Hero Lenny "Tongue" Mogwai Movie Prop

Screen Used animatronic puppet

Introduction

Lenny is a Mogwai character from the 1990 film Gremlins 2: The New Batch. One of the five mischievous offspring spawned from Gizmo inside Clamp Center’s genetics lab, he’s often seen alongside his dim-witted but loyal companion, George—a duo loosely inspired by Of Mice and Men. Lenny is distinguished by his large, expressive eyes and goofy grin, giving him an air of naïve innocence that contrasts sharply with his chaotic, unpredictable behavior.

After escaping from the Clamp offices, Lenny, George, and Mohawk descend in the elevator and—true to their mischievous instincts—go searching for late-night snacks. Spotting a frozen yogurt stand across the lobby, Lenny, perched gleefully on George’s back, lets his tongue loll out in pure delight. In scenes like this, Gremlins 2: The New Batch employed a mix of “hero” puppets—highly articulated versions used for expressive acting—and specialized gag puppets built for specific shots. This particular Lenny puppet was created specifically for the frozen yogurt sequence, designed with articulated wide eyes and a dangling tongue to capture the character’s gleeful anticipation and childlike curiosity.

This Lenny puppet features a telltale gray animatronic cable emerging from the back of his body—a clear indicator of the servo-driven system used to control his facial expressions. While his arms and torso were performed as a traditional hand puppet, the head contained an unusually advanced range of mechanics for a Mogwai of this scale.

For this sequence, Lenny was outfitted with dedicated servos to articulate his ears, mouth, and even his tongue—all synchronized to enhance the comedic moment where he eagerly anticipates a frozen yogurt feast. The result is a remarkably expressive character build that pushes well beyond standard articulation, perfectly capturing Lenny’s wide-eyed enthusiasm and snack-obsessed charm.