Miss Piggy's Motorcycle Stunt Double Recalls Daring Great Muppet Caper Scene

Forty-five years after its release, Kiran Shah, the stunt double for Miss Piggy’s iconic motorcycle sequence in The Great Muppet Caper, is reflecting on his experience filming the 1979 film. Shah, an actor and stunt performer, worked with the Muppets on both The Great Muppet Caper and The Dark Crystal, the latter of which was in pre-production when he was approached for the Muppet film.

Jim Henson directed The Great Muppet Caper, his first theatrical film, while also co-directing The Dark Crystal with Frank Oz. Shah, who stands at 4’2”, was approached by Henson and Oz with a unique request: to double for Miss Piggy. Shah readily accepted, recalling a collaborative and calm environment on set. "Jim was a very, very calm person," Shah told Polygon. "Even Frank was, both of them are really calm people. Jim and Frank were performers as well, so they knew that you can only be in the suit for a limited time before you get tired. They were very easy people to work with."

The challenging motorcycle scene involved Miss Piggy, in a silver bodysuit, performing a significant leap. While the stunt itself was not overly complex, it presented its own set of difficulties. Shah had to wear a Miss Piggy head that, for camera visibility, required one eye to be cut out on the blind side. "It wasn't the biggest suit. It was not custom made for me, but fortunately I could get into it and I could work with it. It was fun," Shah said. He also received direction from Frank Oz on how to embody the character, even for a stunt sequence. "Yes. There’s a Piggy walk, like a lady walk," Shah explained. "Frank told me to walk slowly."

In The Great Muppet Caper, Miss Piggy plays a receptionist for fashion mogul Lady Holiday, and Kermit and Fozzie Bear investigate a jewel heist. The film features several memorable sequences, including an elaborate synchronized swimming fantasy and a jailbreak leading into the aforementioned motorcycle chase. Shah's contribution behind the scenes helped bring these scenes to life, solidifying Miss Piggy's status as a cinematic diva.