Yoda Actor Frank Oz Doesn't Understand The Fan Backlash For THE LAST JEDI
There are a lot of Star Wars fans who weren't happy about Star Wars: The Last Jedi and many of them lashed out at the film and tore it apart. Then there are the other Star Wars fans that loved the film and have a hard time understanding the backlash that the film received. One of those fans is Frank Oz, who as you all know provided the voice of Yoda and was also the puppeteer that brought the character to life.
During a recent interview with Collider, he talked about the film and says he is a huge fan of what writer and director Rian Johnson did with the movie. In the process, he explains that he doesn't understand the backlash.
"Yeah, there’s a whole backlash. I couldn’t understand that whole backlash. I didn’t get it. I thought it was a great piece of work. I never understood that backlash. I’m somebody that works with the script, and if the script is there and I believe the script is organic and right for the moment and the character, then that’s kind of all I think about. I don’t think about extra powers or anything, I just go with it. I just don’t consider that really."
Oz went on to talk about his work on the film and bringing Yoda back to life, saying:
"I was everything. That’s what they hired me for. They had two people, three people turn on a grate to help me It’s a four-person character. I flew back and forth to London about three times and rehearsed for a couple weeks with them. It’s very intense rehearsal because you have four people trying to do one thing, very, very specifically.
"So, every single word, every single move, had to be rehearsed again and again. Therefore, we don’t take time on the set. The last time I flew over there, I rehearsed with the three guys again, and then we went and shot for a day and a half- night and a half."
Mark Hamill and Frank Oz hadn't shared a scene together in a Star Wars movie since The Return of the Jedi and it was a pretty emotional moment for Hamill. Oz goes on to say that he was grateful to take part in the film and be a part of this moment and he praises Hamill, saying:
"It was like an old glove. It just felt so at home, you know. Mark is a wonderful, great, great guy. People don’t realize that a great part of the reason why Yoda works, is because of Mark. It’s because if Mark doesn’t believe in that character, nobody else will. What he does there is extremely important, always has been. When we got together it was just like old times. He never changed; he is just a wonderful guy- very funny too."
It's good to hear that someone like Frank Oz, who has been a part of the franchise from the very beginning, is happy with how The Last Jedi turned out.