Kermit the Frog is getting a new voice.
After a 27-year run, Steve Whitmire will no longer be voicing the beloved green frog, a Muppets Studio spokesperson confirmed to HuffPost on Tuesday. Muppets fan site Tough Pigs was first to report the news.
Taking over for Whitmire is Matt Vogel, a current Muppets performer. He will be heard for the first time as Kermit next week in a “Muppets Thought of the Week” video, a series appearing on YouTube, the spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
According to Tough Pigs, Muppets fans had been speculating about Whitmire’s departure for the past few months, as they noticed his characters weren’t being used in recent “Muppet Thought of the Week” videos.
Details on Whitmire’s departure are sparse, though CBS New York reports that he quit. HuffPost contacted Whitmire’s representatives for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The puppeteer was involved with the Muppets from the late ’70s, Tough Pigs notes, but he first took on the role of Kermit in 1990 following the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. He was reportedly chosen for the role by Henson’s son, Brian.
Meanwhile, Vogel has provided vocals for Muppet characters like Floyd Pepper, Uncle Deadly and Sweetums. He’s also voiced Big Bird and The Count on “Sesame Street.”