Jim Henson had a sidekick. His name: Frank Oz. And yet the legendary performer who invented such roles as Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear, Bert, Sam Eagle, and many more, says that he’s no longer welcome to participate in the Muppets for The Walt Disney Company.
“I’d love to do the Muppets again but Disney doesn’t want me, and Sesame Street hasn’t asked me for 10 years. They don’t want me because I won’t follow orders and I won’t do the kind of Muppets they believe in.” — Frank Oz
There’s something not quite right when the voice and performer of Yoda, the creator of a tremendous number of Muppet characters, is not allowed back on set. This turns the Muppets into something like a tribute band where the original lead for the real band isn’t allowed to sing a song on stage. It’s hard to overstate how bizarre this is.
“The soul’s not there. The soul is what makes things grow and be funny. But I miss them and love them.” — Frank Oz, referring to The Muppets
And who can forget just how weird the characters sound now. Kermit’s voice is horrifically off from the way Jim Henson originally played the straight-man… err… frog. You almost feel sorry for the new puppeteer, Matt Vogel. He just doesn’t sound like Kermit at all. Why would Disney choose someone who can’t pull off the Jim Henson vocal performance?
Worse, Oz goes on to say that the Disney deal likely contributed to Henson’s untimely death. He also heavily criticizes the corporate culture at Disney that cares more about filling roles than recognizing genius.
“The Disney deal is probably what killed Jim. It made him sick,” he says. “Eisner was trying to get Sesame Street, too, which Jim wouldn’t allow. But Jim was not a dealer, he was an artist, and it was destroying him, it really was. There’s an inability for corporate America to understand the value of something they bought. They never understood, with us, it’s not just about the puppets, it’s about the performers who love each other and have worked together for many years.” — Frank Oz
Quotes from this article originate from the above linked Guardian interview.
