Cast | The Filmmakers | The Puppeteers | About The Production | Credits
Tim Curry - Long John Silver
Kevin Bishop - Jim Hawkins
Billy Connolly - Billy Bones
Jennifer Saunders - Mrs. Bluveridge
Kermit The Frog
Miss Piggy
Rizzo The Rat
The Great Gonzo
Fozzie Bear
"Forget the usual adage, Muppets can upstage you much easier than animals or children!" says Tim Curry ruefully. "They are not only tiny and perfectly formed but in order to register at all they have to be relentlessly animated. This means you have to be as animated as them or be perfectly still!
"It felt very odd at first, but it was only about a day before I saw them as real characters. Obviously people like Piggy and Kermit, Gonzo and Rizzo are all part of our fantasies anyway. They are legends and have been part of everyone's consciousness for the last twenty years. It's like doing a scene with Clint Eastwood or Paul Newman! They trail all this charisma behind them and you feel you know them as friends. My big problem was that I was so fascinated by what they were doing, that I often forgot to concentrate on what I was meant to be doing myself!"
Tim Curry had been Brian Henson's first choice for Long John Silver and he had a very clear idea as to how he was going to play him. "I discussed Long John with Brian and I felt it was important that he was extremely approachable in the beginning of the story. He has to sucker the audience in, in the same way that he suckers Jim in, and with that kind of avuncular brio. He's a Mr. Nice Guy: once you get over the shock that he is an amputee, you have to kind of like him, whether you want to or not," he explains.
Before shooting began, Curry was fitted for a wooden leg. But he found it too uncomfortable and settled on a crutch with his leg, when visible, strapped up. "Michael Caine said that the great thing about doing the Muppets is that you can wear your own shoes. They tend to be shot shoulder height and your feet rarely appear on screen! That made hopping around on one leg a lot easier. Actually, by the end of the film, I quite liked being a uniped!"
The day after he arrived in England from his home in California he was in the studio recording LOVE LED US HERE, with Miss Piggy and Kermit. "What is so dazzling about the whole romance between Kermit and Miss Piggy is that they are really up there with Scarlett and Rhett!" he says.
He found Brian Henson's style of working hugely productive. "I think he is a remarkable director. He is technically very together, but more than anything he has got relentless energy and an inexhaustible sense of humor, and that transmits itself throughout the whole production. I don't think there was anyone on the show who wouldn't have done anything for Brian. He doesn't have to bark or beg and is totally focused."
He also had nothing but praise for young Kevin Bishop, who was experiencing his first feature film. He had worked with kids before but says he has been spoiled for working with any others! "I think it's a great plus that he hasn't come out of stage school and hasn't had a great deal of experience, because he approaches the material with a great honesty. He was very funny to have around and, thank goodness, very aware of when one had to turn off the laughter and concentrate."
Although he refuses to have favorites among the Muppets, Curry found Clueless Morgan and his "parrot," Polly the Lobster, irresistible. But Miss Piggy, who as Benjamina Gunn was a former lover of Long John's, captured his heart. "She is one of the great enchantresses. You might just as well be playing a scene with Mae West! The great thing about her is that she always has an agenda and you know that once she's through with you, she will just spit you out and go onto the next item! But while you are under her spell she is pretty relentlessly fascinating. It's hard not to be star struck when you are around her because she does suck the air out of a room!"
Having been presented with a full-size Muppet of himself as Long John Silver and walking well on two legs, Tim returned to California for a long rest with no plans to work -- for a while!
Kevin Bishop was the very first boy that Brian Henson saw when casting Jim Hawkins in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, for which he auditioned about 100 hopefuls. It is his first feature film, and by all accounts he enjoyed the experience. "It has been a lot of fun, it really, really has," he says. "There is absolutely no limit to the amount of fun you can have on a Muppet set! Since I first started shooting, every day has been an event! It's been action-packed and everyone has been so supportive, not just at the beginning, but all the way through."
He found that with his last major role, Sam in GRANGE HILL, which he performed for two years, it was Kevin Bishop playing Kevin Bishop. With Jim Hawkins he has had to work quite hard."Jim is a very honest, very true, rare person. He has managed to avoid all the bad people in his life and keep on the straight and narrow and has dodged every temptation. He is offered treasure and wealth by Long John, but his pride and honor are worth far more to him. But he does have this dream that he wants to set out on. To get out and explore the world is enough for him. As much as he loves his friends Rizzo and Gonzo, he wants a new life, something better!"
Singing has been a priority in Kevin's life. At the age of seven he appeared in his first pantomime with Lionel Blair at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley. Not only did he sing, along with 50 other children, but he learned a complete tap routine.
Since the age of four, his greatest ambition has been to be in a movie and he has been through a lot of disappointment since then. He is very philosophical about his career and if all else fails, would love to be a puppeteer.
Kevin was already very familiar with the Muppets, since "Sesame Street" had always been a favorite, but he was still a bit intimidated for the first couple of days by the sea of familiar furry faces.
"I will always want to perform," he admits. "It's the life that I feel most comfortable with."
Kevin's parents, who have been behind him one hundred percent, had to live in separate houses during the shoot. The family home in Orpington was too far from the studios. They keep his ideas firmly on the ground, and even though he only grew about a centimeter during the production, will be there for him when he hits the big time!
"Working with the Muppets has been the most joyous experience for me because Gonzo has been a hero of mine from way back! I also love Fozzie Bear -- the ultimate frightened comedian -- and Rowlf is a favorite too. So half of my heroes are actually gloves!" explains Billy
Connolly with a laugh.
"When I was asked to do it, I couldn't believe it. There was a chance that I wouldn't be able to fit it into my schedule. My kids were furious and thought I should drop everything and do it immediately. The funny thing was, when my daughter -- who is now 21 -- was a little girl, she knew I was a star because she had seen me in newspapers and on TV. But she said to me once, if I were a proper star, a real star, why had I never been a guest on the Muppet Show?!"
Like the other actors, Connolly found talking and acting with Muppets intimidating. "I did find it a bit difficult, at first, to talk to them, but it didn't take long. It all became more and more real, and I remember having two barrels behind me, one with a chicken on it and another with a dog, dressed as a pirate. I couldn't see the operators, because they were hidden in the barrels, and when I turned round to look at them, they nodded at me! It cracked me up!"
Billy is world-famous as a stand-up comedian and is regularly on tour. He has been acting in films and in the theatre for many years and quite likes the opportunity to speak other people's lines. "At least you have someone else to blame!" he says. "It's actually a rather pleasant discipline and a refreshing change from just making stuff up. The trick is to make it look as though you have just thought of it. I am famous for enjoying my own jokes, and I do! Sometimes I lose total control, I am laughing so
much!"
Connolly would never give up his live shows to be a movie star, as he has always wanted to do just what he does. "It's sometimes quite frightening to walk on to the stage at Carnegie Hall or Sydney Opera House on your own. I do get nervous, and I get shaky on the first day, but when I go on, I love it. I have a great life, I have no complaints at all. Now that I have worked with the Muppets, I have everything!"
After finishing at Shepperton he set off to the Arctic for a week, where a BBC crew filmed him making his own igloo for a survival program. Just another string to his very talented bow!
Jennifer Saunders is famous on both sides of the Atlantic for her outrageous portrayal of Edina in "Absolutely Fabulous." ("I have it on good authority that she named her television program after moi," claims Miss Piggy).
Saunders jumped at the chance to star with the Muppets. "I accepted immediately, because the Muppets are such huge, massive stars and I have been a fan, for as long as I can remember them being alive!" she enthuses. "I was really flattered to be asked."
"In my kids' eyes, celebrity status does not compare to the fact that I am in a Muppet movie! As far as they are concerned I have finally made it, and you thank God they've asked you, at last! This is my entry into Hollywood!"
The transformation from Jennifer Saunders, slim and pretty, to the obese, wart-covered Mrs. Bluveridge, took two hours every morning. "It is definitely one of my more glamorous roles!" she explains. "I play the landlady of the Benbow Inn, where Jim, Gonzo and Rizzo live as cleaning boys. We work in a very small space, which is quite difficult in my condition! I think it's called obesity! I knock them all about a bit and send them flying. In fact there are probably a couple of Muppets up my skirts right now that I don't know about! I am having to be operated as well - you can't just come and act in a Muppet Movie -- there is always someone underneath. That's why I look so big -- there is a Henson somewhere under there operating me as I speak!"
She was surprised at how quickly she started treating her fellow thespians as real people! "I thought it was going to be quite hard to act with Muppets but it's not, it's very easy -- easier than actors. They behave much better, and they are much funnier! After awhile you don't look at the puppeteer at all. They play together so well, and in between takes the Muppets ad lib. I loved it all!"
She was surprised at the amount of time it took between scenes as each section of the floor either came out or was put back, to accomodate the puppeteers. As she threw her body about the inn, few of the props managed to stay in place. "I got direction from Brian Henson in the conventional sense. Things should go flying and I shout and spit. It's like working in a little Disneyland set, perfect and small, except for me! I have to beat off pirates to get the boys safely on their journey that leads into the adventure. I think of it as the most important part of the film!"
When she finished on MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, she was off to California to discuss the film version of "Absolutely Fabulous" and to prepare more of her hugely successful television programs. She did, however, take time out of her busy schedule to take her children to meet Miss Piggy and Kermit.
Cast |
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One of Scotland's best known, best loved comics, Billy's talents have extended into playwriting and acting in both films and theatre. He began his career in a folk band with singing star Gerry Rafferty called THE HUMBELBUMS. Going out on his own, his collaboration with Polydor Records and sellout performances at the London Palladium brought him a No. l UK hit with D.I.V.O.R.C.E., as well as his incredibly popular tours which he has performed worldwide. He starred in ABSOLUTION with Richard Burton, WATER with Michael
Caine, and had a cameo role in BULLSHOT. He recorded an HBO Special with Whoopi Goldberg and a popular comedy series in the US, HEAD OF THE CLASS, which resulted in a TV and film deal with Warner Bros. His most TV credits include DOWN AMONG THE BIG BOYS, for BBC, THE BIGGER PICTURE, and BILLY CONNOLLY'S WORLD TOUR OF SCOTLAND. His 25th anniversary as a stand-up comedian, in l994, was marked by a SOUTH BANK SHOW TV special.
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Jennifer Saunders has become one of England's best known comedy writers and performers with her portrayal of Edina in the award-winning television series, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, which she conceived and writes. In l993 the series won both
Emmy and BAFTA awards. She is an original member of the highly successful Comic Strip and with Dawn French regularly appears on television in the comedy series, FRENCH AND SAUNDERS. Among her other television credits are HAPPY FAMILIES, GIRLS ON TOP (which
she co-wrote), SAPSORROW, (one of the Storyteller films made by Jim Henson Productions for TV), LITTLE PIG ROBINSON, and HEROES AND VILLAINS, in which she starred as Lady Hester Stanhope. Her theatre credits include a sell-out nationwide tour of AN EVENING WITH FRENCH AND SAUNDERS and ME AND MAMIE O'ROURKE, which also starred Dawn French.
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Kermit The Frog, starring as Captain Abraham Smollett, is by far the
world's most famous amphibian. From his humble beginnings as one of several thousand tadpoles in a hot southern swamp, through his early success on SAM AND FRIENDS, a local TV show, and on to his eventual triumphs as star of THE MUPPET SHOW and four previous Muppet movies, Kermit the Frog has virtually defined the term "famous frog." (You can look it up). In his 40-year career, Kermit has sung with presidents, ridden bicycles with pigs, and guest-hosted on both "The Tonight Show" and "Nightline." More active now than ever, he considers MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND to be "an epic" and "the most fun you can possibly have while being seasick."
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Miss Piggy stars as Benjamina Gunn. Miss Piggy! Ah, the name conjures such glorious images; Superstar! Femme Fatale! Bestselling author. Clothes horse. Pig. And yet, she wasn't always such a big star. In fact, she started out in the chorus of THE MUPPET SHOW (back row, third pig to the left). But before long, Miss Piggy claimed the undisputed heavyweight title as the greatest superstar the world has ever known. From her ascendancy on THE MUPPET SHOW to her almost Academy Award-winning roles in four previous Muppet movies, Miss Piggy's career has been building to her remarkable portrayal of Benjamina Gunn in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND. Says the divine swine: "This role has everything that moi's fans, moi's agent, and moi's lawyers demand. Lots and lots
of moi! Eat your heart out, Streep!"
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Rizzo The Rat, starring as Rizzo, has changed the way audiences think of
rats. "They used to look at us as vermin," says Rizzo, "but now they know that we're the same as everybody else in Hollywood." Raised in the sewers of Brooklyn, Rizzo joined the Muppets during THE MUPPET SHOW. He had apparently been living in the theatre where the show was shot. According to Kermit, "It was cheaper to hire him than to call an exterminator." Rizzo has literally worked his way up from the gutters (stopping now and again to pick up a particularly tasty scrap of garbage). He has appeared in three Muppet movies, and is once again working side-by-side with Gonzo in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND. Says Rizzo of this odd pairing: "We're perfect for each other. I look great from the front and Gonzo looks great from the back!"
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The Great Gonzo (aka Gonzo the Great), starring as Gonzo, is a daredevil through and through. He never does anything the easy way when there's the possibility of doing it the incredibly difficult and more-than-mildly painful way. While his species is uncertain, his courage is unquestioned. How else can you explain his willingness to be shot from a cannon while reciting Hamlet's soliloquy in Latvian? (Please write to us if you have another explanation.) Gonzo's foolhardy derring-do quickly came to the
attention of Kermit the Frog, who literally gave Gonzo his shot on the very first episode of THE MUPPET SHOW. The rest is history, and a lot of medical bills. Gonzo has starred in four previous Muppet movies, most notably playing the legendary author Charles Dickens in the l992 hit film THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. Of his role as Gonzo in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, Gonzo says: "It's a stretch, but I'm just the geek to do it."
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Fozzie Bear, starring as Squire Trelawney is, in the estimation of his mother, "the funniest stand-up bear comedian I have ever given birth to." An only child, Fozzie began his career touring small clubs and telling the jokes that have made him famous as
a target of thrown vegetables. After learning his craft, and recovering from a particularly nasty run-in with an overripe tomato, Fozzie was discovered by Kermit and booked as resident comedian on THE MUPPET SHOW. He has worked with such legendary comics as Bob Hope, George Burns, Milton Berle, and Jonathan Winters. (He has it on tape, gentlemen, so there's no use trying to deny it.) Fozzie has also made a big splash and a rather large target. in four previous Muppet movies. About his role in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, Fozzie says: "I worked for scale because I didn't want to be shellfish! Get it? Ahh! Wocka! Wocka!"
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