I’ve been a Muppets/Sesame Street fan since I was aware of television, so what better way for me to spend a Tuesday afternoon than to attend the MUPPETS MOST WANTED press conference?! Full of gags from beginning to end, the film’s main stars – Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, Constantine and Ricky Gervais – were on overdrive, and here’s just a snippet of what they had to say.
Edith Bowman (EB): Kermit, I’ve got to say I’m loving seeing you in a kind of James Bond-style leading role in this film.
Kermit (K): Well, was James Bond ever in prison?…I think of myself as kind of getting to do a bit of an action role in this. It’s something I haven’t done before. In order to prepare for that role I watched all of Bruce Willis’ movies, and when that didn’t work I just went to his hairdresser!
EB: Ricky Gervais, I’m imagining that this job was a proper dream come true for you.
Ricky Gervais (RG): It’s not a job, is it? This is like fun. I’m a big kid and I can’t believe my luck. I’ve been a fan of The Muppets for 30 years, I used to watch them Sundays with my family, so yeah, this was a good call to get. I didn’t know this guy before [referring to newbie Muppet, Constantine] – now he’s one of my best pals.
Constantine (C): That is right, yes. We are buddies. You will give me your e-mail address, right? I keep asking for it but he does not give it. How are we supposed to stay in touch if you do not give me your e-mail address?!
RG: The sad thing is, I think about him a lot, and I say to my girlfriend “I wonder where Constantine is today?” Usually in a bag…
C: This is right.
Question: Constantine, what does it feel like for everyone to hate you?
RG: I don’t hate him!
C: Ricky, you want to fill that one?
RG: Yeah, that’s normally my question.
C: To be bad guy…it’s such a tough question to answer. There is part of me that kind of enjoys being the bad guy, and enjoys being hated. I was written that way, so what can I say?
K: Lady Gaga did a song about that – “I Was Written That Way”? I have to say, though, we don’t hate him. It’s sort of just the story of the movie. He was actually an old pal from the swamp. Ricky’s his best friend now. He’s a good guy.
RG: In the movie he’s evil but I think doing this movie and meeting me has sort of thawed his little heart of stone. You see, he was born in a pond in Russia, full of 800 brothers and sisters – tadpoles…
C: This is true.
RG: …many of them dead, eaten by fish. Showing him love has made him quite a cuddly little thing.
Question: Ricky, how did it feel – it’s a bit of a controversial question – potentially being upstaged by Kermit and Constantine?
RG: I knew it was going to happen. I knew from day 1 that, you know…it’s funny because the first thing that worried me in the script was a song and dance number. I’m okay at singing; you know, I’m a failed pop star, I wrote songs for David Brent and am still doing it. I wrote a song with David Bowie for Extras, I wrote a song in Sesame Street with Elmo…The Simpsons…Dancing? Little bit awkward. And then I think “Oh God, I’ve got to do this”, and then I thought “It’s alright, there’s going to be a frog on screen, dancing. They’re not going to be really caring about what you’re doing with your clumsy little short legs”. So I got away with it. It was meant to be awkward, as well. But I love being upstaged by these things. I ruined a lot of takes just by laughing…Once I went “Ha, I’m in The Muppets!” “Cut! Yes, you are in The Muppets. Let’s do that again. Don’t say that though.” I can’t believe my luck. I’m a big kid.
Question: Constantine, are you worried about being typecast?
C: Uh, well, you know, the one thing that I am really worried about is authorities catching up with me, and also my face being plastered everywhere. So I feel I have to change career paths. Maybe I will be an agent in Hollywood?
Question: What do you think about the fact that these days the word ‘muppet’ is used in a derogatory fashion amongst us human beings? What’s it like as Muppets (with a big M) to hear us humans say “Oh, you muppet!”
K: We’re like a rep company, you know? I’m not a species called ‘Muppet’, I’m a frog. I belong to a group called The Muppets and, quite frankly, I see the point.
RG: I think it’s a term of affection as well. You call someone a muppet when they’ve made an error. We all make mistakes…
K: Especially The Muppets.
RG: …and that’s why we love you. It’s a term of affection, you muppet.
K: I think there’s worse things to be called.
RG: I’ve got a list!
Question: Ricky, in the movie we see a journalist – an Irish journalist, specifically – get paid off to give The Muppets good reviews. Do you think that’s pretty reflective of how…
RG: Do you want some money?…I don’t think so. I think everything’s heightened. I was with an Irish journalist yesterday and he was saying about the flat caps and the old cars. I did an episode of Alias, right, but wasn’t a joke, and it was meant to be set in a pub in Dublin, and all they were missing was a horse. There was straw, it was really smoky…it looked like the 1950s! But this is sort of heightened, so it’s playing with stereotypes, if anything.
Question: In the movie you dance and we kind of saw a little bit of David Brent in your moves. Did you invoke the character of David Brent for that?
RG: I did that song and dance many times and didn’t complain once, did I?
K: You did not.
RG: And that was ad-libbed.
James Bobin (JB): The rest of the dance is choreographed, but that bit is just pure Ricky.
RG: That’s my best dancing!
Question: James told us earlier that you might have been a little bit more difficult to work with than the gaggle of Muppets he had to work with.
RG: He would never say that.
C: There is only one thing, one particular character that was REALLY hard to work with. Super difficult to work with. Everybody knows who it is, let’s just get it out in the open…
K: We’re not going to say her name though.
Miss Piggy (MP): Hello everybody! I’m here!
C: Right on cue, Pig.
MP: My ears are burning. Were you talking about moi?
Question: I’m actually getting married next week. As one of the world’s highest profile celebrity couples, I wondered if you had any particular advice, Piggy, for my soon-to-be wife, and Kermit, for me as a soon-to-be husband?
MP: I think I need some advice from you because you’re engaged and I’m not!
K: I advise full compliance. It’s the only way to go in a modern marriage.
MUPPETS MOST WANTED is directed by James Bobin and co-stars Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Christoph Waltz, Stanley Tucci, Celine Dion, Ray Liotta, Jermaine Clement, Hugh Bonneville, Tom Hiddleston, Zach Galifianakis, Josh Groban, Salma Hayek and many, many more in various cameos. It arrives in cinemas from today, so don’t forget to check out our review before you book your ticket!
