Entertainment

Kermit the Frog Gets His First Emmy Nomination

Published

1 hour ago

August 17, 2026

Of all the people TheWrap spoke to in the aftermath of this year’s Emmy nominations, only one needed to schedule the interview so that it didn’t interfere with rehearsals for the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show. Matt Vogel wouldn’t have been visible to anybody watching that extravaganza because he was hidden underneath Kermit the Frog, but he was manipulating the expressions and supplying the voice for one of the most iconic puppets of our time.

And when you’re the voice and the arm of that iconic Muppet created by Jim Henson more than 70 years ago, you pretty much have carte blanche to go anywhere and everywhere, including the stage of MetLife Stadium for the 2026 World Cup final.

“It’s crazy, the kind of things that the Muppets get to do,” said Vogel, sitting in a home studio in front of a wall sporting several guitars and one banjo, on which Kermit (a stuffed version, not the real puppet) was perched. “It’s fun to be a part of it.”

Matt Vogel performing as Kermit the Frog (Disney+)

Vogel has now been honored for being a part of it, earning a nomination in the character voice-over category for his work as Kermit in “The Muppet Show,” a Disney+/ABC special that brought back the primetime series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Surprisingly, his was the first-ever nomination for voicing Kermit, who has been performed by only three people: Henson himself from 1955 until his death in 1990, Steve Whitmire from then until 2016 and Vogel beginning in August 2017.

(A few other puppeteers and voice actors briefly performed Kermit in stage shows, personal appearances, awards shows and animation, but they weren’t officially cast as the character.)

The nominee didn’t know he was the first Kermit nod until we told him, much to his surprise. “That’s remarkable to me,” he said. “I would assume that at least Jim had been nominated.” In fact, Henson was nominated for and won Emmys for creating and producing various Muppet enterprises, but neither he nor Whitmire was ever recognized for voicing or performing the character.

Vogel, a Kansas City-born puppeteer and frequent “Sesame Street” director, took on a tricky job when he became the third Kermit. When a new actor assumes a role like, say, Hamlet, audiences come to the theater wanting to see a fresh take on the character; when they see Kermit, they want the Kermit they’ve known for decades, not a new interpretation.

To complicate matters further, Kermit’s original voice was very close to Henson’s own; he wasn’t a character who needed an obvious performance, the way Miss Piggy or Cookie Monster or Fozzie Bear do.

“That’s part of the charm of the character, because it is such a naturalistic voice,” Vogel said. “It was just Jim’s voice, elevated. When Steve started, it was Steve’s voice, but elevated a little bit. And that’s kind of what I’m doing as well, trying to honor what Jim did, the little quirky way that he might have turned a phrase, or how he might have said something. I try to emulate the feeling of what it might have been like if Jim were to have done it, but through my lens.”

“Hopefully, what I’m able to do, and what any of us who take over from a performer that has come before us have been able to do, is to tap into the heart of the character, so that character can continue to live and breathe and evolve.”

the-muppet-show-sabrina-carpenter-disney-mitch-haaseth

It wasn’t an easy transition, with some online Muppet fan communities criticizing Vogel’s performance as soon as he came on.

“I’ve been Kermit for about nine years, and yeah, of course you want people to be excited about what you’re doing,” he shared. “But I understand that people have a vision of the character. I’m not the original guy, and the guy that came before me was not the original guy, either. There’s only one Jim Henson. And the best that I can do is to try to put the same heart into the character. I try to do that every time I put the puppet on.”

Performing as Kermit is much simpler than becoming the other iconic character that Vogel plays, Big Bird. “With Big Bird, it’s the physicality of my whole body,” said Vogel, who is completely inside the huge yellow costume/puppet. “Kermit is very different. A lot of puppets have foam or are very structured, but Kermit is really just my hand. And the way my hand moves inside helps give expression to the character.”

The Muppet Show behind the scenes — “The Muppet Show” (Disney+)

For the “Muppet Show” special that led to his nomination, he said the biggest challenge was to capture the feeling of the old series for current viewers. “We wanted to get the right tone for today’s audience, but we also wanted it to feel and sound like ‘The Muppet Show,’” he explained. “Every little scene was thought of with that in mind.”

Guests on the special included Sabrina Carpenter, Seth Rogen and Maya Rudolph, who were granted what can be the surprisingly emotional experience of being around characters they’d known since childhood. “I have seen grown adults walk onto the set of ‘Sesame Street’ and onto the set of the special and cry,” Vogel said. “It’s something that just organically happens. It means so much to so many people that they cannot help but have an emotional reaction.”

“And when they see the characters, they don’t see the puppeteers. People have a relationship with these characters. They’re talking to someone they know, and so they interact with them just like they’d interact with a regular person. We (puppeteers) are never part of the conversation, really.”

This story first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine. Read more from the issue here.

Widow's Bay cover Aug. 2026 — Matthew Rhys and Katie Dippold photographed for TheWrap by Emily Assiran

Entertainment

PR Veteran Katie Martin Kelley Leaves Warner Bros. for Netflix

Published

5 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

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A big shakeup in the PR world: Warner Bros.’ EVP of Communications Katie Martin Kelley is jumping ship to Netflix, where she’ll serve as VP of Communications under film chief Dan Lin.

Kelley will report to Netflix’s Chief Communications Officer Dani Dudeck and starts on Sept. 8.

“I’m excited to welcome Katie to Netflix as our VP of Communications, Film. She brings more than 20 years of experience from some of the world’s most renowned studios, where she’s worked with some of the industry’s most celebrated storytellers. I look forward to partnering with her as we support Netflix’s ambitious global film slate,” said Dudeck in statement.

More to come…

movies

Katie Martin Kelley Exits Warner Bros For Netflix VP Comms Post

Published

7 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

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There’s a big shock in the film comms sphere and that’s Warner Bros EVP of Communications Katie Martin Kelley, who was Motion Picture Chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy’s right hand, is heading to Netflix as VP Communications where she’ll oversee Dan Lin’s feature film portfolio.

Martin Kelley starts on Sept. 8 and will report to Dani Dudeck, Netflix Chief Communications Officer.

This is the second known high-level WBD executive to leave recently amid the uncertainty surrounding the company’s pending acquisition by Paramount. Last month, Pia Barlow, EVP Originals Marketing for HBO Max, joined Amazon MGM Studios as VP of Series Marketing. The appointment triggered a poaching lawsuit by WBD.

We understand from sources that Martin Kelley’s contract is up at WBD. This is a sudden departure at the Burbank lot, and it’s not clear yet whether or not Martin Kelley’s role will be back-filled as the Paramount-WBD merger continues to be held up by an antitrust suit with state AGs, which is scheduled for March.

Martin Kelley will be a part of Dudeck’s global comms leadership team which includes Kelly Pakula (VP Global Corp Comms), Oliver Rawlins (VP Comms, EMEA), Flávia Vigio (VP Comms, LATAM) and Joy Albert (VP Comms, APAC).

We are told that Martin Kelley’s role isn’t considered a replacement for Emily Feingold’s previous post as VP of Communications, that long-time Netflix exec having exited in June. Feingold’s oversee previously included corp comms in addition to film, games and series. In Martin Kelley’s new role, she’ll take charge of Netflix comms across Lin’s live-action and documentaries slate, as well as kids & family animation, including Netflix Animation Studios. Martin Kelley will also oversee comms for kids & family animated series, film & TV licensing and Netflix’s international films and series portfolio.

We are told that Dudeck is also recruiting a VP of Communications, Series, who’ll lead efforts across series, podcast, games and live event and sports content.

Ahead for Martin Kelley at Netflix are such titles as Cannes sensation La Bola Negra, David Fincher’s follow-up to Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, thriller Animals, animated features Steps, Ray Gunn and In Waves, documentaries 14th, Avedon and Basquiat, dramas Gentle Monster and INK, action feature The Mosquito Bowl and more. The comms vet will be at the streamer during a time when they’re wading into longer window theatrical releases next year, i.e. Greta Gerwig’s Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew on Feb. 12 (Netflix date is April 2) and Charlie vs the Chocolate Factory, which will debut in theaters Nov. 5 and on Netflix Dec. 22.

During her time at Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, Martin Kelley led media relations and corporate comms for Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and the studio’s new genre label, Warner Bros. Clockwork. Warner Bros. saw one of their highest years at the box office in 2025, grossing north of $4B worldwide, with a rich line-up that included both Oscar winners in One Battle After Another and Sinners, and blockbusters in Weapons, Final Destination: Bloodlines and A Minecraft Movie.

Martin Kelley, is a longtime comms vet having worked for 12 years handling domestic and corp comms under the Rob Moore regime at Paramount. Prior to her recent three-year run at Warner Bros, she worked with De Luca and Abdy at MGM Studios as Chief Communications Officer before the Amazon acquisition.

Entertainment

Netflix Names Katie Martin Kelley VP of Communications, Film

Published

11 minutes ago

August 17, 2026

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Netflix has named Katie Martin Kelley, a veteran studio communications pro of over two decades, as its new Vice President of Communications, Film, the streamer announced Monday, August 17.

Martin Kelley joins Netflix from Warner Bros. Pictures, and she will now be tasked with overseeing comms for Dan Lin’s feature film portfolio, including everything from live-action, documentaries, and kids & family animation, as well as film and TV licensing and Netflix’s international films and series portfolio.

She will report to Dani Dudeck, Netflix Chief Communications Officer. Her first day is September 8. We look forward to her fielding all of our questions about Netflix’s theatrical ambitions.

Maya Boyd, Inde Navarrette, Samara Weaving, Christopher Abbott, Kit Connor, Jake Schreier, Sadie Sink and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios, speak onstage at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on August 14, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Dudeck’s communications leadership team also includes Kelly Pakula (VP Global Corp Comms), Oliver Rawlins (VP Comms, EMEA), Flávia Vigio (VP Comms, LATAM), and Joy Albert (VP Comms, APAC). Dudeck is also recruiting a series counterpart to Martin Kelley to oversee series, podcast, games, and live event and sports content.

Martin Kelley’s exit from Warner Bros. comes amid the uncertainty surrounding the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, which for now won’t close until at the earliest the conclusion of a trial in March 2027 as 12 U.S. states have brought antitrust action against the merger.

Martin Kelley in her time at Warner Bros. oversaw media relations for WB Pictures, New Line Cinema, the animation team, and the new Clockwork banner. She joined WB after previously working with film heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy at MGM, and she spent 12 years at Paramount before that overseeing domestic publicity and corporate communications.

Martin Kelley is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.