Photo: John Manard / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Steve Whitmire is the kind of artist I most want this database to remember: the master nobody sees. A puppeteer with the Jim Henson Company since 1978, he originated Rizzo the Rat and Wembley Fraggle and gave breath to characters that made millions of children laugh without ever knowing his name. Inheriting a beloved role and keeping it alive is brutally hard work, far heavier than launching something new. I have real reverence for craftsmen who perfect their art entirely outside the spotlight. The Muppets feel effortless precisely because people like him refused to let the seams show.
Overview
Steven Lawrence Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work with the Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, and the Muppets Studio. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire originated the roles of Rizzo the Rat, Lips, Wembley Fraggle, and Bean Bunny.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Steve Whitmire
- Name (Japanese)
- スティーヴ・ホイットマイア
- Reading
- すてぃーゔ・ほいっとまいあ
- Born
- September 24, 1959 (age 66)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Boar
- Origin
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- voice actor / puppeteer / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Berkmar High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Voice actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.