Frank OZ was born on May 25, 1944 in Hereford,
England.
Sometimes Frank Oz is creditied as Fozzie Bear,
Jim Henson's Muppets, The Muppets and/or Miss Piggy.
Frank Oz often works with Steve Martin (THE MUPPET
MOVIE, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, HOUSESITTERS,
and BOWFINGER). The man who has given life to such beloved Muppet
characters as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Bert (on "Sesame Street"),
Cookie Monster, Grover, and Animal has become a film director
of note, with a number of popular comedies to Frank Oz's credits.
Frank began staging puppet shows when he was 12.
Seven years later at 19, Frank Oz joined Jim Henson's staff of puppeteers
and gradually became Henson's closest collaborator,
on the landmark children's TV shows SESAME STREET and THE MUPPET
SHOW. Frank Oz has appeared in many of Director John Landis's
films, as a good luck charm of sorts.
The last 3 digits/letters of Frank Oz's cars license
plate are "PYK," for Piggy, Yoda, and Kermit. Frank Oz is a
recipient of the prestigious Connor Award given by the brothers
of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity based out of Emerson College
in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also an honorary brother of
the fraternity. The Muppet 'Fozzy (Or Fozzie) Bear' is named
after Frank Oz, using his first initial - F - and his last name
- Oz - to create the moniker Fozzy.
In 1983 Frank Oz co-directed the fantasy film
THE DARK CRYSTAL with Henson and then soloed on the third Muppet
movie, THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN.
Frank Oz's most notable "performance" was as the
Muppet-like Jedi master Yoda in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and
in RETURN OF THE JEDI.
Frank Oz's other notable credits include...
A SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS CAROL (2006)
ELMO"S POTTY TIME (2006)
GUESS THAT SHAPE AND COLOR (2006)
ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE (2005)
ELMO VISITS THE DOCTOR (2005)
SESAME STREET: ALL-STAR ALPHABET (2005)
STAR
WARS: EPISODE III (2005)
STAR WARS:
EPISODE II (2002)
STAR WARS:
EPISODE I (1999)
STAR WARS:
RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)
THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (1984)
MONSTERS INC (2001)
BLUES BROTHERS 2000 (1998)
THE BLUES
BROTHERS (1980)
LABYRINTH (1986)
TRADING
PLACES (1983)
THE MUPPET SHOW (1976 - TV Series)