Steven Lawrence Whitmire is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on The Muppets and Sesame Street. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire inherited the roles of Ernie and Kermit the Frog after Jim Henson's death in 1990; he performed the characters until 2014 and 2016, respectively. As part of the Muppet cast, he has appeared in multiple feature films and television series, performing a variety of characters on The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock and during such occupations has been employed by The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, and The Muppets Studio.
Whitmire at the QA in the Patty Hawkins Galaxy Con Raleigh at 2023
Steve Whitmire QA w Patty Hawkins Galaxy Con Raleigh, 2023
Whitmire at GalaxyCon Richmond in 2022
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses television, film, music, and other media associated with the characters. Originally owned by the Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the franchise was purchased by the Walt Disney Company in 2004.
Jim Henson in 1989
Kermit the Frog is Henson's most famous Muppet creation
Main cast of Muppet performers in 2012: (from left to right) Peter Linz, Bill Barretta, Matt Vogel, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, David Rudman and Dave Goelz
Reproductions of the Wilkins and Wontkins Muppets originally created by Jim Henson in 1957; these early characters feature the basic design features that would become typical of Muppet characters