The Wizard Who Really Is Oz
Frank Richard Oznowicz was born in Hereford, England on May 25th, 1944. He relocated from England to Belgium when he was six months old and then he moved again with his family to the United States at the age of seven ultimately settling in Oakland, California. Around that time, he adopted the name Frank Oz because people struggled to pronounce Oznowicz. Frank was interested in taking up puppeteering, coming from parents who were both puppeteers. While attending Oakland High School, Oznowics met a young, 23-year-old man also interested in puppeteering: Jim Henson. Befriending one other instantly, Henson asked Oznowics to join him in developing a group of characters who, when combined together, would be an amalgam of the words “marionettes” and “puppets” or “The Muppets.” “The Muppets,” made their television debut on a show called Sam and Friends (1955-1961) and then on Sesame Street (1969-present). The finally got their own show, The Muppet Show in 1976. Oz voiced several of the characters on both shows for many years, but expanded to voice characters for and even direct Disney films!
Frank Oz originated the voices of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Sam the Eagle on “The Muppet Show,” and Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster on “Sesame Street.” (Jim Henson voiced Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Dr. Teeth, and Rowlf the Dog. Each of whom were paired on-screen with Oz’s characters thanks to both the minds of Henson and Oz.) He reprised those characters and others for each film and television spin-off: The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Big Bird’s Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake (1991), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration (1993), Muppet Treasures Island (1996), The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999), Cinderelmo (1999), etc.
Frank Oz also directed “Muppets Take Manhattan,” was one of the producers for “Great Muppet Caper,” and one of the executive producers for “Christmas Carol,” and “Treasure Island.” He and the other Muppet performers each received Primetime Emmys for their contributions to “The Muppet Show,” in the show’s second season in 1978.
When George Lucas was in production for Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), he originally offered the voice-over role of Jedi Master Yoda to Jim Henson. Henson was preoccupied with “The Muppet Show,” however, and suggested Oz instead. Oz accepted and reprised the role for Return of the Jedi (1983), and The Phantom Menace (1999). Yoda was converted from a puppet to CGI for Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), and that conversion received criticism from some Star Wars Fans, but Oz-still the voice of the CGI version-agreed saying: “that’s exactly what Lucas should have done.”
Oz retired from voicing his Muppet characters after Muppets From Space (1999), but he continues to portray Yoda for Disney in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) the Disney XD Series Star Wars Rebels (2014-present), and in the Disney Park Attraction Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (2011). (Eric Jacobson has succeeded as voice talent for each of Oz’s Muppet characters.)
Oz has also lent his voice to Disney/Pixar movies. He voiced Fungus, Randall’s dim-witted sidekick in Monsters, Inc. (2001) and he and fellow Muppet performer Dave Goelz reunited to voice Subconscious Guards Dave and Frank in Inside Out (2015). Frank Oz also directed the Touchstone-produced film What About Bob? (1991) with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss.
Though not in front of a camera, Frank Oz is a multi-talented Hollywood star. Throughout his career, he has juggled the talents of puppeteer, voice-over artist, producer, executive producer, and director. He will forever be remembered as the man who gave life to Miss Piggy, and Fozzie Bear, and as the voice of Yoda. Together, with Jim Henson, Oz helped make puppetry “cool” for adults and children alike.
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