Rizzo the Rat - Definition and Overview

Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet, performed by Steve Whitmire. He first appeared in The Great Muppet Caper as a bellboy in a fleabag London hotel (although he may have been the unnamed leader of the rats in the first episode of season 5 of The Muppet Show). He has appeared in most later Muppet projects, including The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets Tonight. In The Muppet Christmas Carol he developed a popular double act with Gonzo, which was continued in Muppet Treasure Island.

Rizzo is a streetwise rat with a New Jersey accent. His name may have been inspired by the similar (human) character of Ratso Rizzo in the film Midnight Cowboy.