Frank Oz (born May 25, 1944) is an American film director, actor and puppeteer. is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a puppet— in real time to create the illusion of life. ...

Biography

Early life

Oz was born Richard Frank Oznowicz^[1] in Hereford, England to Frances and Isidore Oznowicz,^[2] both of whom were puppeteers. His parents were refugees from the Holocaust who moved to England after fighting the Nazis with the Dutch Brigades. Oz's Dutch/Polish father was Jewish and his Flemish mother was a lapsed Catholic.^[3][4][5] Oz moved to California, United States with his parents when he was five years old. He attended Oakland City College. For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a puppet— in real time to create the illusion of life. ... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ... National Socialism redirects here. ... The Royal Netherlands Motorized Infantry Brigade was initially formed from approximately 1500 Dutch troops, including a small group guarding German POWs, who arrived in the UK in May 1940 following the collapse of the Netherlands. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Laney College is a community college located in Oakland, California. ...

Career

Oz is known for his work as a puppeteer (including voices), performing with Jim Henson's Muppets. His characters have included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Sam the Eagle on The Muppet Show, and Grover, Cookie Monster and Bert on Sesame Street, among many others. The Muppet character Fozzie Bear is actually not named after Frank Oz, as is widely believed. Fozzie is named after Muppet builder Faz Fazakas, who invented the device which enabled Fozzie to wiggle his ears. In addition to performing a variety of characters, Oz has been one of the primary collaborators responsible for the development of the Muppets over the last 30 years. Oz has performed as a Muppeteer in over 75 movies, video releases, and TV specials, as well as countless other public appearances, episodes of Sesame Street, and other Jim Henson series. His puppetry work spans from 1963 to the present day. He also worked with the puppets on the movie Labyrinth, starring David Bowie. Jim Henson, born James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was the most widely known American puppeteer in modern American television history. ... John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear in Muppets Treasure Island (and Mr. ... Sam the Eagle Sam the Eagle is a character from the syndicated television show The Muppet Show, performed by Frank Oz. ... The Muppet Show was a television program featuring a cast of Muppets (diverse hand-operated puppets, typically with oversized eyes and large moving mouths) produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. ... Grover and Kimiko on Sesame Street A Celebration of Me, Grover DVD cover Grover shown alongside another character from Sesame Street, Kermit the Frog, on the cover of The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street. ... This article is about the Sesame Street character. ... Bert hosting a convention of the National Association of W Lovers meeting Bert is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Services long-running childrens television show, Sesame Street. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear in Muppets Treasure Island (and Mr. ... TV redirects here. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Labyrinth is a 1986 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed through the art of Brian Froud. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ...

Arguably, Oz's most famous character is the diminutive Jedi Master Yoda from George Lucas' Star Wars series. Oz performed the voice and puppet for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace, and provided the voice of the CGI Yoda in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The conversion to CG was met with some criticism among fans but Oz himself said that was "exactly what [Lucas] should have done."^[6] Oz had a great deal of creative input on the character, and was himself responsible for creating the character's trademark style of reversed grammar. George Lucas was so impressed by Oz's performance as Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back that he spent thousands of dollars on an advertising campaign to try to get him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Jedi Knights and Jedi Knight redirect here. ... Yoda is a fictional character from the Star Wars universe, who appears in all of the franchises films except for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... This article is about the series. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the first released Star Wars movie, and the second film released in the original trilogy. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, is a science fiction film that debuted in 1983, and re-released with changes in 1997 and 2004. ... Film poster for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 film by George Lucas starring Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and Jake Lloyd. ... Computer-generated imagery (commonly abbreviated as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones is a 2002 science fantasy film directed by George Lucas. ... Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the third episode of the Star Wars film series (but the sixth film to be produced), to be released on Thursday, May 19, 2005. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to the first released Star Wars movie, and the second film released in the original trilogy. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

As an actor, Oz appeared in 1980 as a corrections officer in The Blues Brothers movie, directed by John Landis. He also appeared in later Landis movies An American Werewolf in London, Spies Like Us, Trading Places and Innocent Blood. In 1998, Oz portrayed a warden in Blues Brothers 2000. And while it wasn't for Landis, in 2001 he had a minor part in the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. as Randall's scare assistant Fungus. The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a Saturday Night Live musical sketch. ... John David Landis (born August 3, 1950) is an American movie actor, director, writer, and producer. ... An American Werewolf in London is a comedy/horror film released in 1981, written and directed by John Landis. ... Spies Like Us is the name of a 1985 comedy film directed by John Landis, starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, and Donna Dixon. ... This article is about the 1983 movie. ... Innocent Blood (aka A French Vampire in America) is a 1992 film. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Blues Brothers 2000 is a 1998 musical/comedy film and sequel to the highly successful 1980 film The Blues Brothers. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Pixars studio lot in Emeryville Pixar Animation Studios is an American computer animation studio based in Emeryville, California (USA) notable for its seven Academy Awards. ... Monsters, Inc. ...

Other cameos have included playing a surgeon in scenes cut from the theatrical release of Superman III,^[7] The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan and several other Jim Henson-related films that didn't involve just his puppeteering. Superman III (originally titled Superman vs. ... The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... The Great Muppet Caper is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... The Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Hensons Muppets, and the final film before Hensons death. ... Jim Henson, born James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was the most widely known American puppeteer in modern American television history. ...

Oz began his behind-the-camera work when he co-directed the fantasy film The Dark Crystal with long-time collaborator Jim Henson. The film featured the most advanced puppets ever created for a movie. Oz further employed those skills in directing 1986's Little Shop Of Horrors. The musical film starred Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, as well as Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Candy, Christopher Guest, and a 15-foot-tall talking plant (voiced by Levi Stubbs) which at times required up to 40 puppeteers to operate. The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Little Shop of Horrors is a 1986 screen adaptation of the off-Broadway stage musical of the same name. ... Frederick Alan Rick Moranis (born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian actor, comedian and musician best known for his comedy work on SCTV and featured in several Hollywood films including Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs, and My Blue Heaven. ... Ellen Greene (b. ... For other uses, see Steve Martin (disambiguation). ... William James Bill Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning American comedian and actor. ... John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian comedian and actor. ... For the Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, see Christopher Guest, Baron Guest. ... Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, June 6, 1936 in Detroit, Michigan) is famous as the lead singer from Motown band The Four Tops. ...

Oz went on to direct Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988, starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, What About Bob? in 1991, starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, and HouseSitter in 1992. Later films include The Indian in the Cupboard (1995), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), the 2004 re-make of The Stepford Wives, and Death at a Funeral (2007). Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine as the con artists of the title. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Steve Martin (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English actor. ... For the Dresden Files episode, see What About Bob? (Dresden). ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... William James Bill Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning American comedian and actor. ... Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (born October 29, 1947) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... HouseSitter is a 1992 comedy movie starring Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn and Dana Delany. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Promotional movie poster for the film The Indian in the Cupboard is a 1995 film based on the childrens book The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Film poster for In & Out. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Middle Finger gesture (possibly offensive) The finger, as in giving someone the finger, known variously as the one-finger salute, the highway salute, flicking (someone) off, flipping (someone) off, flipping the bird, showing someone the middle finger, digital signalling, Thumbs up plus 2, or the Trudeau salute (in Canada... This article is about the year. ... The Score is a 2001 crime drama. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Stepford Wives is a 2004 black comedy/science fiction film based on the Ira Levin novel The Stepford Wives. ... Death at a Funeral is a 2007 black comedy film directed by Frank Oz and written by Dean Craig. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

It was rumored that during the filming of The Score, Marlon Brando refused to take direction from Oz, causing Robert De Niro to act as an intermediary to relay instructions. Brando is reported to have called Oz "Miss Piggy", and to have once said to Oz, "I bet you wish I was a puppet so you could stick your hand up my ass and make me do whatever you want".^[8] Oz has, however, said that such claims are exaggerations.^[9] The Score is a 2001 crime drama. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Robert De Niro in 1988 Robert De Niro (born August 17, 1943) is a two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning American film actor, director, and producer. ...

Contrary to internet rumor, Oz was never in the running to direct 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Said Oz, "Don't listen to IMDB." He implies had he been offered the director's seat, he would have turned it down.^[10] Not to be confused with the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

References

External links

• Muppet Wiki: Frank Oz
• Frank Oz at the Internet Movie Database