Rizzo the Rat

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Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet, performed by Steve Whitmire. Rizzo first appeared in episode 418 of The Muppet Show, as one of a group of rats following Christopher Reeve around backstage. He can be seen mugging and reacting to practically every line of dialogue. He remained a scene-stealing background figure through the final season, occasionally performing with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

After that he appeared in The Great Muppet Caper as a bellboy in a fleabag London hotel. He has appeared in most later Muppet projects, including The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets Tonight. In The Muppet Christmas Carol, he developed a popular double act with Gonzo, which was continued in Muppet Treasure Island and in Muppets from Space.

Rizzo is a streetwise rat with a New Jersey accent and a self-proclaimed acrophobic ("There are only two things... I hate: heights, and jumping from them"). His name was inspired by the similar (human) character of Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo in the film Midnight Cowboy.