You may not know Steve Whitmire's name, but you certainly know his voice. As we told you before, the actor has been the man behind Kermit the Frog for the last 27 years. In October, Disney fired him. Why? Depends on who you ask.
According to Disney, they let go Whitmire go because of "unacceptable business conduct." As far as Whitmire is concerned, it's actually because he had an issue with his union and spoke up in meetings. Of anyone, Whitmire should have some clout at the network. He took over the role of Kermit after the show's creator, Jim Henson, died unexpectedly in 1990. He had been hand-picked by the Henson family as the replacement.
Either way, Kermit will now be played by Matt Vogel. He'll make his debut in this week's “Muppets Thought of the Week” video.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter