Star Wars: 20 Things You Didn't Know About The Empire Strikes Back
11. George Lucas Campaigned For Frank Oz To Get An Oscar Nomination
Frank Oz was responsible for not only providing the unforgettable voice of Yoda but also performing the on-set puppetry of the character, making him yet another vital contributor to the film's success.
George Lucas was so blown away by Oz's performance that he spent thousands of dollars of his own money on an awards campaign to try and get Oz nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Sadly the campaign largely fell upon deaf ears, presumably because many Academy members didn't accept a combination of puppetry and voice acting as a film performance in the traditional sense.
Given that the Academy still can't bring itself to nominate Andy Serkis for one of his many incredible performance-captured feats of acting, it's safe to say that little has changed in this regard.