Behemoth

Behemoth (known more recently as Gene) is an orange monster who appeared occasionally as part of the troupe of Muppet monsters on The Muppet Show, and has also appeared in Muppets Tonight and the 2011 film The Muppets.

He first appeared in episode 114, where he was a full-body character for the only time and had black eyebrows instead of brown ones.

A notable moment for Behemoth was the musical number "Under My Skin", during which he tried to eat Shakey Sanchez while singing the song. He made a comeback in The Muppets, both in a speaking role in the film and appearing in several of the promotional campaign spots and images.

Behemoth has been performed by Richard Hunt (in episode 119), Dave Goelz (in episode 115), Jerry Nelson (in episode 202) and Bill Barretta (The Muppets, and other recent appearances).

Name
The word "behemoth" comes from the Bible, in the Book of Job. The term has since come to apply to any large or powerful creature or entity.

The monster's name was first mentioned on screen in Muppets Tonight episode 205, in which he was Ernst Stavros Grouper's assistant, and addressed as "Behemoth."

In the 2005 The Muppet Show: Season One DVD set, the "Muppet Morsels" bonus feature referred to Behemoth in the episodes where he appears.

In 2011, Bill Barretta performed the character in The Muppets, and in some of the trailers and promotional clips. Barretta has renamed the character "Gene", after his brother, animator and illustrator Gene Barretta.

In a November 2011 promotional interstitial for Disney Channel, Kermit the Frog addresses the character, saying, "Roll it, Gene!" The monster responds, "'kay!" According to The Muppets Character Encyclopedia, Gene is his real name while Behemoth is his stage name.

He is referred to as "Gold Behemoth" by James Bobin in the audio commentary for The Muppets featured on the film's 2012 Blu-ray release.

Filmography

 * The Muppet Show
 * Episode 114: Sandy Duncan
 * Episode 115: Candice Bergen (Veterinarian's Hospital)
 * Episode 119: Vincent Price ("Under My Skin")
 * Episode 202: Zero Mostel
 * Episode 302: Leo Sayer
 * The Muppet Movie ("Rainbow Connection" Finale)
 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
 * Good Morning America (rebuilt for this appearance[1] )
 * Muppets Tonight
 * Episode 205: Coolio & Don Rickles
 * "The Muppet Show Theme music video"
 * The Muppets
 * "Kermit's Party" (Bounty web views)
 * Muppets Most Wanted

Book appearances

 * Muppet Robin Hood - issue #2
 * The Muppet Show Comic Book: "Pigs in Space"
 * Muppet Snow White
 * Muppet Sherlock Holmes
 * The Muppets Character Encyclopedia