- Born
- Died
- Birth nameMargaret Brainard Hamilton
- Nickname
- Maggie
- Height5′ (1.52 m)
- Margaret Hamilton was born December 9, 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Jennie (Adams) and Walter Hamilton. She later attended Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and practiced acting doing children's theater while a Junior League of Cleveland member. Margaret had already built her resume with several performances in film before she came to her most memorable and astronomically successful role, Almira Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939). The character is considered to be one of the screen's greatest and most memorable villains of all time.- IMDb Mini Biography By: tony.r.vario@gmail.com
- SpousePaul Boynton Meserve(June 13, 1931 - May 20, 1938) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- ParentsJennie HamiltonWalter Hamilton
- RelativesChristopher Meserve(Grandchild)Scott Meserve(Grandchild)Margaret Meserve(Grandchild)
- Often signed her autographs with the notation of WWW (Wicked Witch of the West).
- Her iconic role as The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Rapid-fire delivery of lines
- Distinctive high-pitched voice
- Wore the same costume for two productions, 26 years apart. The dress she wore as Miss Gulch in The Wizard of Oz (1939) was worn again when she played Grandma Frump in The Addams Family (1964) in 1965.
- It is ironic that her performance as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939) was so scary to children, because her first job was as a kindergarten teacher. She loved and doted upon children all her life.
- And Your Little Dog, Too: Miss Hamilton was a strong promoter of animal rights and the welfare of companion animals. She often appeared in TV public service announcements with her cat, pleading that everyone spay and neuter their pets to help cut down on the number of unwanted, homeless animals. She also had a dachshund named Otto.
- Until the day she died, she had children recognizing her and coming up to her to ask why she was so mean to Dorothy. She became very concerned about the role's effect on children, and finally did a guest spot on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968) to explain that the Witch was just a character in the film, and not herself.
- She said that when sees the scene in The Wizard of Oz (1939) when Frank Morgan as the Wizard is giving Dorothy's friends gifts from his "black bag" (a diploma for the Scarecrow, a ticking heart for the Tin Man, and a medal for the Cowardly Lion), she gets teary eyed, because "Frank Morgan was just like that in real life - very generous.".
- I was in a need of money at the time, I had done about six pictures for MGM at the time and my agent called. I said, 'Yes?' and he said 'Maggie, they want you to play a part on the Wizard.' I said to myself, 'Oh Boy, The Wizard of Oz! That has been my favorite book since I was four.' And I asked him what part, and he said 'The Witch' and I said 'The Witch?!' and he said 'What else?'
- Almost always they want me to laugh like the Witch. And sometimes when I go to schools, if we're in an auditorium, I'll do it. And there's always a funny reaction, like Ye gods, they wish they hadn't asked. They're scared. They're really scared for a second. Even adolescents. I guess for a minute they get the feeling they got when they watched the picture. They like to hear it but they don't like to hear it. And then they go, "Oh..." The picture made a terrible impression of some kind on them, sometimes a ghastly impression, but most of them got over it, I guess... Because when I talk like the Witch and when I laugh, there is a hesitation, and then they clap. They're clapping at hearing the sound again.
- [on Judy Garland] Judy kept us all going. When she came on the set, it was as though the lights got brighter. Her freshness and vitality are things I will never forget.
- My only mistake was wanting to do everything; it was so exciting to be in Washington in those days. I don't regret a minute of it, not even when Dorothy kept the Ruby Slippers. If I had it to do over, I'd do the same.
- [on her role as the Wicked Witch] I don't look on it as any great shakes of acting, it's not subtle or restrained. It isn't any of the things you like to think might apply to your acting.
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) - $1,000 /week
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