Eren Ozker
| Eren Ozker | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Eren Özker July 25, 1948 Ankara, Turkey |
| Died | February 25, 1993 (aged 44) New York, New York |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Actress, puppeteer |
| Years active | 1970–1993 |
| Spouse(s) | William Bogert |
Eren Ozker (Turkish: Eren Özker; 25 July 1948 – 25 February 1993) was a Turkish-American puppeteer and actress. She was one of the original performers during the first season of Jim Henson's popular television series The Muppet Show.
Ozker was born in Ankara, Turkey, and grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA. She received a bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Michigan in 1970. Right after graduating, she toured with the National Shakespeare Company, appearing in Hamlet (Ophelia) and The Merchant of Venice (Jessica). She moved to New York City shortly afterward to perform in numerous off-Broadway productions, such as The Master Builder, in which she portrayed Kaia Fosli. 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 of The Runner Stumbles.
In 1976, Ozker went to England and joined the cast of The Muppet Show. As the only full-time female Muppeteer 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 by Richard Hunt, Matt Vogel, Brian Henson, Tyler Bunch and, most recently, David Rudman.
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