When it comes to The Muppets, you don’t get much more knowledgeable or passionate than former WWE superstar Hornswoggle.
The one-time Cruiserweight Champion, whose real name is Dylan Postl, has worked with Kermit The Frog and the gang in the past, both on an episode of Monday Night Raw and in 2014 movie Muppets Most Wanted.
Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, the 37-year-old star revealed fond memories of filming with Jim Henson’s beloved creations, and how he kept the magic alive on set.
‘When I was on the film set for Muppets Most Wanted, I would find myself interacting with these characters off camera. I never look, what I call, beyond the cloth, beyond the felt. You never look,’ he smiled.
‘You’re so encapsulated by this person, this creature, talking to you!’
He wasn’t the only one, with co-star Danny Trejo frequently holding things up because ‘he just just interacting with Muppets all day, every day between shoots’.
Hornswoggle – who has plenty of Muppet tattoos – landed his role after meeting the Muppets and some of their performers when Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the crew guest hosted an episode of Raw.
‘I thought it was gonna be one scene drinking coffee in the background, and it turned out to be half the movie. It was such a cool experience and such a wonderful time,’ he beamed.
When he first met them at Raw, he was ‘just physically shaking’ all day, as he ticked off a true bucket list experience getting to work with the Muppets so closely.
‘When they came to life in front of me it was just this – I froze, I literally froze,’ he recalled, noting that he made the most of the opportunity by bringing two big posters for everyone to sign.
‘They signed it as every one of the characters they portray on these posters. It is so cool to me to have now, they’re hanging in my basement,’ he said. ‘It’s one of those things where, again, it’s incredible to see it come to life. You just don’t notice anything beyond the felt, you really don’t.’
When it came to making Muppets Most Wanted, Hornswoggle had already met the gang and got used to being around them, but it was still a truly magical experience.
‘It was a little different for me because I was around them in WWE. But still, now being on set surrounded by Muppet characters – man, this is nuts,’ he added.
‘And then my main scene was just me, and Animal, and Fozzie and Walter. This is me! This is literally my scene! This is crazy! Being like, “Oh man, this is real. This is actually happening, and this is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” ‘
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His love for the Muppets has become something he can share with his teenage son Landon, and when they guest hosted Raw back in 2011 they even made sure to send a message to him because he was ill and couldn’t make the show.
‘[Landon] was really, really sick with a horrible cold. Animal called him on FaceTime and it was one of the coolest things, man,’ he smiled. ‘He called me back immediately nad it was literally like he talked to Santa Claus.
‘He goes, “Dad, Animal called me and he wants me to get better!” It was a cool thing for me that they didn’t need to do.’
The father and son duo also shared a bond watching recent Disney+ series Muppets Mayhem together, and Hornswoggle is desperate to land a role if they decide to make a second season.
‘Legitimately, it’s a bucket list. If they do a season two of Muppets Mayhem, I need to be drinking coffee in the background, I need to do something. That show was such an amazing, amazing project that they put out,’ he said.
‘That’s my relax to this day, Muppet movies! If I just need to sit back and enjoy a movie, that’s what I watch to this day because I can escape everything. I love it.’
There is a certain magic in the suspension of disbelief, and it’s something Muppets share with few art forms as closely as the world of WWE, and professional wrestling as a whole.
‘Almost like pro wrestling, you can’t watch it, you can’t watch an interview with The Muppets, or a Muppet production, without having a smile on your face, he laughed. ‘If you do, you’re truly heartless!’
Keep up with Hornswoggle on the Going Postl podcast. Check out the free version on YouTube.
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