Eren Ozker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1948-07-25)July 25, 1948 |
| Died | February 25, 1993(1993-02-25) (aged 44) New York City, US |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Puppeteer |
| Years active | 1969–1993 |
| Spouse | William Bogert[1] |
Eren Ozker (July 25, 1948 – February 25, 1993) was a Turkish-Americanpuppeteer. She was one of the primary performers during the first season ofJim Henson's popular television seriesThe Muppet Show.
Ozker was born inAnkara,Turkey, and grew up inFarmington Hills, Michigan. She received a bachelor's degree in drama from theUniversity of Michigan in 1970.[2] Right after graduating, she toured with the National Shakespeare Company, appearing inHamlet (Ophelia) andThe Merchant of Venice (Jessica). She moved toNew York City shortly afterward to perform in numerousoff-Broadway productions, such asThe Master Builder, in which she portrayed Kaia Fosli.[3] Reviews described her as "an Off-Broadway favorite" and as "a fire-cracker burning at both ends." In 1975, she joined the Hartman Theater Company for its first production,The Government Inspector, meeting her future husband,William Bogert, in the process during the original production ofThe Runner Stumbles.
In 1976, Ozker went toEngland and joined the cast ofThe Muppet Show. As the only full-time female Muppet performer on the show at the time, she performed most of the female characters. These included:
Of her three main characters, only Janice survived after Ozker left the show at the end of the first season. Janice was subsequently performed byRichard Hunt,Matt Vogel,Brian Henson,Tyler Bunch and, most recently,David Rudman.
After performing in Henson productionsThe Muppet Movie andEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, Ozker retired from the Muppet scene and returned to the United States to focus on her family. Her last puppeteering performance was in the 1988 production ofThe Warrior Ant at theBrooklyn Next Wave Festival.[2]
In 1989, Ozker founded and became chairwoman of the Puppeteers Caucus, a working group within theScreen Actors Guild.[2] Ozker was presented the Joseph C. Riley award by the Guild in 1991 in recognition of her services to the industry.
Ozker died on 25 February 1993, aged 44. Her husband, actor William Bogert, confirmed after her death that she died fromcancer.[2]
| Preceded by | Performer of Janice 1976–1977 | Succeeded by |
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