Other than Jim Henson, Frank Oz is the most famous man behind The Muppets, as the voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Grover, among others. He’s at South By Southwest right now promoting his new documentary, Muppet Guys Talking: Secrets Behind The Show The Whole World Watched. Variety reports that the “film is a candid, often bitingly funny conversation between Oz and four of his closest colleagues: Dave Goelz (Gonzo), Bill Barretta (Rowlf The Dog), Fran Brill (Little Bird), and Jerry Nelson (Count Von Count), who died in 2012.”
Bringing those beloved characters to life might be enough for some people, but Oz went on to become a director for films like Little Shop Of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and In & Out. He also happened to voice another iconic character: Yoda, who first appeared in Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back.
At SXSW, Oz candidly answered questions about the latest round of Muppets; he was not a fan of the ABC version, and was a bit more appreciative of Muppets Most Wanted, the latest Muppets Disney movie: “I think there were some very funny things individually. And the purity of certain characters stayed.” But when asked about the possibility of Yoda showing up in a future Star Wars installment, Oz clammed right up:
I feel like I’m a prisoner at war here, and I can only give you my name, rank and serial number. To be true to the people who asked me, and they are kind of my family, I have to say I’ve been asked not to talk about it. I love Yoda. I would be happy to talk to you about it at the time they let me.
No doubt Star Wars fans will be dissecting this statement for a while, although “at the time they let me” appears to indicate that there will be a future time in which he’s allowed to do so? Maybe? Let the rampant online speculation commence.