Frank Oz: Disney Doesn’t Understand ‘The Muppets’

Famed puppeteer Frank Oz, the voice of Bert, Miss Piggy, Grover, Animal, and Sam Eagle for The Muppets from 1963 to 2004, said in a recent interview that Disney just doesn’t understand the franchise’s motley crew of beloved characters–and has never bothered asking him for advice. “As much as Disney loves The Muppets and wants the best for The Muppets—and they truly believe they can do it—they don’t get it,” Oz, 73, said in an interview on KCRW. “They don’t get the true rebellion and true affection underneath those characters.” The legendary puppeteer added that he doesn’t mean to “knock” Disney. “They’ve never asked me, and they have not asked the performers how to do it,” he said. “If they just did that—the performers are so brilliant—instead of an outside person, let the performers lead. Then it would be a whole different deal.”