Iconic actor, director, and voice of Yoda himself, Frank Oz, has not seen The Mandalorian, but he hears Baby Yoda is very cute. Oz served as the voice of Yoda for the majority of the Star Wars films, and also was Yoda’s puppeteer for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. However, Oz’s Yoda is not Baby Yoda, as The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the Galactic Empire.
When The Mandalorian premiered last year, the character of Baby Yoda became a viral sensation. It’s rare that anything can remain a darling of the Internet for longer than a few minutes, but Baby Yoda successfully managed the feat. Baby Yoda is also a hot commodity in the universe of The Mandalorian, so much so that the first season finale involved the titular Mandalorian character rescuing Baby Yoda (known as “The Child,” in the show) from the clutches of the evil Moff Gideon. The show makes it clear that Baby Yoda is the same species as Jedi master Yoda, which could explain why everyone seems to want to capture him.
Frank Oz confirmed in an interview with Indiewire.com that he hadn’t seen The Mandalorian and didn’t express any desire to watch it. The actor has had an incredible career that spans beyond his work on Star Wars. Oz was also the man behind many famous Muppets, from Miss Piggy to Fozzie Bear. He also served as the puppeteer for several memorable Sesame Street characters, including Cookie Monster and Grover. Check out Oz’s thoughts on Baby Yoda below.
“I have nothing to do with Baby Yoda…But I heard it’s very cute, and I’m sure Disney has a whole plan for it…I love doing Yoda. The only thing that bothers me is if people think that I only do Yoda. That’s not a good feeling.”
Yoda wouldn’t have become such an iconic part of Star Wars without Frank Oz. He added a tremendous sense of gravitas and humor to the role, to the point where the movies simply wouldn’t work without the character. However, it’s completely understandable that Oz would be frustrated that he would only be recognized as Yoda when he’s built such an incredible career for himself. Baby Yoda might be so adorable that Jon Favreau had to actually tone the cuteness down, but Oz’s Yoda will forever be the best hands down.
The Mandalorian season two is set to premiere this October. With no future Star Wars films on the horizon as of yet, fan anticipation for season two of the Star Wars live-action show is skyrocketing. Regardless of whether or not Frank Oz will ever check out the show, his contributions to Star Wars will forever be remembered and always beloved.
