Frank Oz

Richard Frank Oznowicz: May 25, 1944 - present

Frank was born in England in 1944, and moved to America when he was five. He joined the Henson company in 1963, as a right hand for Rowlf. He was then nineteen years old. It took him four years to work up the courage to do his own voices for his characters.

Starting in mid-1990's, after 30+ years of faithful Muppeteering, Frank started to transition himself away from his Muppet duties to focus on directing. He occasionally performs his characters on Sesame Street, but most of his classic characters, like Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal, Sam Eagle, Bert, Grover and others have been recast to other performers - mainly Eric Jacobson.

Puppeteer Credits

 * Muppet Characters: Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal, Sam the Eagle, The Snowths, George the Janitor, Marvin Suggs, Frank Oz Muppet, The Swedish Chef (hands), Rowlf (Assistant), Male Koozbanian Creature
 * Sesame Characters: Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, Harvey Kneeslapper, Lefty the Salesman, Prince Charming, Tessie Twiddlebug
 * Saturday Night Live: The Mighty Favog
 * Muppet Meeting Films: Grump
 * The Dark Crystal: Aughra (not the voice), Skeksis Chamberlain (not the voice)
 * Labyrinth: Wiseman (not the voice)
 * Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: Chuck
 * Tales from Muppetland:
 * The Great Santa Claus Switch:
 * Star Wars: Yoda

Director Credits
Henson Projects
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan
 * The Dark Crystal (Co-director with Jim Henson)
 * The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show

Non-Henson Projects
 * Horrible Bosses
 * The Stepford Wives
 * The Score
 * Bowfinger
 * In & Out
 * The Indian in the Cupboard
 * HouseSitter
 * What About Bob?
 * Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
 * Little Shop of Horrors

Trivia

 * His birth name was Richard Frank Oznowicz.
 * Had an on screen cameo in the Great Muppet Caper, in the Press Office when Gonzo shouts "Stop the Presses!"
 * Kermit asks the Wizard of Oz if he is related to Frank Oz in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
 * First met Jim Henson at the Puppeteers of America festival in, 1961 at the age of 17.

Awards & Honors
1974
 * Daytime Emmy for Individual Achievement in Children's Programming for Sesame Street.

1976
 * Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming for Sesame Street.

1979
 * Daytime Emmy for Individual Achievement in Children's Programming for Sesame Street.