Dark Reality Of The Original Wicked Witch Is Catching People Off Guard
Think back to when you were a child and your parent/guardian popped in that sweet VHS tape of 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Somehow, we've all experienced this childhood milestone, and most of us had quite the reaction to one particular witch.
The Wicked Witch of the West terrified kiddies everywhere with her spinge-tingling presence. When filming stopped, however, actress Margaret Hamilton was forced to deal with the unexpected consequences of nailing the role so perfectly...
The iconic villain almost didn't happen
The Wicked Witch of the West is one of cinema's most infamous and influential villains. Her frightening legacy has spanned decades and will no doubt span many more. But said legacy wouldn't have been birthed without the acting skills of Margaret Hamilton.
Believe it or not, the animated actor almost didn't get to play the Wicked Witch of the West. Boy, how the beloved film would've been different if Oscar winner Gale Sondergaard hadn't declined the role out of fear of appearing "too ugly."
It was only a dream
It's no spoiler that Hamilton secured her role as the iconic green witch, but it wasn't a sure shot at the time. In fact, Hamilton was originally a single mom and kindergarten teacher with a dream of taking her acting skills past small stage productions. In the early 1930s, she was mainly known for her work as a character actress.
Unlike many celebrities, however, Hamilton wasn't weighed down by her ego. She was content to play maids, strict schoolteachers, and no-nonsense aunts if it meant going home with a paycheck. Still, her dream of lighting up a Hollywood film in a lead role never waned.
Did she have "the look"?
Hamilton had the exact experience necessary to nail the role in the now emblematic Hollywood film, as she had already exquisitely transformed into the witch in a Cleveland stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s renowned children’s book. But did she have "the look?"
You know what we mean by "the look"; a classic witch like the Wicked Witch of the West had to have certain identifiable features in order to be convincing. Back then, petite women with doll-like faces were destined to play the lead. Anyone else was a side character or a villain.
She was the natural choice
Hollywood, especially during its early years, was a brutal land ruled by superficial precedence. Even today, it's widely known that conventionally attractive women win acting gigs over those with more natural beauty. Hamilton, with her protruding nose and pointy chin, was told several times she'd need plastic surgery if she ever wanted her acting career to be taken seriously.
Thankfully, she never listened. It was her unconventional beauty and love of adventure that made her the natural choice for villainous roles throughout her career.