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Frank Oz

Frank Oz

36 movies on Netflix

Biography

Frank Oz is a performer, director, and filmmaker from the United States who is best known for his work with Jim Henson and George Lucas on Sesame Street, The Muppets, and Star Wars. The son of puppeteers, he worked as an apprentice puppeteer in Oakland, California, as a teenager before Jim Henson hired him in 1963. He went on to perform Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Cookie Monster. He first played Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), then voiced the character in Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), Revenge of the Sith (2005), and The Last Jedi (2017). He co-directed The Dark Crystal (1982) with Henson and directed The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), In & Out (1997), and Death at a Funeral (2007). His acting credits include Trading Places (1983), Monsters, Inc. (2001), and Knives Out (2019).

82years old

Turns 83 on May 25in 219 days

  • Born Hereford
  • Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
  • Frank Richard Oznowicz (birth name)

Movie Career

Films
36
Career span
47 years1977 to 2024

Genres

First and latest

Photos

  • Frank Oz, photo 1 of 3
  • Frank Oz, photo 2 of 3
  • Frank Oz, photo 3 of 3

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  1. First role

    As a teenager, Frank Oz worked with the Vagabond Puppets at Children's Fairyland in Oakland, and that is how he first met Jim Henson. At 19, he went to New York to join Henson on the Muppets in 1963.

  2. Big break

    Frank Oz performs Jedi Master Yoda in George Lucas's Star Wars series. Lucas contacted Henson about performing Yoda, but Henson was preoccupied and suggested Oz as chief puppeteer and creative consultant.

  3. A role that slipped away

    Frank Oz was set to helm a Universal Pictures movie based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1922 story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," with Martin Short in the lead, but he left after failing to find a way to make the tale succeed.

  4. Behind the camera

    In 2016 Frank Oz directed Derek DelGaudio in the one-man stage show In & Of Itself, which premiered at the Geffen Playhouse on May 16. Its Off-Broadway run started in April 2017, planned for 10 weeks but lasting 72.

  5. Behind the camera

    In 1986, Frank Oz directed Little Shop of Horrors, the first film he made without Henson. The musical starred Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene, and its 15-foot-tall talking plant needed up to 60 puppeteers to operate.

Frank Oz movies on Netflix

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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  1. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones2002 Action, Adventure, Fantasyas Yodavoice

    IMDb rating 6.6832K votes

  2. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith2005 Action, Adventure, Fantasyas Yodavoice

    IMDb rating 7.7934K votes

  3. The Empire Strikes Back1980as Yodavoice

    IMDb rating 8.71.5M votes

  4. Monsters, Inc.2001as Fungusvoice

    IMDb rating 8.11.1M votes

  5. The Dark Crystal1982as Aughra, a Keeper Of Secrets (performer) / Chamberlain (performer)

    IMDb rating 7.178K votes

  6. The Muppet Movie1979as Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Doc Hopper's Men / Marvin Suggs / Swedish Chef (assistant) / Motorcycle Guyvoice

    IMDb rating 7.643K votes

  7. The Muppet Christmas Carol1992as Miss Piggy

    IMDb rating 7.883K votes

  8. Zathura: A Space Adventure2005as Robotvoice

    IMDb rating 6.3128K votes

Most often with

John Landis directed four of these films, Jim Henson four and George Lucas three. Three actors appear in twelve of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Dave Goelz, 12 films togetherSee the 12 films with Dave GoelzJerry Nelson, 12 films togetherSee the 12 films with Jerry NelsonJim Henson, 12 films togetherSee the 12 films with Jim HensonSteve Whitmire, 9 films togetherSee the 9 films with Steve WhitmireAnthony Daniels, 8 films togetherSee the 8 films with Anthony DanielsRichard Hunt, 8 films togetherSee the 8 films with Richard HuntJohn LandisDirector, 4 filmsSee the 4 films by John LandisJim HensonDirector, 4 filmsSee the 4 films by Jim HensonGeorge LucasDirector, 3 filmsSee the 3 films by George Lucas

Films together

Box office

What Frank Oz's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$7.3 billion

25 of the 36 films have a worldwide figure.

Of the 36 films: 25 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 8 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.

  • 25Worldwide figure
  • 1US gross only
  • 8Never in cinemas
  • 2Figure not found

Top grosser

Star Wars: The Last Jedi2017as Yoda (voice)$1.3 billion

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 88% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

  1. 1
    Star Wars: The Last Jedi2017as Yoda (voice)
    $1.3B18.2% of the total
  2. 2
    Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace1999as Yoda (voice)
    $1.0B14.3% of the total
  3. 3
    Inside Out2015as Subconscious Guard Dave (voice)
    $858M11.7% of the total
  4. 4
    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith2005as Yoda (voice)
    $850M11.6% of the total
  5. 5
    Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones2002as Yoda (voice)
    $649M8.9% of the total
  6. 6
    Monsters, Inc.2001as Fungus (voice)
    $580M7.9% of the total
  7. 7
    Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi1983as Yoda (voice)
    $573M7.8% of the total
  8. 8
    The Empire Strikes Back1980as Yoda (voice)
    $538M7.4% of the total
Knives Out (2019), $313 millionTrading Places (1983), $90.4 millionThe Muppet Movie (1979), $76.5 millionZathura: A Space Adventure (2005), $65.1 millionSpies Like Us (1985), $60.1 millionThe Dark Crystal (1982), $44.6 millionMuppet Treasure Island (1996), $38.5 millionThe Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), $34.5 millionAn American Werewolf in London (1981), $32.0 millionThe Great Muppet Caper (1981), $31.2 millionThe Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), $25.5 millionMuppets from Space (1999), $22.3 millionBlues Brothers 2000 (1998), $14.1 millionFollow That Bird (1985), $14.0 millionLabyrinth (1986), $12.7 millionThe Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999), $11.7 million

$886 millionfrom the other 17 films with a worldwide figure, 12% of the total

Awards

Four awards and honors from 1978 to 2024, two of them major.

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Frank Oz's awards and nominations, grouped by award
YearAwardFilmResult
Emmy Awards
1978Outstanding Comedy SeriesThe Muppet ShowWon
Daytime Emmy AwardWon
Other honors
2024Disney LegendsHonored
2008Great Immigrants AwardWon

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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