In The Muppet Christmas Carol, which actor plays Ebenezer Scrooge?

In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge. The 1992 musical film adapts Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol while casting Muppet characters in the supporting roles around Caine's human Scrooge.

Caine performs the role sincerely rather than playing it as a broad comedy part. That approach creates a contrast with the Muppets, including Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, and Gonzo as Charles Dickens, who also serves as narrator. The film includes songs by Paul Williams and Miles Goodman, with “When Love Is Gone” associated with Scrooge's lost relationship with Belle.

The movie was directed by Brian Henson, son of Muppets creator Jim Henson, and was the first Muppet feature released after Jim Henson's death. Its story follows the familiar visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Caine's casting is notable because he is the only major human performer in most of the central Muppet scenes, making Scrooge the emotional bridge between Dickens's plot and the puppet ensemble.