Kermit the Frog's Toronto press conference

Earlier this week, a very famous, small, green fellow was here in Toronto. Most of you know him by his stage name: Kermit the Frog.

As a Muppet fan, I was excited to attend his press conference to promote the new, much anticipated film The Muppets (in theatres Nov. 23). My first reaction was how great this guy looked for someone who first visited Toronto in 1973 (Kermit’s official age is undisclosed, but I estimate somewhere around 56 years old).

Some of you may be wondering, like I was, how exactly does one speak to Kermit the Frog? Does he separate himself from the character he plays in the movies? When asked the difference between Kermit the character and Kermit the frog, he says, “of course I can answer that, because I’m both.”

Kermit admits he doesn’t consider himself that big of a star and that he's quieter than his onscreen alter ego. He also mentions that in the movie he hasn't seen the gang (other Muppets) in a long time, whereas they actually do work together all the time, like the recent, hugely popular "Bohemian Rhapsody" parody and an OK Go music video.

As a frog who grew up very much in the public eye, it is surprising how candidly Kermit speaks about his Muppet friends and showbiz life. He admits that most of the Muppets are actually “excellent failures,” explaining, “Miss Piggy is sort of an actress, who sort of can’t act.” When asked how he was able to get such an impressive roaster of celebrity cameos for his upcoming film, he notes that most of them had grown up watching him, or had worked with him in the past. He also credits it to the co-writer and co-star of the film: “Jason Segel knows a lot of people.”

Kermit ends the press conference speaking about his well-known song "The Rainbow Connection" (recently recorded by Weezer and featured on Muppets: The Green Album). The song shows up at the end of this new movie. When asked how it felt to perform the classic song again, he talks about how it encourages you to keep “following your dreams, finding your way and trusting yourself.” He adds that these are all similar messages that run through the Muppets’ new film.

The Muppets premieres in theatres on November 23, 2011. We'll feature a full review closer to release!

Are you looking forward to the new Muppet film? What was your favourite Muppets character growing up?