Muppets Most Wanted villain Ricky Gervais: I love not being the most hated man on screen

It's impossible not to feel like an over-excited child again when you are sitting a few feet away from Miss Piggy (who, of course, made a fashionably late entrance) and Kermit.

We also met the newest addition to their gang, Constantine, who was taking time out from being a criminal mastermind and generally the world's most dangerous frog. Oh yes, and there was a

real live actor there, too. Ricky something? The Muppets must be hot property if even Ricky Gervais is happy to play second fiddle. 

It's an extraordinary experience and, with everybody joking and bantering, you completely forget that they are puppets made of felt and fur and foam. When Miss Piggy flirts with the room, it

really does start getting hot in there.

We grilled the stars of their latest film, Muppets Most Wanted...

“Yeah, this is not a job. This is fun. I am a big kid and I can’t believe my luck. I’ve been a fan for 30 years. And now Constantine has become one of my best friends.”

Constantine: “Ricky. When are you going to give me your email address? You keep promising, but it never happens.”

R: “I know. I promise you that I think about you all the time. When I’m with my girlfriend I’ll think, ‘I wonder where Constantine is?’ Usually in a bag, I imagine.”

R: “That’s usually what I get asked! In the movie he is evil, but meeting me has thawed his heart. He was born in a pond, one of 800 brothers and sisters and showing him love has made him

all cuddly.”

Ricky Gervais and Kermit at the Muppets Most Wanted London press conference [PH]

To prepare myself I watched all of Bruce Willis’ movies. And when that didn’t work I just went to his hairdresser.

Kermit, you spend much of the movie in a brutal Russian Gulag. This is a much tougher role for you.

“Well I look at it as more of an action role. To prepare myself I watched all of Bruce Willis’ movies. And when that didn’t work I just went to his hairdresser. That seemed to help.”

C: “There was only one person. Super, super hard to work with. You all know who I mean.”

(We hear her before we see her and then, with much hair-tossing and giggling, Miss Piggy swans in)

MP: “Oh, I’m so distracting, look I’m distracting everyone here at the press conference. You can’t take your eyes off me, can you boys?” 

(Miss Piggy flirts and blows kisses to the cast and the audience. This pig knows how to work a room)

How does Miss Piggy compare to other stars you’ve worked with?

MP: “Not all the time. If other people are talking about me I’ll be quiet.”

MP: “Well, moi is an inspiration for everyone. Even myself. Before I go onstage I look in the mirror and...”

Miss Piggy, what advice can you give for couples about to get married?

MP: “Hah! I need advice from them. They’re engaged and I’m not.”

K: “I advise full compliance. It’s the only way to go in modern marriage.”

R: “Have you noticed in Muppets movies when they have kids, they’re always a pig or a frog? There’s never a hybrid abomination like a frig or a pog.”

R: “Trying you hardest and optimism. Acceptance of difference. I liked David Brent because he made a fool of himself and then he got back up. I love that and that’s the spirit of The

Muppets. It’s a magical world.”

Miss Piggy charms the crowd at the Muppets Most Wanted London press conference [PH]

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K: “I’m personally hoping for Muppets: Well Rested as the title of the next film. That would be nice.”

Ricky, perhaps Constantine could do An Idiot Abroad with Karl Pilkington? 

R: “Well, I see a lot of similarities between them, you know, how the head stops just between the eyes where the brain should be. I would do anything with Constantine. I would travel the

world.”

Muppets, what other fictional characters would you like to act with?

K: “It’s difficult, because the others are all animated. They're not real.”

C: “ You can’t do a press conference with any of them. Or this would happen...”

MP: “What? I’m real! Ok, parts of me are not. The nose, the hair…”

R: “I’ve just done A Night At A Museum 3 and everything is computer generated so you’re talking to a tennis ball on a stick. But with these guys you are acting with them, which is brilliant

fun, but also makes a difference with the timing and realism.”

R: “I knew it was going to happen. The song and dance number worried me and then I thought, ‘It’s alright, there’s going to be a frog dancing on screen. They’re not going to care about you

and your short little clumsy legs.’ I love it. I ruined a lot of takes laughing. I'd just suddenly stop and go, 'I'm in a film with The Muppets'. And they'd be like, 'Yeah, that's nice, but

could you not actually say that during the take!'”

Was it a conscious choice to channel David Brent for your big dance section in the film?

And then it is all over, screens are pulled in front of the panel and Piggy, Kermy and the rest are gone. We all stumble out into the real world, with not a Muppet in sight.

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