Lars Backman says he is the real-life model for "The Muppets," Swedish Chef. RATTVIK, Sweden, Aug. 6, 2009 — -- ABBA, Alfred Nobel, Bjorn Borg, Greta Garbo -- Sweden has many famous faces. But ...

The Swedish chef—arguably the most recognizable non-animal character from The Muppet Show— has a legion of fans. They dress up as him for Halloween and have created tools to translate English into his ...