A young Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets) and Frank Oz with the character they co-puppeteered together on the Jimmy Dean Show, Rowlf the dog. Jim controlled the dog’s mouth, left hand, and provided the voice while Frank performed his right hand. I just read Brian Ray Jones’s Jim Henson: The Biography, a very detailed account of the creative genius. What I most admire about the man is that in spite of all his accomplishments and having been wealthy since his 20’s, he maintained a sweet, gentle nature inherent throughout his entire life, never letting his immense fame and fortune get to his head. He was an innovative, intensely creative visionary who couldn’t run out of ideas if you asked him to. Wish he was still with us today, but in his short time on earth (unexpectedly dying at age 53), he left behind a legacy that can’t be matched through the much beloved Muppets, Sesame Street characters, the fantasy films The Dark Crystal and Labryinth, and much more.

Frank Oz, the first of the future major Muppet performers to join Jim Henson’s company, is considered to be “the main reason why the Muppets are funny”. He originated the following characters in his career with Jim: Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal, Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Sam the Eagle, along with several other minor characters; not to mention, he is also the genius behind Master Yoda in Star Wars! Frank was devoted to having depth behind his characters, creating their backstories in order to “find” and understand them and thus, perform them to the best of his abilities. He is also an accomplished director, his own films include Little Shop of Horrors, The Muppets Take Manhattan, What About Bob? (one of my personal favorites), and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.