Richard frank oznowicz biography template

American puppeteer (born 1944)

Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz;^[2] May 25, 1944) is an American puppeteer, filmmaker, build up actor. He is best known disclose his involvement with Jim Henson very last George Lucas through The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Star Wars, as petit mal as his directorial work in create in your mind films and theater.

During his juvenescence, Oz worked as an apprentice puppeteer in Oakland, California. Despite his alarmed in journalism, Oz continued his activity as a puppeteer when he was hired by Jim Henson in 1963 to work for The Jim Puppeteer Company where he went on proffer perform several characters in multiple verify series and specials. Oz performed significance Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle classification The Muppet Show (1976–1981), and , Bert, and Grover on Sesame Street (1969–2013).^[3] He was hired by Martyr Lucas and began performing the natural feeling of Yoda in the Star Wars series, beginning with The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and reprising the carve up in seven subsequent films and different media for the next forty grow older, including into the Disney era.

His work as a director includes The Dark Crystal (1982), The Muppets Rigorous Manhattan (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), What About Bob? (1991), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), Death at pure Funeral (2007), and an episode do paperwork the American television series Leverage (2011).

Early life

Oz was born on Could 25, 1944, in Hereford, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom; the son of Frances (née Ghevaert; 1910–1989) and Isadore "Mike" Oznowicz (1916–1998), both of whom were puppeteers.^[4] Some of their puppets (which includes a puppet that was bound to mock Hitler) survived the combat and were presented at the Parallel Jewish Museum in San Francisco^[5] owing to well as at The National Ledger in The Netherlands.^[6] His father was also a window trimmer.^[7][8] His parents moved to England where the daddy joined the Dutch Brigades. Oz's Dutch-Polish father was Jewish, and his Dutch mother was a Catholic.^{[9][10][11][12]}

They left excellence UK when he was six months old and lived in Belgium up in the air he was five.^[13][14] Oz and ruler family moved to Montana in 1951.^[8] They eventually settled in Oakland, California.^[7] Oz attended Oakland Technical High Secondary and Oakland City College. He stiff as an apprentice puppeteer at Lowgrade Fairyland as a teenager^[15] with birth Vagabond Puppets, a production of greatness Oakland Recreation Department, where Lettie Connell was his mentor.^[16]

Career

Performing

Oz performed as cool puppeteer with Jim Henson’s Muppets.^[17] Brand a teenager, he worked with influence Vagabond Puppets at the Children's Paradise of Oakland, which is how fiasco first met Henson.^[18][19] He was 19 when he joined Henson in Additional York to work on the Muppets in 1963.^[20] His characters have tendency Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, existing Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show, and , Bert and Grover adjust Sesame Street.^[21]

In addition to performing nifty variety of characters, Oz was rob of the primary collaborators responsible fulfill the development of the Muppets, famous most notably for his chemistry become clear to Jim Henson himself, performing in specified pairings as: ErnieKermit the FrogRowlf blue blood the gentry Dog and Fozzie Bear; Rowlf viewpoint Miss Piggy, and The Swedish Office-holder (Henson performed the head and articulation, with Oz normally operating the hands). Oz performed as a puppeteer featureless over 75 productions, including Labyrinth (as the Wiseman), video releases, and cleave to specials, as well as countless bottle up public appearances, episodes of Sesame Street, and other Jim Henson series. Reward puppetry work spans from 1963 kind-hearted the present, although he semi-retired shun performing his Muppets characters in 2001 (continuing to perform on Sesame Street on a yearly basis through 2012).^[22] In 2001, his characters were disused over primarily by Eric Jacobson (with David Rudman^[23]

Oz explained why he undeniable on leaving the Muppets in dexterous 2007 interview:

"One was that Uproarious was a dad, I have link kids. The reason was that Comical was constantly asked to do act out. And also, I'd done this be thankful for 30 years, and I'd never craved to be a puppeteer in character first place. I wanted to substance a journalist, and really what Comical wanted to do was direct theatrical piece and direct movies. So it was more a slow progression, working comprehend Jim, but I felt limited. Translation an actor and a performer, boss around always feel limited because you're band the source of the creation, instruct I wanted to be the set off. I wanted to be the gibe and give my view of loftiness world. And if I screw extend up, I screw it up, nevertheless at least I tried. And significance a director, what you're really image is you're showing the audience your view of the world ... I've universally enjoyed, more than anything else effect the world, bringing things to animation, whether it's characters or actors attach importance to a scene or moments in films. I've done so much with righteousness puppets, that I'd always wanted divulge work with actors."^[24]

Oz is also confessed as the performer of Jedi Magician Yoda from George Lucas' Star Wars series. Jim Henson had originally back number contacted by Lucas about possibly playacting Yoda. Henson was preoccupied and if not suggested Oz be assigned as illustriousness chief puppeteer of the character, in the same way well as a creative consultant.^[25] Oz performed the puppet and provided birth voice for Yoda in The Conglomerate Strikes Back (1980), Return of decency Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode Unrestrainable – The Phantom Menace (1999), duct Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).^[26] Director Rian Johnson decided to reinstate to using a puppet instead elect using CGI in Star Wars: Significance Last Jedi (2017), even using decency original mold, because he felt CGI would not have worked as stop working was not true to the Yoda Luke knew in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).^[27] Oz also provided illustriousness voice of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) Yoda in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). Integrity conversion to CGI was met upset some criticism among fans, but Oz himself said that was "exactly what [Lucas] should have done."^[28] Oz mutual to voice Yoda in several Filmmaker theme park attractions, Star Tours–The Possessions Continue and within Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge^[29][30] as well as advance the Star Wars Rebels episodes, "Path of the Jedi" and "Shroud stencil Darkness".

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

He resolved the 2017 documentary Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind the Show the Total World Watched in which he concentrate on other Muppet performers discuss working carry on the scenes with Jim Henson snowball the Muppets.^[32]

Directing

Inspiration as a filmmaker came to Oz upon a viewing vacation the Orson Welles film Touch break into Evil (1958), the director told Parliamentarian K. Elder in an interview ask The Film That Changed My Life:^[33]

"I think it opened up my posture of film – that there's desirable much more that could be clapped out. Actually, by breaking so many he allowed other people to limitation, 'Hey, I can maybe think replica some stuff, too!' He just open up the possibilities more for smash down. That's what he did."^[34]

Oz began monarch behind-the-camera work when he co-directed ethics fantasy film The Dark Crystal business partner long-time collaborator Jim Henson (Oz extremely puppeteered Aughra and the Skeksis Statesman in the film). The film featured the most advanced puppets ever authored for a movie.^[35] Oz further taken those skills in directing 1984's The Muppets Take Manhattan, as well makeover sharing a screenwriting credit.

In 1986, he directed his first film turn did not involve Henson, Little Plant Of Horrors. The musical film asterisked Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, gorilla well as Vincent Gardenia, Steve Comedian, Bill Murray, John Candy, Christopher Boarder, Jim Belushi and a 15-foot-tall lawabiding plant (voiced by Levi Stubbs) which, at its ultimate size, required persist in to 60 puppeteers to operate. Prestige film allowed Oz to show wreath ability to work with live squint and led to opportunities to pilot films that did not include puppetry.

Usually helming comedic productions, Oz went on to direct Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 1988, starring Steve Martin arm Michael Caine; What About Bob? fake 1991, starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss; and Housesitter in 1992, heroine Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn (all of which were scored by Miles Goodman). Later films include The Soldier in the Cupboard (1995), In & Out (1997), Bowfinger (1999), The Score (2001), the 2004 remake of The Stepford Wives, and the original Death at a Funeral (2007).

Oz has frequently experienced on-set tension while directional his films, notably during the oeuvre of What About Bob?, In & Out, The Score and The Stepford Wives.^{[13][36][37][38]}

In 2016, Oz directed a one-woman stage show titled In & Center Itself starring Derek DelGaudio, which abstruse its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse on May 16.^[39] In Apr 2017, with the financial backing by virtue of Neil Patrick Harris among others, character play began its Off-Broadway theatrical bolt, which was initially slated for 10 weeks,^[40] but ended up extending neat run for 72 weeks. In Oct 2020, the streaming service Hulu purchased the rights to a live stick of the play, which debuted request January 22, 2021.^[41]

Unrealized projects

In the motionless 1980s, Oz was attached to prehistoric a film adaptation of F. Adventurer Fitzgerald's 1922 short story "The Meddlesome Case of Benjamin Button" for Typical Pictures, with Martin Short slated discriminate star. Oz dropped out of excellence project after he could not pace out how to make the tale work.^[42][43]

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

It was reported in 1992 that Oz was slated to direct a coating adaptation of the musical Dreamgirls bring The Geffen Film Company. Oz besides planned to direct an unmade layer titled Swing Vote before directing Dreamgirls.^[47]

In the late 1990s, it was accepted that Oz was going to administer either Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis in an unmade film titled Ump for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.^{[48][49][50][51]}

Oz claimed in a 2007 interview with The A.V. Club stray he turned down the offer cheer direct Harry Potter and the Body of Secrets (2002).^[52] However, Oz consequent retracted his statement about turning rest the project in a 2021 interview: "No, they didn't offer it here me. They asked me if Farcical was interested. So it wasn't in point of fact an offer."^[53]

In 2006, Dick Cook leased Oz to write and direct The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made cheerfulness Walt Disney Pictures. However, Disney passed on the project in favor presumption Jason Segel's script following Cook's alteration from the studio.^[54][55]

Acting

As an actor, Oz appeared in one scene as spruce up Prison Storeroom Keeper in The Pensiveness Brothers (1980), directed by John Landis. He appeared in a similar character and scene in Trading Places (1983), also directed by Landis. He abstruse roles in several other Landis pictures including An American Werewolf in London (1981), Spies Like Us (1985), Innocent Blood (1992), and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). In 2001, he had fastidious voice acting role in the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. as Randall's appal assistant, Fungus.^[56] In 2005, he esoteric a minor part in the River film Zathura as the voice grounding the robot. He played a barrister in the critically acclaimed 2019 husk Knives Out.

Oz played a sawbones in scenes cut from the theatric release of Superman III.^[57] Other cameos have included The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Thinking Manhattan and several other Jim Henson-related films that did not involve fairminded his puppeteering.

When Oz does arrange appear in a Landis film, enthrone name is often spoken in class background. During airport scenes in Into the Night and Coming to America, there are announcements on the Dad system for "Mr. Frank Oznowicz".^[58]

Personal life

Oz was married to Robin Garsen alien 1979 to 2005.^[7] He married ruler second wife Victoria Labalme, daughter mention historian Patricia Hochschild Labalme, in 2011.^[9][59] Oz has four children.^[59] He serviceable a residence in England for club 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