Red Hot Trivia Quiz

Answer: Frank Oz

Animal's first appearance was in the 1975 "Muppet Show" pilot: "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence".

This primitive one has many fathers.
He was designed by Frith, built by Goelz and played the first 25 years by Frank Oz. Since 2002 Eric Jacobson is in control of Animal.

Up to his death in 2002, the great Ronnie Verrell was the drummer behind Animal.

There is a rumor that Animal is based on The Who's Keith Moon, but this rumor was never confirmed by those who should know.

Answer: No

In actual fact, it was Floyd Pepper, the groovy guy with the glasses. Lou Rawls once offered to take Animal on tour, but Floyd doubted that there would be a long enough chain. Another episode where you can watch Floyd handle the chain -and therefore Animal- is the one with Leo Sayer. Mr. Sayer was warned beforehand not to overstep a certain point- considering the length of that chain. At the occasion of the James Coburn visit, Animal was able to escape and chased some drumming octopuses.

Other members of the band besides Floyd and Janice: Doctor Teeth and Zoot, the saxophonist. The band is, of course, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. They performed on their own, or accompanied guest stars. Animal also played in the theater orchestra.

Answer: Rita Moreno

Miss Moreno and Animal had a troubled relationship from the beginning of the show. He bit her. When she was performing "Fever", he played too loud, drowning her singing. She warned him, mostly in Spanish. When he didn't want to hear, he had to feel.

Animal's reaction to this: "That's my kind of woman!" One of the longest sentences he ever said. Concerning the female species, it is usually just "WO- MAN"- Senora Moreno really hit him on his soft spot.

The other ladies were also guests on the show and admired by the wild guy. If they liked it - or not.


Rita Moreno won an Emmy for her appearance on the "Muppet Show".

Answer: Phil Collins

The one not mentioned in that interview was Phil Collins, drummer with Genesis and successful singer. Buddy Rich -who appeared on a later episode of the "Muppet Show"- and Gene Krupa were renowned jazz drummers. Showing that Animal was more refined in his musical preferences, than you might have thought.

Who is Tony Checkers? His five seconds of fame happened, when Kermit mentioned in that interview to Animal, that Checkers would replace Animal as a drummer. Animal "convinced" Kermit to change his mind.

We also learned at this occasion, that Animal drummed since five years, and something about his favorite food.

Answer: The Troggs

American Chip Taylor wrote this song in 1965, which had his premier release by the band the Wild Ones. Nothing much happened, until the Troggs released it in 1966. It really got wild in both the American Charts (number 1), and the Troggs home country UK (number 2). The band originally called themselves the Troglodytes.

Animal played his solo in the "Muppet Show" with guest star Theresa Brewer. His drumming was -as usual- good, while the text was reduced and partly changed. Instead of singing: "You make my heart sing" he changed it to "I make your heart sing".

Sadly Animal wasn't allowed to finish his song: a pig and Janice caught him with huge nets, and got him off stage.

A bit too wild, the thing.

Answer: Mark Hamill

Angus McGonagle was supposed to be the star in one of the episodes. When Luke Skywalker and his two droid friends crashed into the set, Kermit hoped for them as guest stars. Angus was pushed out of the show. Skywalker didn't want to perform, but offered his cousin Mark Hamill to perform in his place. The cousin arrived, but turned out to be not good enough for the "Muppet Show", whatever he tried to do.

On one moment Angus McGonagle occupied the empty stage - and started to gargle Gershwin gruesomely. Mark Hamill joined him. Kermit said something to Animal- and the stage was empty again in a very short time. Which showed that Animal had some respect for Gershwin!

Jim Nabors had the bad luck to say "Break a leg" to Animal, who was just carrying an enormous hammer.

Lena Horne asked Animal to find her key. The key of her dressing room. Animal, who was again carrying that hammer, estimated with a hit on her foot that she sang b flat.

Dudley Moore tried to introduce a music machine named "M.A.M.A". Floyd looked him up with a friend. Animal once more proved his nonverbal discussion abilities.

Answer: Stamp collecting

First try: alligator wrestling. His place to try it out was behind stage with other Muppets cheering.

Second try: overhead bowling. Again behind stage - and a bowling ball can do a bit of damage.

Third try: hunting. At the end of the show, Animal appeared on stage looking for bunnies. The weapon he was shooting was a bit on the large side. Nothing against a nice, quiet hobby.

In 2005, a set of Muppet stamps was released by the US Post. One, of course, with Animal.

Answer: eat drum, eat timbals

"Eat drum, eat timbals". Quoted from the interview Kermit had with Animal in the "Muppet Show" with Harvey Korman.

In the episode with Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, you could watch Animal's interpretation of a TV dinner: he didn't even unplug. Mind you, this was before flat panel television. You still had some crunchy cathodes to eat.

Leo Sayer was informed by Dr. Teeth, that Animal either eats or hits things. Something to his distress Gonzo had to complain about, (episode with Jean Stapleton), when Animal ate his Mexican jumping beans. And, he was just training them for a great act- he even started to learn Spanish.

Oh yes: "Eat Cookies" is a reference to Cookie Monster. Who else?

Answer: Both were mad enough to do it

While Harry Belafonte -and Animal- only felt utter exhaustion after their drum battle, Buddy Rich felt the wrath of a bad loser. Other musicians thrash their guitars, Animal crashed a part of his drum- on the head of his opponent. I guess that is why they call it a drum battle.

But, Rich had been warned before by Floyd Pepper. And, as he said himself at the beginning of the show: "All drummers are animals." I wonder if he expected that much of red hot wild live?

Answer: Meditation

They bonded at first sight. Coburn showed Animal how to thrash a chair correctly. Later on he decided, that a bit of Eastern meditation could calm him down. Well, you can always hope.

Animal might like the knitting wool, cooked with a bit of jigsaw puzzle as spice. Who knows?

"You don't mess with Animal. He eats glass, man."
Frank Oz, Animal's puppeteer.