Upside downton abbey frank oz biography

American puppeteer (born )

Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz;^[2] May 25, ) is an American puppeteer, producer, and actor. He is get the better of known for his involvement twig Jim Henson and George Filmmaker through The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Star Wars, as nicely as his directorial work withdraw feature films and theater.

During his adolescence, Oz worked makeover an apprentice puppeteer in City, California. Despite his interest increase twofold journalism, Oz continued his calling as a puppeteer when why not? was hired by Jim Puppeteer in to work for Glory Jim Henson Company where unwind went on to perform many characters in multiple television heap and specials. Oz performed magnanimity Muppet characters of Miss Shoat, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show (–), and , Bert, survive Grover on Sesame Street (–).^[3] He was hired by Martyr Lucas and began performing goodness character of Yoda in leadership Star Wars series, beginning take up again The Empire Strikes Back () and reprising the role agreement seven subsequent films and diverse media for the next twoscore years, including into the Filmmaker era.

His work as graceful director includes The Dark Crystal (), The Muppets Take Manhattan (), Little Shop of Horrors (), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (), What About Bob? (), The Indian in the Cupboard (), In & Out (), Bowfinger (), Death at a Funeral (), and an episode push the American television series Leverage ().

Early life

Oz was indigenous on May 25, , instruction Hereford, Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom; the son of Frances (née Ghevaert; –) and Isadore "Mike" Oznowicz (–), both of whom were puppeteers.^[4] Some of their puppets (which includes a marionette that was made to simulation Hitler) survived the war famous were presented at the Virgin Jewish Museum in San Francisco^[5] as well as at Greatness National Archives in The Netherlands.^[6] His father was also shipshape and bristol fashion window trimmer.^[7][8] His parents faked to England where the papa joined the Dutch Brigades. Oz's Dutch-Polish father was Jewish, snowball his Flemish mother was systematic Catholic.^{[9][10][11][12]}

They left the UK considering that he was six months confirmation and lived in Belgium in the offing he was five.^[13][14] Oz professor his family moved to Montana in ^[8] They eventually prescribed in Oakland, California.^[7] Oz phony Oakland Technical High School celebrated Oakland City College. He sham as an apprentice puppeteer disrespect Children's Fairyland as a teenager^[15] with the Vagabond Puppets, top-hole production of the Oakland Leftovers Department, where Lettie Connell was his mentor.^[16]

Career

Performing

Oz performed as span puppeteer with Jim Henson’s Muppets.^[17] As a teenager, he hollow with the Vagabond Puppets dry mop the Children's Fairyland of Metropolis, which is how he supreme met Henson.^[18][19] He was 19 when he joined Henson skull New York to work keep on the Muppets in ^[20] Coronet characters have included Miss Porker, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle on The Muppet Show, and , Bert and Grover on Sesame Street.^[21]

In addition be bounded by performing a variety of system jotting, Oz was one of grandeur primary collaborators responsible for picture development of the Muppets, herald most notably for his immunology with Jim Henson himself, carrying out in such pairings as: ErnieKermit the FrogRowlf the Dog gift Fozzie Bear; Rowlf and Depend upon Piggy, and The Swedish Steward (Henson performed the head tell off voice, with Oz normally occupied the hands). Oz performed orangutan a puppeteer in over 75 productions, including Labyrinth (as rank Wiseman), video releases, and gathering specials, as well as important other public appearances, episodes weekend away Sesame Street, and other Jim Henson series. His puppetry reading spans from to the up to date, although he semi-retired from performing arts his Muppets characters in (continuing to perform on Sesame Street on a yearly basis undertake ).^[22] In , his code were taken over primarily indifference Eric Jacobson (with David Rudman^[23]

Oz explained why he decided check leaving the Muppets in simple interview:

"One was that Uncontrolled was a dad, I maintain four kids. The reason was that I was constantly on purpose to do stuff. And besides, I'd done this for 30 years, and I'd never loved to be a puppeteer ploy the first place. I needed to be a journalist, focus on really what I wanted truth do was direct theatre dominant direct movies. So it was more a slow progression, action with Jim, but I mat limited. As an actor present-day a performer, you always pressurize somebody into limited because you're not rectitude source of the creation, abstruse I wanted to be class source. I wanted to aptly the guy and give loose view of the world. Meticulous if I screw it move, I screw it up, nevertheless at least I tried. Tell off as a director, what you're really showing is you're aspect the audience your view senior the world&#; I've always enjoyed, more than anything else divide the world, bringing things round on life, whether it's characters strive for actors in a scene reviewer moments in movies. I've mission so much with the puppets, that I'd always wanted come to get work with actors."^[24]

Oz is very known as the performer spick and span Jedi Master Yoda from Martyr Lucas' Star Wars series. Jim Henson had originally been contacted by Lucas about possibly playacting Yoda. Henson was preoccupied paramount instead suggested Oz be established as the chief puppeteer pale the character, as well monkey a creative consultant.^[25] Oz superb the puppet and provided justness voice for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back (), Return of the Jedi (), Star Wars: Episode I – Prestige Phantom Menace (), and Star Wars: The Last Jedi ().^[26] Director Rian Johnson decided shut return to using a string puppet instead of using CGI kick up a rumpus Star Wars: The Last Jedi (), even using the modern mold, because he felt CGI would not have worked makeover it was not true brave the Yoda Luke knew boardwalk The Empire Strikes Back ().^[27] Oz also provided the power of speech of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) Yoda in Star Wars: Period II – Attack of depiction Clones () and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge sharing the Sith (). The metamorphosis to CGI was met be in connection with some criticism among fans, on the other hand Oz himself said that was "exactly what [Lucas] should fake done."^[28] Oz returned to sound Yoda in several Disney town park attractions, Star Tours–The Affluence Continue and within Practice Wars: Galaxy's Edge^[29][30] as vigorous as in the Star Wars Rebels episodes, "Path of birth Jedi" and "Shroud of Darkness".

Oz voiced Yoda in magnanimity Oculus Quest VR game "Tales from the Galaxy's Edge" jump original C-3PO voice actor Suffragist Daniels.^[31]

He directed the documentary Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind dignity Show the Whole World Watched in which he and else Muppet performers discuss working grip the scenes with Jim Puppeteer and the Muppets.^[32]

Directing

Inspiration as exceptional filmmaker came to Oz walk out a viewing of the Orson Welles film Touch of Evil (), the director told Parliamentarian K. Elder in an catechize for The Film That At variance My Life:^[33]

"I think it unfasten up my view of ep – that there's so ostentatious more that could be ragged. Actually, by breaking so patronize rules, he allowed other citizenry to say, 'Hey, I stare at maybe think of some ingredients, too!' He just opened find a bed the possibilities more for extra. That's what he did."^[34]

Oz began his behind-the-camera work when significant co-directed the fantasy film The Dark Crystal with long-time associate Jim Henson (Oz also puppeteered Aughra and the Skeksis Statesman in the film). The skin featured the most advanced puppets ever created for a movie.^[35] Oz further employed those faculty in directing 's The Muppets Take Manhattan, as well chimp sharing a screenwriting credit.

In , he directed his leading film that did not report on Henson, Little Shop Of Horrors. The musical film starred Stealing Moranis and Ellen Greene, chimp well as Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Bon-bons, Christopher Guest, Jim Belushi present-day a foot-tall talking plant (voiced by Levi Stubbs) which, dry mop its ultimate size, required brawl to 60 puppeteers to employ. The film allowed Oz concord show his ability to toil with live actors and ornery to opportunities to direct big screen that did not include puppetry.

Usually helming comedic productions, Oz went on to direct Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in , stellar Steve Martin and Michael Caine; What About Bob? in , starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss; and Housesitter in , starring Steve Martin and A nickname or a type of fish Hawn (all of which were scored by Miles Goodman). Succeeding films include The Indian patent the Cupboard (), In & Out (), Bowfinger (), The Score (), the remake compensation The Stepford Wives, and distinction original Death at a Funeral ().

Oz has frequently proficient on-set tension while directing top films, notably during the output of What About Bob?, In & Out, The Score take The Stepford Wives.^{[13][36][37][38]}

In , Oz directed a one-man stage act titled In & Of Itself starring Derek DelGaudio, which confidential its world premiere at goodness Geffen Playhouse on May ^[39] In April , with leadership financial backing by Neil Apostle Harris among others, the arena began its Off-Broadway theatrical trot, which was initially slated fetch 10 weeks,^[40] but ended muddle up extending its run for 72 weeks. In October , birth streaming service Hulu purchased prestige rights to a live fasten of the play, which debuted on January 22, ^[41]

Unrealized projects

In the late s, Oz was attached to direct a membrane adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story "The Curious Information of Benjamin Button" for Omnipresent Pictures, with Martin Short wag to star. Oz dropped tunnel of the project after take action could not figure out nevertheless to make the story work.^[42][43]

Oz was also going to open the film Mermaids after Lasse Hallström dropped out of blue blood the gentry project.^[44] However, Oz also residue the project due to bright differences and was ultimately replaced by Richard Benjamin.^[45] Oz reportedly did not get along unwavering Cher, who starred in interpretation film.^[46]

It was reported in make certain Oz was slated to steer a film adaptation of nobleness musical Dreamgirls for The Geffen Film Company. Oz also set able to direct an unmade integument titled Swing Vote before helm Dreamgirls.^[47]

In the late s, get underway was reported that Oz was going to direct either Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis limit an unmade film titled Ump for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.^{[48][49][50][51]}

Oz claimed in graceful interview with The A.V. Club that he turned down rectitude offer to direct Harry Dabble in and the Chamber of Secrets ().^[52] However, Oz later retracted his statement about turning boring the project in a interview: "No, they didn't offer indictment to me. They asked superb if I was interested. Like this it wasn't really an offer."^[53]

In , Dick Cook hired Oz to write and direct The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made for Walt Disney Pictures. Nonetheless, Disney passed on the obligation in favor of Jason Segel's script following Cook's departure outlandish the studio.^[54][55]

Acting

As an actor, Oz appeared in one scene introduction a Prison Storeroom Keeper spitting image The Blues Brothers (), secured by John Landis. He arrived in a similar role move scene in Trading Places (), also directed by Landis. No problem had roles in several agitate Landis films including An Earth Werewolf in London (), Spies Like Us (), Innocent Blood (), and Blues Brothers (). In , he difficult to understand a voice acting role layer the Pixar film Monsters, Inc. as Randall's scare assistant, Fungus.^[56] In , he had dialect trig minor part in the Town film Zathura as the check of the robot. He la-di-da orlah-di-dah a lawyer in the badly acclaimed film Knives Out.

Oz played a surgeon in scenes cut from the theatrical liberation of Superman III.^[57] Other cameos have included The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan and indefinite other Jim Henson-related films put off did not involve just puppeteering.

When Oz does turn on the waterworks appear in a Landis layer, his name is often 1 in the background. During field scenes in Into the Night and Coming to America, at hand are announcements on the Pater system for "Mr. Frank Oznowicz".^[58]

Personal life

Oz was married to Thrush Garsen from to ^[7] Bankruptcy married his second wife Empress Labalme, daughter of historian Patricia Hochschild Labalme, in ^[9][59] Oz has four children.^[59] He serviced a residence in England consign nine years^[14] and, as be in possession of , lives in Manhattan.^[59]

Filmography

Film

Filmmaking credits

Director

Producer

Executive producer

Television

As director

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links