The Muppets are back, and after their triumphant return to the big screen in 2011, they are now going on a world tour to spread the news. Unfortunately, two of the most dangerous criminals plan to infiltrate their tour and use it to pull off some of the biggest heists the world has ever seen.
We were invited to join the Muppets Most Wanted press day to talk to Kermit the Frog, Sam Eagle, Miss Piggy, and newcomer Constantine about what it was like to work with fellow human co-stars Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, and Ricky Gervais. All of them talked about any off screen antics, working with other celebrities, who inspires who, and much more. Hit the jump to read the top ten things that were said at the Muppets Most Wanted press conference.
10. It’s Hard Out There For A Russian Frog Who Is Also A Criminal Mastermind.
Constantine was one of 8,000 tadpoles. He is a cold blooded ruthless criminal not because he is an amphibian, but according to Gervais, it was because he was born in a cold Russian pond, and lost many of his siblings after a fish ate them all. Constantine also bonded with his fellow co-star over their mutual hatred over the Muppets.
9. Frogs Don’t Work Well On Green Screen.
Kermit meets his match when the nefarious criminal Constantine comes in to carry out the ultimate heist. When asked why he didn’t play both roles Kermit said:
It didn’t make sense for me to play Constantine ‘cause we do have a few scenes together and I don’t really work on green screen, so we couldn’t really make that work. But plus, listen Constantine is actually a—a distant cousin, from Russia.
8. Keeping Up With The Muppets.
The human cast talked about what it was like to sing and dance along side the Muppets. Gervais opened up about saying that he is okay with singing, but dancing is his weakness. Luckily he had a number with Constantine.
Gervais: And he was a, he’s a great tap dancer, well, more a flap dancer …
Constantine: … I did flap dancing.
Gervais: Yeah, flap dancing on my head. So, yeah no one’s gonna be looking at me when—when we’re doing that dance. They’re gonna say there’s a frog dancing. That’s what—that’s what’s gonna be happening. So, yeah I got away with it.
Tina Fey: Yeah, you know you have a good voice. And my singing sounds like if you’ve ever seen the version of Oliver when the little boy sings and you can hear the hiss of how loud they had to turn up the microphone [LAUGHTER], it’s—my singing sounds like that.
7. Why A Russian Prison Warden Should Is The Right Person For A Frog.
Tina Fey had to explain why her character, Nayda, is the right person for Kermit, not Miss Piggy
Nadya is less work than Piggy. You can give Nadya bag of hot rocks for Valentine’s day she will not care.
6. Constantine’s Future Projects.
Like Walter, now that Constantine is part of the Muppet family, many of the other Muppets venture out to work on other projects. Criminal turned actor Constantine had this to say about what he would do after the Muppets Most Wanted press tour.
Constantine: Well, this is good question. I am actually thinking about doing new Netflix original programming. I will call it House of Toads. I will executive produce and show run. So let’s take meeting yes?
5. Actors Don’t Care What Critics Think About Their Movies.
Gervais talked about if they cared about reviews, Gervais responded.
Gervais: You, well yeah. I mean, you like, you like it when they get it. But, I mean, if—if you only believe the good ones and don’t believe the bad ones then I think that’s a slippery slope. The best thing to do is, you know, celebrate the people that like the film and—and, you know, know that it was made for them. I—I don’t do anything for—for reviews or audience or awards or anything, you know. You do it for—you do it for yourself really if I’m being totally honest. And of course, you know, and like minded people. But it’s—it’s crazy. If you’re worried about pleasing everyone you’re not gonna please anyone. And it’ll send you mad, you know. It’ll drive you mad and now everyone’s a journalist. Everyone’s a reviewer, you know, with Twitter and Facebook it’s—it’s—it’s like glorified graffiti. If you care about that you might as well go around toilet wall in the world and get offended when they mention you, you know. It’s—it’s, so you musn’t. But yeah, you know, I’d—I’d love it to do, get good reviews and I’d be lying if I, if I said otherwise but you—you really musn’t worry about it. You really musn’t.
4. Fooling the Muppets with such great in-character acting.
There are times when acting in a role in a Muppet film where you have to embellish your character. Sometimes that means going in 110% by crazy gestures, makeup, and accents. For Ty Burrell, he had to play a French Interpol agent, to which Sam Eagle was completely fooled into thinking Burrell was actually French.
Eagle: At for about half of the film this—this man is such a great actor. He had me going. I literally thought he was a Frenchman. Yes, he was so convincing I think his portrayal of a Frenchman will go down in history as the most convincing portrayal of a Frenchman in film.
Burrell: Wow. I think we finally, you and I finally really bonded when we realized we had the exact same eyebrows.
Eagle: Yes. It—it’s true. It’s true. You know, and yes one day when I, I showed up to sets without mine he was kind enough to let me borrow his.
Burrell: I was constantly inspired by the Muppets. I’ve never realized just how over rated I was until you go out and do a scene with somebody, who’s doing the, doing eight things at once, while all I have to do is try to remember my words which I fail at miserably.
3. Infidelity and Scandals with Kermit the Frog.
Those rumors of scandalous offset behavior can be true, especially for a film like Muppets Most Wanted. Some of the stars can’t keep their hands (or tongues) to themselves when in the presence of Kermit the Frog
Kermit: Well, you—you may be surprised to hear this but there—there—there, I’m actually stretching myself quite a lot as a—as a dramatic actor in this thing. I did many many scenes with Tina. One particular scene stands out to me. It was a closed set. It was the scene where she licks me. I just wanna clear it up right here with the press that Tina is happily married. Jeff was there during the shooting.
Apparently there was a lot of toad licking going on, which resulted in Fey hallucinating.
2. What’s It Like For Their Kids To See Their Parents Star Alongside The Muppets.
Like most of the cameos, big name celebrities want to star alongside the Muppets, and in Muppets Most Wanted, there isn’t a short supply of them. But for those other actors who got more screen time, this is what they had to say when they were asked if their kids were impressed by their parents appearing in a Muppet movie.
Burrell: My kids are still so unimpressed by me. I’m banking this one. I’m gonna, I’ve learned this already from other, any other kids project that it’s if I wanna save
my ego I’m gonna bank this. I’m gonna put it out in five years or something. But so far, it’s one minute of—of why is daddy on screen and—and 90 minutes of I’m hungry.Gervais: I haven’t got children but when I found out I was doing this film I just went and hung around schools telling ‘em. Just at play time. I said hey kids, you don’t know who I am yet but do you know the Muppets? Oh, yeah you wait, you’re going to be impressed.
Fey: They’re very excited to see the movie, but as far as me being in it it’s mostly like, you know, oh, you’re in the poster now you be Queen Elsa [LAUGHTER]. They just want me to be either Queen Elsa or Mistress Me.
1. Powerful singers staying in Miss Piggy’s Shadow.
One journalist asked Miss Piggy what it was like to work with someone like Celine Dion, who has a collection of acolytes and awards. But Miss Piggy being Miss Piggy isn’t one to let someone like Dion outshine her, especially in her own movie. Naturally she gave a humble response:
Miss Piggy: Well, working with Celine Dion it was a pleasure. It was a joy for her naturally. Yes, I’m—I’m only too happy to let her ride my coat tails up to the Oscar stage. Yes, it was a joy. We only spent a little time together but—but it was very meaningful to her.
Muppets Most Wanted opens in theaters on March 28.