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I often chuckle at the observation that Tim Curry and Michael Caine's respective roles in the Muppet films were so beloved because Michael Caine acted like all the muppets were real actors, and Tim Curry acted like he was a muppet. He would have an impressive range of serious / comedic roles anyway, but I admire the ability for an actor that successful to be able to put himself be in such a silly role that well too.
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It is a popular story and I love it, but Tim Curry himself has denied it: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/movies/muppet-treasure-is... > Curry emphatically denied that interpretation. “I saw the Muppets as actors with distinct personalities,” he said. “It’s astonishing how quickly you see them as people.”
Yeah, I've never understood this observation. The entire shtick of The Muppets was that every celebrity they ever had on the show treated them like real actors and celebrities. Not even "famous Muppets", just straight up celebs.
Watch the actual film at is obvious he isn't doing that. He shows way more emotional range and subtly than a Muppet is capable of, plus "[his] only number" is not very Muppetty either.