Frank Oz

1961: Met Jim Henson in Asilomar, California.

"The Muppet Show" character "Fozzie Bear" is actually not named after Frank Oz, as is widely believed. "Fozzie Bear" is named after "The Muppet Show" builder Faz Fazakas.

One of his first performing duties for "The Muppet Show" was performing Rowlf's right hand on "The Jimmy Dean Show" .

Often works with Steve Martin (The Muppet Movie , Little Shop of Horrors , Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , HouseSitter , Bowfinger ).

Though Yoda only appears in two episodes of the original Star Wars trilogy, Oz managed to make three movies with Carrie Fisher by appearing with her in The Blues Brothers , the same year that Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back was released. Then, in addition to working with Leia's on-screen mother, Natalie Portman in all three prequels, he also directed Carrie Fisher's real-life mother, Debbie Reynolds, in In & Out .

Was replaced by John Lithgow in the radio adaptations of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi . Lithgow also appeared in the Broadway musical based on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels .

Has appeared in many of director John Landis' films as a good luck charm of sorts. He didn't appear in Twilight Zone: The Movie and Landis had plenty of bad luck during that film. In Trading Places he plays a cop taking an inventory of Dan Aykroyd's personal items, ironically reprising his role from The Blues Brothers , where he took an inventory of the other Blues Brother's personal items, John Belushi, as Belushi was being freed from jail.

Has directed two of his Star Wars cast mates in otherwise unrelated films: Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine/Darth Sidious) appeared in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Terence Stamp (Supreme Chancellor Valorum) appeared in Bowfinger .