Dave Chapman, the man behind CBBC's beloved Otis the Aardvark, has gone on to work on major Hollywood franchises including Star Wars and The Muppets. Chapman was the writer, puppeteer, and voice artist for Otis from 1994 to 1999, and his career has since soared.
In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Chapman recalled his early ambition: 'I grew up watching The Muppet Show and the Star Wars movies. I remember saying to my mum, when I was five, "That's what I want to do."' He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and later at the Jim Henson Company.
Chapman's first job was playing a wolf on ITV's Wolf It, and two weeks later he auditioned for Otis. He was heavily involved in bringing the puppet to life, writing sketches, making props, and answering fan mail. He went through five Otises due to the foam disintegrating.
Otis got his name from the Otis Elevator Company, which made lifts at the BBC, though the company was not happy about it. When Otis retired, Chapman said he 'went to work in the BBC canteen'.
Chapman's later roles include performing Yoda's hands in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, being a Stormtrooper in Solo, and puppeteering BB-8. He also voiced the droid B2EMO in the hit TV show Andor, a Star Wars prequel to Rogue One.
