuss Jim Henson, Jimmy Fallon, "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.", pimping out Elmo (no, seriously) and so much more! I know I said that you wouldn't want to miss part two... but, seriously, you can't miss part three!






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

Interview with Muppeteer Bill Barretta, Part 1

Ryan Dosier - In honor of today's huge interview, I can now reveal another big moment for The Muppet Mindset. I now own the domain name www.muppetmindset.com. Yes, now you don't have to type in a long, semi-difficult to remember address. All you have to do is simply type muppetmindset.com into your web browser and you're here! We also have a brand new interviews logo designed by our good friend Justin Piatt. But that's not nearly as exciting as our interview with none other than... Bill Barretta.

That's right everybody, Bill Barretta. The legendary performer of Pepe, Johnny Fiama, and Bobo the Bear took the time to answer some of my questions--three parts worth, in fact. I really hope I don't need to give him much of a back-story. Every Muppet fan should know exactly who this extremely talented man is. It is an extreme honor for me to have the opportunity to discuss the Muppets with Bill and we both hope you enjoy the interview!

Bill Barretta Interview

Part 1

RYAN:   Bill, first of all, thank you so much for agreeing to an interview with The Muppet Mindset. It is such an incredible honor to be able to ask you questions that only obsessed Muppet fans could possibly come up with or really want to know the answer to. Anything you’d like to say to said fans before we get started?

BILL:   Hello…How are you?...You look great in that shirt…Why aren’t you wearing any pants while reading this?

RYAN:   As a Muppet legend, it’s almost required that you have an interesting back-story about how you got involved with the Muppets. I know that yours involves cleaning toilets; would you care to elaborate on that?

BILL:   Legend? Uh, well yes it’s true I first met Brian Henson while working for the Operations department at Sesame Place in Langhorne Pennsylvania. We became friends and tried to stay in touch over the years as we went our separate ways. Eventually after Jim had died I moved out to Los Angeles and during my first six months there, Brian came out to produce the show “Dinosaurs”. Since I was a struggling actor at the time I asked if there was any position that I might be able to help with, production assistant, cable wrangler, toilet cleaner, anything to get me closer to the business. He said that there was a character in the show that was a lot like Jackie Gleason from the Honeymooners and that he remembered me fooling around and impersonating him at one time, which was true. I love Ralph Cramden. Anyway, he said there were auditions to be inside of a large rubber suit like the Ninja Turtles film they had done, and would I be interested in auditioning for that type of job. I of course jumped at the opportunity! Since I had been studying as an actor and my training was rooted in interpreting a scene through moment to moment “behavior” (Meisner technique), what better way to apply those skills by being inside of a suit where I didn’t have to necessarily memorize the dialogue, but interpret it through what I was doing in the scene. This is kind of an odd thing, but when I heard it was a Dinosaur and that I would be judged on my behavior, I immediately shaved my head (so that I would look more like a reptile) and began practicing how to move like a reptile and incorporating human characteristics.

Anyway, sorry if this is a lot of acting mumbo jumbo, but I auditioned and after they reviewed the tapes and apparently watched the audition with the sound off, (I had to do the dialogue for the audition and improvise as the character) Brian and Michael Jacobs decided that I should play Earl…or they just needed someone really stupid to get inside of an 80lb. rubber suit for 14 hours a day and who seemed excited about the whole thing.
From Dinosaurs I began to mess around with some of the background hand puppets and assist the other puppeteers when I wasn’t inside of Earl, which wasn’t that often. I had very little experience in puppetry but I knew my lip-sync was pretty good and that I loved creating characters.

As a child my brother Gene, who is four years older than me, used to plan all of our creative activities. Either we were going to make movies, put on some sort of show, get me to jump off the roof of my house or even build puppets. He’s really the reason I’m doing what I do today. He always encouraged me to perform and I loved doing it. One day he decided to write to Jim to find out how to make a Muppet. Well, Jim amazingly sent back a great letter and directions on how to do so. I think this may have been 1971? Well, Gene found the closest foam & fabric store near us and got us to start building and performing puppets. I have to say, that period probably lasted for about a year I think, but my mother continued throughout my life to buy me different types of puppets on special occasions, so even though I never thought I would become a puppeteer, somehow she knew.

RYAN:   Your first big job with the Muppet people was as Earl Sinclair’s body on Dinosaurs. How does a huge, full-body, more-machine-than-reptile character like Earl work?

BILL:   Well all of the characters on Dinosaurs were highly collaborative situations. In the case of Earl, there are three parts to the performance. One - I was inside the suit moving everything except all of the facial manipulations and jaw, Two – An amazing puppeteer like Dave Goelz for the first season and Mak Wilson for the rest of the series, manipulated all the facial manipulations, jaw and provided the production guide vocal. And Three – Stuart Pankin provided the final voice for Earl. But there are many other people who helped Earl come to life such as the designers, builders, dressers, writers, Henson technical crew, production crew, who without them Earl could not have existed.

RYAN:  Is it difficult to provide the body movements for a character when you’re not the one controlling the voice and the face?

BILL:   Yes at first it was very tricky. It was really important to “listen”. I think to perform these characters we all needed to be good listeners. We all had earphones and microphones inside so that we could not only communicate with our personal puppeteer on the head, but so that we could communicate with everyone involved in the scene, including the director. Try and imagine being on a party line with up to 12 to 15 people everyday for hours on end. It’ll drive you a little crazy.

I guess what I was trying to say at first was that after a while the listening is what allows you to instinctually begin to know what or how your partner on the head is going to react or respond during a scene. Aside from the written dialogue, you still need to keep the character alive and so all of those small moments also become a millisecond give and take between you and your partner. It’s pretty amazing how you can become so in tuned to someone else and I think that’s why we all became very close on that production.

RYAN:   You got involved in The Jim Henson Company thanks to Brian Henson and the two of you really seemed to have a good rapport ever since. You would perform numerous, hilarious, character duos such as Johnny Fiama and Sal and Seymour and Pepe along with Dr. Phil van Neuter and his hands. What are some of your favorite memories of working with Brian?

BILL:   I have to say I really loved Johnny and Sal. I recently looked at the two of them on The Jerry Lewis Telethon and it was pretty darn funny. I think by that point we had really found the balance of these guys and it was a blast! I don’t know if you ever saw this, but Johnny and Sal did a version of what has now become the Internet record-breaking Muppet event, “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the telethon. And it was just the two of them performing the song. We changed the lyrics and choreographed a hysterical routine. That I think, was my favorite Johnny and Sal moment, but there are definitely the moments (which are always my favorite) that are smaller, less in your face moments. Little glances, asides and even a moment in “Muppets from Space” where they ended up avoiding the blame for cutting Gonzo’s welcome cake for the aliens.

RYAN:   While we’re on the subject, did Brian come back to perform Sal for the “Bohemian Rhapsody” video?

BILL:   Actually, no, I don’t think Johnny was even supposed to be in the video but he was sent to the shoot. When they decided to add him, we felt that he shouldn’t be there without Sal, so it was a last minute thing but I’m glad they made the cut.

RYAN:   Whatever happened to Seymour? He hasn’t been seen since Muppets Tonight. Did Pepe hire somebody?

BILL:   You know I’m not really sure why or who decided to fizzle Seymour out…It may have been Brian, but I loved Seymour, he was so sweet and biiiig. A great character and I loved his design, small trunk and great hands…Loved him!

RYAN:   Where did you get the inspiration for the character of Johnny Fiama? He could have so easily become a one-note character, but you developed him into something incredible and extremely three-dimensional.

BILL:   Well, thanks. Again I love to create characters and most of the characters I come up with are usually based on people I know or have observed in every day life. I love observing people and seeing how they communicate and deal with their surroundings and situations they find themselves in…Even if they’re strangers. It’s intriguing to me.

Johnny was initially based on two people, my grandfather Paul Giordano Sr. and my dad, Gene Barretta Sr. And maybe the similarities would not be so obvious, but I try to pluck those elements of their personalities that make them entertaining people to watch and they were both interesting characters. If you knew them you’d probably get it. Unfortunately they’re both gone now, but they both got to see Johnny.

I first created Johnny Fiama as a character to perform as myself. This was just before Dinosaurs started and I had this crew cut (Dinosaur look I mentioned before) that was growing out. I was messing around with this bad Italian entertainer idea and one time when my brother came to visit in L.A. we shot an improv video at my house of these two brothers. The Fiama brothers…Johnny & Frankie. Well we had so much fun that a few years later when my brother moved to L.A. we decided to shoot a mock documentary of their last performance together called The Last Swing. We got some friends involved and my wife Cristina who was my girlfriend at the time, and shot it over a weekend. Actually my brother decided to start posting some of our old videos and movies on YouTube, so if you want to see the original version of Johnny, search The Fiama Brothers – The Last Swing. Its in four parts so try to watch this twenty-some minute thing if you’re up for it. It’s pretty funny even though we threw it together and its all improv based on an outline.

RYAN:   Will we be seeing more of Johnny and Sal in upcoming projects? They’re near the top of my “most missed Muppets” list.

BILL:   I hope so, but that ultimately would be up to the Muppet Studio folks.

RYAN:   What is your favorite Johnny and Sal moment? I think mine has to be Johnny singing “What the World Needs Now” to Beaker.

BILL:   I have to say I have a hard time remembering that one, but I think I may have answered this earlier. It’s funny I don’t know whether I have just a bad memory like my wife says, or if when I’m performing I kind of get lost in it, live it for that moment and then move on. Maybe it’s both?

RYAN:   Let’s discuss Pepe now, shall we? Pepe is one of my all-time favorite characters and I find him hilarious no matter what he’s doing. Why do you think Pepe went from being an elevator operator to one of the most popular Muppets?

BILL:   I don’t know exactly. Maybe timing? Or maybe he’s just a little bit more naughty than most of the Muppets and people like naughty puppets?

RYAN:   Although Pepe is very popular there are still some fans that can’t stand the poor fellow. If you could show these naysayers one Pepe clip to prove them wrong, which would you choose?

BILL:   Hmmm…I would suggest they take a look at themselves for a moment and see if there is anything about his personality that might feel a little bit too close to home. Or not…

RYAN:   Which characters do you think Pepe works with best?

BILL:   Rizzo. Steve and I have so much fun messing around with those two, but I don’t think people have really been able to see that yet. There was some of it in Muppets From Space, but they evolved into a funny pair. There are probably more moments behind the scenes that haven’t made it out there yet that would really show how fun these guys are together.

RYAN:   Pepe and Kermit have been sort of teamed up together in recent appearances (Extreme Makeover, America’s Funniest Home Videos) and it seems like, for two characters that are polar opposites, they work extremely well together. Why do you think this is?

BILL:   Well, they say opposites attract. But again Steve and I enjoy playing together, and in the end it’s the relationships beneath the puppets that create the relationships above. Kermit tends to let the others be who they are. He tries to be patient and understanding with Pepe and I think Pepe secretly respects and appreciates that, especially if he can ultimately get away with something he’s not supposed to.

RYAN:   A pairing that we don’t see too much of is Pepe and Miss Piggy. Are they too similar to work well together? Would Pepe flip if he knew I said he and Piggy were similar?

BILL:   I don’t think he’d flip; he’s just allergic to pork.

RYAN:   According to Jim Lewis, you were a big asset when he was penning Pepe’s book It’s Hard Out Here For a Shrimp. What did you help contribute?

BILL:   Jim, who I love, basically wrote an entire book and then mistakenly let me get involved. Poor guy. I would have to say that my contribution was working with him on helping get Pepe’s words onto the page, as Pepe would say them. Don’t get me wrong, Jim is amazing at capturing the essence of the Muppets, so I really just tweaked. Maybe a few points of view here and there, but Jim really wrote the thing and he did an amazing job once again.

RYAN:   Any favorite quotes from the book?

BILL:   There are too many, but off the top of my head I like, “I like my women like I like my coffee…a latte’” and “Excuse me, but is your seat taken?”

RYAN:   Does Pepe have professional ballet training, or does he just like the form-fitting tutu?

BILL:   Yeah, well, that was a site gag that seems to hang on for some reason. Not my favorite, but I guess it makes people laugh?

RYAN:   Beyond the tutu, Pepe has sported a good number of outfits in his tenure with the Muppets. From the classic blue hoodie and green shirt combo to the brand new olive green sweater and shirt combo that we saw on AFV, Pepe must have quite a wardrobe. What outfit is your personal favorite?

BILL:   I think I like his black turtleneck shirt and gold chain. That to me is Pepe. And he actually looks pretty good in his Bill “Bass” pinstripe suit with the electric blue shirt.

RYAN:   Pepe has also wooed a lot of women(s) in his day. Who were some of your favorite female stars to have Pepe work with?

BILL:   I had a ball with Joan Cusack. She was great. Pepe’s had so many women it’s hard to keep track at this point.

RYAN:   What was it like to be propelled into a main character role as Pepe in Muppets From Space after playing mostly one-note characters previously?

BILL:   Fun and exciting. Gee I hope the others weren’t too one note. But by then I think I was becoming more comfortable with the technical side of performing with the Muppets. I remember I would feel very comfortable with a character I was going to do and then I’d have to put the puppet on. Hopefully I’ve found a balance so that the complete character can come through.

RYAN:   Pepe doesn’t sing nearly as often as his fellow Muppets, but when he does it’s out of this world. A prime example of this is “Merry Christmas Baby” from A Green and Red Christmas. There really isn’t a question here… I just had to compliment you on that fantastic performance.

BILL:   Thanks. I love to sing and singing as Muppet characters allows me to not be afraid of trying to sing great. It’s more about the character in the performance rather than the expertise in the vibrato so to speak. Although, I do like Pepe’s falsetto “tribute” to Stevie Wonder at the end of that song. I think Stevie does that scream at the beginning of “Signed Sealed Delivered”?

RYAN:   Will we ever see Pepe in a one-prawn performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” utilizing his new-found opera singing powers granted to him by Santa Claus? Was that you singing Pepe’s operatic solo?

BILL:   I doubt it, but yes that was my attempt at opera…sorry.

RYAN:   Another excellent character of yours is Bobo. Where does he come from within you? He’s just so… different.

BILL:   I would have to say that Bobo is probably the most like me out of all my characters. Content with being content and grateful that people have allowed him to exist outside of the zoo.

RYAN:   A lot of Bobo’s funniest moments are when he’s paired with human guest stars; Cindy Crawford, Jeffery Tambor, Nathan Lane, etc. Which guest star do you think worked with Bobo the best?

BILL:   I’d have to say that Tambor and I have a special relationship, and still do. We just love trying to make each other crack up. He’s so brilliant and unfortunately there was quite a lot more to those two that didn’t make it into Muppets From Space. We just hit it off then and have remained friends since.

RYAN:   To round out Part One of our interview I’m going to say a series of random Bobo quotes and I just want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind. Ready?

Ding ding ding.

BILL:   Nathan Lane breaking up during rehearsal and takes.

RYAN:   The goat?!

BILL:   This was a milestone for me. Tambor told me back then that no one had ever made him crack up on film, that he was the one who got the others to break. So I made it my mission to try and get him to lose it during a take. Well, he couldn’t get through any of “the goat?” takes. If you watch the movie you can see him turn his head away from camera with a smirk just before they cut to the next shot. That moment was improvised and he wasn’t expecting it…I got him! And a few more after that.

RYAN:   Jalapeños, jalapeños, getting my friend some jalapeños.

BILL:   Ah, one of my favorite, made up, ditties. Also improvised. In fact, I think the production had to make sure that wasn’t someone else’s tune and clear the song. Happy little tune.

RYAN:   Careful you must be when sensing the future! Geez, what is this guy, dyslexic or something?

BILL:   Frank Oz.


RYAN:   And, finally: Hey, that’s a nice set of balloons ya got there. Maybe you’ll let me play with ‘em later.

BILL:   My wife.

Well, that's it for part 1 of our interview with the magnificent Bill Barretta. Check back on Tuesday for part 2 where we discuss Topo Sticky, "Bohemian Rhapsody," Tom Bergeron, and much, much more! You won't want to miss it!






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