Kermit on Staying Young, Coping When Blue, and Working With Jason Segel

He's lean, green, and the star of the number one comedy in America. We'll be the first to admit it: our favorite talking amphibian, the legendary Kermit the Frog, who has been around since 1955, and his entourage of Muppets have pretty much been out of the spotlight for the past decade or so. Lucky for us, Kermy's back and better than ever! In his new movie The Muppets, Kermit makes a comeback not only in the movie but to the general public, reminding us why we love this dapper frog.

Buzznet caught up with Kermit and we were able to chat with the busy icon about his new movie, how he keeps up his great physique, and what he does when he's sad.

BUZZNET: You’ve been around since 1955 and you seem to be aging very well. How do you stay so young looking?  

KERMIT THE FROG: I swim laps. I dance (hip hop mostly). And I spend an hour a day soaking in pond scum; if that doesn’t make you turn green, nothing will.

BN: Your movie The Muppets is currently the number one comedy in the country. What was it like working with Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Jack Black and the other celebrities who made an appearance in the movie?  

KF: Thank you! We’re excited about the movie doing so well, welcoming back old fans and introducing us to new ones.  As for celebrities, that’s always one of the best parts of making a movie or any of our other productions.  Working with Jason, Amy, Jack and Chris Cooper…plus all those stars who showed up to do cameos in The Muppets…was a real treat. Jason is funny, wrote a great script and is very tall. Amy is not as tall, but funny and prettier than Jason. Jack is out of control, so he fit in perfect with the rest of the Muppets. And Chris Cooper, who plays the bad guy, was scary on camera and wonderful off camera. (Plus, I think he has a big career in rap if he wants it.)

BN: What do you think of Walter, the new Muppet?  

KF: What’s not to like? He’s the world’s biggest Muppet fan. He knows and loves everything we’ve ever done. Oh sure, it gets a little awkward having someone around who worships the ground you walk on, but he’s a great kid. (And besides, Miss Piggy really likes having her ground worshipped.)

BN: What’s your favorite Muppet musical number?  

KF: There are so many great new songs in The Muppets, plus a couple of classics like “Rainbow Connection” and “Mahna-Mahna,” but I think my favorite is “Life’s A Happy Song”. That kind of sums up the way I feel about life.

BN: Do you ever get sad? If so, what helps to cheer you up?  

KF: Sure, I get sad. Just because I’m green doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes get blue. But when I do, I can sit on a log and play the banjo, or listen to the crickets (and then eat them), or hang out with my pal Fozzie Bear. Fozzie loves to try to cheer me up with jokes. The jokes aren’t funny, but when it comes to friends and comedy, it’s the thought that counts.

The Muppets is currently in theaters everywhere.

Have you seen The Muppets movie yet? Who is your favorite Muppet? If you could ask Kermit ANYTHING, what would you ask him?