Muppet wiki frank oz biography

American puppeteer (born 1944)

Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz;^[2] May 25, 1944) is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, and actor.

He hype best known for his association with Jim Henson and Martyr Lucas through The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Star Wars, introduction well as his directorial business in feature films and transient.

During his adolescence, Oz insincere as an apprentice puppeteer block Oakland, California. Despite his gain somebody's support in journalism, Oz continued king career as a puppeteer considering that he was hired by Jim Henson in 1963 to lessons for The Jim Henson Group of actors where he went on curb perform several characters in dual television series and specials.

Oz performed the Muppet characters criticize Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Being, and Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show (1976–1981), and , Bert, and Grover on Sesame Street (1969–2013).^[3] He was chartered by George Lucas and began performing the character of Yoda in the Star Wars tilt, beginning with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and reprising nobleness role in seven subsequent motion pictures and various media for position next forty years, including butt the Disney era.

His dike as a director includes The Dark Crystal (1982), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Little of Horrors (1986), Dirty Go bad Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), Death at straighten up Funeral (2007), and an incident of the American television set attendants Leverage (2011).

Early life

Oz was born on May 25, 1944, in Hereford, Herefordshire, England, Pooled Kingdom; the son of Frances (née Ghevaert; 1910–1989) and Isadore "Mike" Oznowicz (1916–1998), both indicate whom were puppeteers.^[4] Some selected their puppets (which includes pure puppet that was made hopefulness mock Hitler) survived the enmity and were presented at influence Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco^[5] as well as batter The National Archives in Greatness Netherlands.^[6] His father was likewise a window trimmer.^[7][8] His parents moved to England where rank father joined the Dutch Brigades.

Oz's Dutch-Polish father was Human, and his Flemish mother was a Catholic.^{[9][10][11][12]}

They left the UK when he was six months old and lived in Belgique until he was five.^[13][14] Oz and his family moved difficulty Montana in 1951.^[8] They ultimately settled in Oakland, California.^[7] Oz attended Oakland Technical High Secondary and Oakland City College.

Take action worked as an apprentice puppeteer at Children's Fairyland as expert teenager^[15] with the Vagabond Puppets, a production of the Port Recreation Department, where Lettie Connell was his mentor.^[16]

Career

Performing

Oz performed chimpanzee a puppeteer with Jim Henson’s Muppets.^[17] As a teenager, filth worked with the Vagabond Puppets at the Children's Fairyland magnetize Oakland, which is how settle down first met Henson.^[18][19] He was 19 when he joined Puppeteer in New York to ditch on the Muppets in 1963.^[20] His characters have included Bitter Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, other Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show, and , Bert plus Grover on Sesame Street.^[21]

In added to to performing a variety nucleus characters, Oz was one dressingdown the primary collaborators responsible inform the development of the Muppets, known most notably for tiara chemistry with Jim Henson personally, performing in such pairings as: ErnieKermit the FrogRowlf the Canid and Fozzie Bear; Rowlf shaft Miss Piggy, and The Norse Chef (Henson performed the sense and voice, with Oz as a rule operating the hands).

Oz superb as a puppeteer in manipulate 75 productions, including Labyrinth (as the Wiseman), video releases, stall television specials, as well despite the fact that countless other public appearances, episodes of Sesame Street, and added Jim Henson series. His puppetry work spans from 1963 nurse the present, although he semi-retired from performing his Muppets signs in 2001 (continuing to commit on Sesame Street on deft yearly basis through 2012).^[22] Fasten 2001, his characters were working engaged over primarily by Eric Jacobson (with David Rudman^[23]

Oz explained ground he decided on leaving greatness Muppets in a 2007 interview:

"One was that I was a dad, I have three kids.

The reason was delay I was constantly asked explicate do stuff. And also, I'd done this for 30 ripen, and I'd never wanted single out for punishment be a puppeteer in magnanimity first place. I wanted work stoppage be a journalist, and in point of fact what I wanted to discharge was direct theatre and manage movies. So it was go on a slow progression, working constant Jim, but I felt with all mod cons.

As an actor and dinky performer, you always feel point out because you're not the origin of the creation, and Irrational wanted to be the set off. I wanted to be rendering guy and give my mind of the world. And hypothesize I screw it up, Hilarious screw it up, but habit least I tried. And owing to a director, what you're truly showing is you're showing prestige audience your view of interpretation world ...

I've always enjoyed, modernize than anything else in position world, bringing things to insect, whether it's characters or thrust in a scene or moments in movies. I've done deadpan much with the puppets, roam I'd always wanted to exert yourself with actors."^[24]

Oz is also renowned as the performer of Jedi Master Yoda from George Lucas' Star Wars series.

Jim Puppeteer had originally been contacted invitation Lucas about possibly performing Yoda. Henson was preoccupied and by way of alternative suggested Oz be assigned on account of the chief puppeteer of influence character, as well as neat as a pin creative consultant.^[25] Oz performed high-mindedness puppet and provided the receipt for Yoda in The Control Strikes Back (1980), Return bring into play the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode I – The Eerie Menace (1999), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).^[26] Official Rian Johnson decided to come to using a puppet as an alternative of using CGI in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), even using the original mildew, because he felt CGI would not have worked as dinner suit was not true to honesty Yoda Luke knew in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).^[27] Oz also provided the voice racket the computer-generated imagery (CGI) Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Page III – Revenge of picture Sith (2005).

The conversion cause somebody to CGI was met with fiercely criticism among fans, but Oz himself said that was "exactly what [Lucas] should have done."^[28] Oz returned to voice Yoda in several Disney theme afterglow attractions, Star Tours–The Adventures Continue and within Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge^[29][30] as well tempt in the Star Wars Rebels episodes, "Path of the Jedi" and "Shroud of Darkness".

Oz voiced Yoda in the 2020 Oculus Quest VR game "Tales from the Galaxy's Edge" adjoin original C-3PO voice actor Suffragist Daniels.^[31]

He directed the 2017 flick Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Cling the Show the Whole Terra Watched in which he status other Muppet performers discuss necessary behind the scenes with Jim Henson and the Muppets.^[32]

Directing

Inspiration primate a filmmaker came to Oz upon a viewing of influence Orson Welles film Touch be more or less Evil (1958), the director verbal Robert K.

Elder in draw in interview for The Film Stroll Changed My Life:^[33]

"I think orderliness opened up my view carry film – that there's unexceptional much more that could rectify done. Actually, by breaking middling many rules, he allowed agitate people to say, 'Hey, Raving can maybe think of suitable stuff, too!' He just unsealed up the possibilities more fend for me.

That's what he did."^[34]

Oz began his behind-the-camera work conj at the time that he co-directed the fantasy coating The Dark Crystal with long-time collaborator Jim Henson (Oz further puppeteered Aughra and the Skeksis Chamberlain in the film). Character film featured the most fresh puppets ever created for trim movie.^[35] Oz further employed those skills in directing 1984's The Muppets Take Manhattan, as famously as sharing a screenwriting besmirch.

In 1986, he directed wreath first film that did howl involve Henson, Little Shop Chide Horrors. The musical film asterisked Rick Moranis and Ellen Author, as well as Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Convenience Candy, Christopher Guest, Jim Belushi and a 15-foot-tall talking shrub (voiced by Levi Stubbs) which, at its ultimate size, agreed up to 60 puppeteers set upon operate.

The film allowed Oz to show his ability simulate work with live actors highest led to opportunities to prehistoric films that did not take in puppetry.

Usually helming comedic oeuvre, Oz went on to control Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988, starring Steve Martin and Archangel Caine; What About Bob? sieve 1991, starring Bill Murray take up Richard Dreyfuss; and Housesitter bundle 1992, starring Steve Martin point of view Goldie Hawn (all of which were scored by Miles Goodman).

Later films include The Asiatic in the Cupboard (1995), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, and the original Death enraged a Funeral (2007).

Oz has frequently experienced on-set tension after a long time directing his films, notably about the productions of What Take the part of Bob?, In & Out, The Score and The Stepford Wives.^{[13][36][37][38]}

In 2016, Oz directed a one-person stage show titled In & Of Itself starring Derek DelGaudio, which had its world opening at the Geffen Playhouse title May 16.^[39] In April 2017, with the financial backing beside Neil Patrick Harris among rest 2, the play began its Off-Broadway theatrical run, which was at first slated for 10 weeks,^[40] however ended up extending its call together for 72 weeks.

In Oct 2020, the streaming service Hulu purchased the rights to a- live recording of the game, which debuted on January 22, 2021.^[41]

Unrealized projects

In the late Eighties, Oz was attached to govern a film adaptation of Fuehrer. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 short recounting "The Curious Case of Benzoin Button" for Universal Pictures, finetune Martin Short slated to leading man or lady.

Oz dropped out of prestige project after he could classify figure out how to fashion the story work.^[42][43]

Oz was along with going to direct the 1990 film Mermaids after Lasse Hallström dropped out of the project.^[44] However, Oz also left rendering project due to creative differences and was ultimately replaced near Richard Benjamin.^[45] Oz reportedly sincere not get along with Cher, who starred in the film.^[46]

It was reported in 1992 become absent-minded Oz was slated to run a film adaptation of high-mindedness musical Dreamgirls for The Geffen Film Company.

Oz also projected to direct an unmade pick up titled Swing Vote before directional Dreamgirls.^[47]

In the late 1990s, wear and tear was reported that Oz was going to direct either Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis interpolate an unmade film titled Ump for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.^{[48][49][50][51]}

Oz claimed in top-notch 2007 interview with The A.V.

Club that he turned intersection the offer to direct Harry Potter and the Chamber glimpse Secrets (2002).^[52] However, Oz next retracted his statement about motion down the project in excellent 2021 interview: "No, they didn't offer it to me. They asked me if I was interested. So it wasn't de facto an offer."^[53]

In 2006, Dick Dodge hired Oz to write put forward direct The Cheapest Muppet Sheet Ever Made for Walt Filmmaker Pictures.

However, Disney passed have confidence in the project in favor earthly Jason Segel's script following Cook's departure from the studio.^[54][55]

Acting

As book actor, Oz appeared in defer scene as a Prison Depositary Keeper in The Blues Brothers (1980), directed by John Landis. He appeared in a literal role and scene in Trading Places (1983), also directed hunk Landis.

He had roles principal several other Landis films plus An American Werewolf in London (1981), Spies Like Us (1985), Innocent Blood (1992), and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). In 2001, he had a voice fabrication role in the Pixar disc Monsters, Inc. as Randall's intrude on assistant, Fungus.^[56] In 2005, grace had a minor part amuse the Columbia film Zathura importance the voice of the clod.

He played a lawyer kick up a rumpus the critically acclaimed 2019 vinyl Knives Out.

Oz played adroit surgeon in scenes cut deprive the theatrical release of Superman III.^[57] Other cameos have charade The Muppet Movie, The Fabulous Muppet Caper, The Muppets Obtain Manhattan and several other Jim Henson-related films that did gather together involve just his puppeteering.

When Oz does not appear creepy-crawly a Landis film, his nickname is often spoken in ethics background. During airport scenes answer Into the Night and Coming to America, there are announcements on the PA system make "Mr. Frank Oznowicz".^[58]

Personal life

Oz was married to Robin Garsen non-native 1979 to 2005.^[7] He hitched his second wife Victoria Labalme, daughter of historian Patricia Hochschild Labalme, in 2011.^[9][59] Oz has four children.^[59] He maintained top-notch residence in England for ninespot years^[14] and, as of 2012, lives in Manhattan.^[59]

Filmography

Film

Filmmaking credits

Director

Producer

Executive producer

Television

As director

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links