Frank Oz
Born Frank Oznowicz, in Hereford, England in 1944, young Frank Oz's parents were both puppeteers. They moved from England to Belgium, then Montana, before settling in Oakland, California. Oz began puppeteering at age 12. When he was 17 he met Jim Henson at a Puppeteers of America festival, and went to join him in New York the next year, after graduating from high school. His first on screen puppeteering came in 1963, when he was the right hand of Henson's Rowlf the Dog on "The Jimmy Dean Show" (ABC, 1963-1966). When "Sesame Street" (NET, 1969; PBS, 1970- ; HBO, 2016-) premiered, Oz became part of the fabric of children's lives around the country. He created and performed some of the best-loved characters on the show, including Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster. The trend continued with "The Muppet Show" (ITV/ABC, 1976-1981), with Oz performing Miss Piggie, Fozzy Bear, Animal, and more. The shows was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Comedy-Variety and/or Music Series three times and won the award in 1978. Oz created and performed the role of Yoda in "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), his first major success without Henson. His first directing credit came when he paired with Henson to direct the fantasy "The Dark Crystal" (1982). Oz managed to completely escape Henson's muppet empire when he directed "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986). The success of that film helped propel a directing career that included "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (1988), "Bowfinger" (1999), and "The Stepford Wives" (2004) among others. Oz continued to lend his voice to the occasional animated film, like "Inside Out" (2015) while still voicing characters on "Sesame Street," "The Muppets," and Yoda in the evolving "Star Wars" universe.
Photos
Frank Oz
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
90% |
|
Inside Out 2 | Dave (Voice) | $653.0M | 2024 |
100% |
|
Jim Henson Idea Man | Self | - | 2024 |
No Score Yet |
|
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi - 40th Anniversary | Yoda (Voice) | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fuzzy Head | Executive Producer | - | 2023 |
No Score Yet |
|
Echoes of Violence | Dante (Character) | - | 2021 |
95% |
|
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street | Self | - | 2021 |
100% |
|
Derek DelGaudio's In & of Itself | Director | - | 2020 |
97% |
|
Knives Out | Alan Stevens (Character) | $165.4M | 2019 |
91% |
|
Star Wars: The Last Jedi | Yoda (Voice) | $620.2M | 2017 |
100% |
|
Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Whole World Watched |
Director, Producer |
- | 2017 |
65% |
|
The Great Gilly Hopkins | Voice of Cookie Monster (Voice) | - | 2016 |
84% |
|
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story | Unknown (Character) | $13.0K | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Muppets 201: Rarities From the Henson Vault |
Fozzie Bear / |
- | 2009 |
62% |
|
Death at a Funeral | Director | - | 2007 |
77% |
|
Zathura | Robot (Voice) | $28.0M | 2005 |
80% |
|
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith | Yoda (Voice) | $380.3M | 2005 |
26% |
|
The Stepford Wives | Director | $59.5M | 2004 |
65% |
|
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones | Yoda (Voice) | $310.7M | 2002 |
96% |
|
Monsters, Inc. | Fungus (Voice) | $494.0K | 2001 |
74% |
|
The Score | Director | $71.1M | 2001 |
77% |
|
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland |
Bert/ |
$11.6M | 1999 |
81% |
|
Bowfinger | Director | $66.4M | 1999 |
63% |
|
Muppets From Space |
Miss Piggy/ |
$16.3M | 1999 |
52% |
|
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | Master Yoda (Voice) | $452.0M | 1999 |
46% |
|
Blues Brothers 2000 | Warden (Character) | $14.0M | 1998 |
74% |
|
In & Out | Director | $63.9M | 1997 |
71% |
|
Muppet Treasure Island |
Miss Piggy / Executive Producer |
$34.3M | 1996 |
70% |
|
The Indian in the Cupboard | Director | $31.1M | 1995 |
No Score Yet |
|
Muppet Classic Theater | Unknown (Character) | - | 1994 |
36% |
|
Housesitter | Director | $58.1M | 1992 |
77% |
|
The Muppet Christmas Carol |
Miss Piggy/ Executive Producer |
$27.4M | 1992 |
82% |
|
What About Bob? | Director | $63.5M | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What About Bob? | Director | - | 1991 |
89% |
|
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels | Director | $40.9M | 1988 |
No Score Yet |
|
A Muppet Family Christmas | Unknown (Character) | - | 1987 |
91% |
|
Little Shop of Horrors | Director | $36.5M | 1986 |
85% |
|
The Muppets Take Manhattan |
Miss Piggy (Voice), Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1984 |
89% |
|
Trading Places | Corrupt Cop (Character) | - | 1983 |
82% |
|
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi | Yoda (Voice) | $314.3M | 1983 |
No Score Yet |
|
Big Bird in China |
Bert / |
- | 1983 |
78% |
|
The Dark Crystal | Director | - | 1982 |
89% |
|
An American Werewolf in London |
Mr. Collins/ |
- | 1981 |
78% |
|
The Great Muppet Caper |
Miss Piggy/ Producer |
- | 1981 |
71% |
|
The Blues Brothers | Corrections Officer (Character) | - | 1980 |
95% |
|
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | Yoda (Voice) | $291.9M | 1980 |
100% |
|
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas | Chuck (Voice) | - | 1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Run, Run | Cinematographer | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet |
|
Time Piece | Messenger Boy (Character) | - | 1965 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sesame Street |
Bert/ Unknown (Voice) |
1969-1970 1993 2020 |
No Score Yet | 64% | StarTalk | Guest | 2018 |
98% | 85% | Star Wars Rebels | Yoda (Voice) | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Colbert Report | Guest | 2012 |
92% | 88% | Leverage | Director | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 64% | Family Guy | Cookie Monster (Guest Voice) | 2005 |
60% | No Score Yet | Muppets Tonight | Unknown (Character) | 1996-1998 |
100% | 90% | The Muppet Show | Fozzie Bear (Character) | 1974-1981 |