Kermit the Frog

Kermit The Frog is green. He was born on Leap Year Day (so they say).
His voice and puppetry, on Sesame Street at least, were done by Jim Henson, but are now done by Steve Whitmire.
His best friend is Grover Monster.
He is almost the only one with a built in smile.
On Sesame Street his job is a TV reporter.
On the Muppets he got married to Miss Piggy, and he has a nephew called Robin.

Kermit was not always a frog. In his early days, in the 1950s, when he was first constructed out of Jim Henson's mother's old coat and a ping pong ball, he was just a nonspecific green animal. Only later did he become a specific green animal.

Kermit was one of the first muppets, a puppet whose soft face could be manipulated to express varied emotions, and whose waving arms, arrayed on sticks, could be made to gesticulate for further emphasis. As Kermit matured he grew a spiky collar and crossed legs, and learned to play the banjo. He likes to sit around on a lily pad plucking tunes, maybe his theme song, "It Isn't Easy Being Green", or perhaps "The Rainbow Connection" or "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along". He has starred in several movies and TV shows and has appeared on several CDs.

In spite of being a media star, Kermit works part time as an intrepid reporter, donning a dashing fedora and trench coat to head out into the maelstrom of life to tell it like he sees it, though his hardheaded professionalism is diluted by his frequent cry of "hi ho!" and "sheesh". There are rumours that Kermit is gay (www.apeculture.com/KERMIT.HTM), and others that he is in a relationship with a certain porcine star. Declining to comment on the former allegation, as regards the latter, Kermit for a time allowed only that "Miss Piggy and I have a professional acting relationship. I act like a professional, and she acts like we're having a relationship." The wedding put the kibosh on that story. As for his connection with Jim Henson, Kermit claims not to know him. "I don't know who Jim Henson is, but I've heard he has his hand in a lot of things around here," Kermit disingenuously avers. In spite of his alter-ego's tragic death in 1990, Kermit has soldiered on, as Henson wanted him to.

Other factoids about Kermit: His birthplace, Leland Mississippi, has an exhibit commemorating this fabulous frog in their Chamber of Commerce. The good Kermie received an honorary doctorate from Southampton College in 1996. And even though he's not dead yet, there's a statue of him dressed as Charlie Chaplin's "Little Tramp" character atop the Jim Henson (formerly Charlie Chaplin) Studios in Hollywood.

www.muppets.com/profiles/kermit.htm
www.internoodle.com/kermit/kermit.asp
www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/KermitStatuePhoto.shtml

Kermit was named for Jim Henson's childhood friend Kermit Scott, who has since become a professor of philosophy at Purdue University.

When asked by Lingua Franca what he thought of being immortalized as a frog, Scott replied: "I'm flattered. My grandchildren certainly like it a lot. They get a big kick out of it.... I can think of a lot worse things I could be associated with."