Frank Oz (born Frank Richard Oznowicz; May 25, 1944) is an American actor, puppeteer, director, and producer. His career began as a puppeteer, where he performed the Muppet characters of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam Eagle in The Muppet Show, and Cookie Monster, Bert, and Grover in Sesame Street. He is also known for the role of Yoda in the Star Wars series, in which he has performed and provided the voice for the character in several films and television series.