The Muppet Movie a Florida swamp, strumming his banjo and singing "The Rainbow Connection", when he is approached by a Hollywood talent agent named Bernie (Dom DeLuise) who encourages Kermit to pursue a career in show business. Inspired by the idea of "making millions of people happy", Kermit sets off on a cross-country trip to Los Angeles, but is soon pursued by entrepreneur Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) and his shy assistant Max (Austin Pendleton) in an attempt to convince Kermit to be the new spokesman of Hopper's struggling French-fried frog legs restaurant franchise, to Kermit's disgust. As Kermit continuously declines his offers, Hopper
The Muppet Movie the Rockies reported for pit duty." The film is dedicated to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen who appears in the movie in a cameo role and died during production in September 1978. "The Muppet Movie" uses meta-references as a source of humor, as characters occasionally break the fourth wall to address the audience or comment on their real-life circumstances. In one scene, Kermit and Fozzie encounter Big Bird on the road, offering him a lift to Hollywood, but he declines, heading to New York City to break into public television, referencing the character's role in "Sesame Street". In a particularly meta-fictional plot