He was also careful to point out that there was more to being a puppeteer than the ability to lip-synch a puppet. “We look for a basic sense of performance, a sense of humor,” said Jim—and therefore Muppet auditions had a tendency to attract not just puppeteers, but also actors, mimes, impressionists, and voice actors. “You have to find people who put their whole performance into their hand,” Jim explained, “and that’s a very specific talent that a lot of performers don’t have. A lot of very funny performers will never be good puppeteers.”
