Margaret Hamilton rose to stardom as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz—then she spent the rest of her life trying to wipe the green stain of wickedness from her reputation.
1. She Was Not So Wicked After All
Margaret Hamilton was the sweet-natured, child-loving, animal-saving actress who rose to fame for portraying a very different kind of character: a witch! The school teacher turned actress became so inextricably associated with her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz that kids would run away screaming.
But these surprisingly sweet facts about her will have you wondering who the real villain in Oz was.
2. She Had Humble Beginnings
Long before Margaret Hamilton terrified audiences as the Wicked Witch of the West in one of cinema’s most iconic films, she led a much quieter life. Born on December 9, 1902, in Cleveland, Ohio, Hamilton came from modest beginnings. Her father, WJ Hamilton, was a prominent lawyer who encouraged her in her artistic pursuits.
She wasn’t even kind of evil.
3. She Acted For The Community
In her adulthood, Hamilton could terrify children just by walking down the street. But ironically, children were her first fans. As a member of the Junior League of Cleveland, she combined her love for entertaining with a passion for community work, particularly with kids. She acted in children’s theater and honed her skills for a future on the big screen.
4. She Was Great With Kids
Margaret Hamilton could barely wait to become an actress. Though her parents supported her, they insisted that she complete her education first. So, after attending Wheelock College in Boston, she became a teacher at Rye Country Day School in New York. Teaching kids became a lifelong passion of hers and one that carried onto the stage with her.
5. She Had A Theatrical Start
By the time her 27th birthday rolled around, Hamilton couldn’t wait any longer. She simply had to act professionally. So, on her birthday in 1929, she took to the stage at the Charles S Brooks Theater at the Cleveland Play House and delivered a program of “heart-rending songs”.
It was fitting, actually, because her heart was certainly broken.
6. She Had A Wicked Marriage
In 1931, Hamilton married the only man who would ever manage to capture her heart: Paul Boynton Meserve. But she was torn between two world. Her heart belonged, equally, to the stage and the spotlight and she pursued her acting ambitions to the detriment of her new marriage.
Then, a funny stroke of fate catapulted her to the place she always dreamed of going.
7. She Accidentally Landed A Role
Fate wanted Hamilton to become an actress even more than she did. Her first big break came when she accompanied a friend to audition for the 1932 Broadway play Another Language. Surprisingly, she ended up nabbing a role herself; that of Helen Hallam, a sharp-tongued wife. Pretty soon, she would be speaking another language: Tinseltown-talk.
8. She Rode Her Success To Hollywood
Another Language marked Hamilton’s Broadway debut—and her big screen debut. The unassuming play turned out to be a vehicle for the unassuming school teacher with big dreams. The play was such a hit on Broadway that it captured Hollywood’s attention and Hamilton set off for the City of Stars when MGM turned the play into a 1933 film.
She would be in the right place at precisely the right time.
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9. She Charged A Premium
Margaret Hamilton arrived in Hollywood just as the “talkies” were taking over and her “perfect diction” thanks to her stage acting background gave her a distinct advantage. Unlike many actors of her time, Hamilton never signed a studio contract and worked as a free agent. She commanded an impressive $1,000 per week for her work—about $21,200 in today’s money.
But it came at a cost.
10. She Raised Her Son Alone
Hamilton’s success in Hollywood came at a deep personal cost. Just as her career was kicking into hyperdrive, her marriage to Paul Boynton Meserve disintegrated around her, eventually ending in divorce in 1938. She made the difficult decision to raise her son, Hamilton Wadsworth Meserve, all on her own. It would not be easy.
11. She Kept Her Son Grounded
Even though Margaret Hamilton found herself in the belly of the fame beast, she worked hard to ensure her son had a normal upbringing. Hamilton Meserve later recalled how his mother protected him from the pressures of Hollywood, especially after witnessing what her close friend, Judy Garland, would endure as a child star.
Her own fame was about to become unmanageable.
12. She Was Going To Oz
One day, Margaret Hamilton received a phone call from her agent that would change her life forever—and not necessarily for the better. “Maggie, they want you to play a part on the Wizard,” her agent blurted out. Hamilton, who had been obsessed with the book since the age of four, stifled her excitement long enough to ask what part MGM was offering her.
She was thrilled—and terrified—with the answer.
13. She Didn’t Get The Role She Wanted
For the sweet-hearted, child-loving school teacher turned actress, the part of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North seemed like a perfect fit. So, when Hamilton’s agent responded to her question about her role in the upcoming film by saying, “The Witch?! What else?” her jaw nearly hit the floor. But it’s not like she could have turned it down.
14. She Took The Role For Practical Reasons
Margaret Hamilton was thrilled to become part of the cast of The Wizard of the Oz. But she wasn’t exactly clicking her heels together over the role she would have to play. Nevertheless, she couldn’t exactly walk away from the project. “I was in need of money at the time,” Hamilton later jokingly explained. “I just couldn’t say no”.
It was an opportunity that almost didn’t come her way.
15. She Was Not The First Choice
Margaret Hamilton would go on to embody the Wicked Witch of the West and make the role her own. But it very nearly went to someone else. MGM initially offered the role to Gale Sondergaard, who envisioned a more seductive, musical version of the character. However, when producers decided the Witch should be ugly, Sondergaard passed—and Hamilton stepped in.
However, she always had her priorities straight.
16. She Put Her Son First
As a single mother, Margaret Hamilton struggled to balance filming with taking care of her son. But, like a truly fierce momma bear, she never backed down. She bravely negotiated her working hours with the studio, eventually accepting a five week term just three days before filming began. In the end, she filmed for a total of three months.
Frankly, she was lucky to make it off the set alive.
17. She Wasn’t Scary At All
Hamilton’s version of the Wicked Witch of the West left audiences terrified. However, behind the scenes, she faced a unique problem. Hamilton was so kind-hearted that the rest of the film’s cast struggled to be afraid of her when the cameras were rolling. Judy Garland, in particular, formed a lifelong bond with Hamilton and affectionately called her “Maggie”.
Their friendship was deeply touching.
18. She Was Friends With Garland
Despite playing enemies on screen, Margaret Hamilton and Judy Garland had a warm friendship behind the scenes. In fact, their friendship was so close that Garland even showed Hamilton a special dress that she was planning to wear for her high school graduation. But the tender moment between these castmates turned ugly when the studio got involved.
19. She Stood Up For Her Friends
Hamilton’s protective instincts for her son extended to her friends, particularly Garland. When MGM head Louis B Mayer sent Garland on tour with Mickey Rooney, preventing her from wearing her graduation dress on stage, Hamilton was furious. She called Mayer directly to give him a piece of her mind, berating the powerful producer.
Mayer couldn’t complain, though. Hamilton put everything into her films.
20. She Was A Perfectionist
The scene in The Wizard of Oz where Hamilton’s Wicked Witch sets the Scarecrow’s arm on fire required multiple takes to perfect. Hamilton, allegedly, needed five attempts to get the right level of menace. After the final take, the dedicated actress reportedly fainted from exhaustion, giving everything to her performance.
That was not the only dangerous incident on set. Not by far.
21. Her Scenes Were Too Scary
Fiery mishaps and all, Hamilton put everything she had into her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West. But, she might have put too much into it. Her Wicked Witch was so terrifying that MGM decided to cut entire scenes where they deemed her performance too terrifying for younger audiences. She even pushed herself out of her comfort zone.
22. She Loved Toto Too Much
Very much unlike the Wicked Witch she portrayed on-screen, Hamilton loved animals—especially Toto. Throughout the film, she struggled in scenes that involved her being mean to the lovable canine. Nevertheless, she and Garland formed a bond with Terry, the dog who played Toto. It may even have brought out a softer side in the Wicked Witch.
23. She Inspired Wicked
Margaret Hamilton didn’t just see the Wicked Witch as pure evil. In her eyes, the Witch was a sad and frustrated woman who never got what she wanted, leading to a life of bitterness. It’s unlikely Hamilton knew what an impact this would have. This nuanced view of the character eventually inspired later works, like the novel and musical Wicked, which portrayed the Witch as a misunderstood protagonist.
24. She Scared Children
Not everyone shared her more sympathetic view of the Wicked Witch; namely, kids. Her neighbor, Sybil Daneman, once recounted how her nephew refused to meet Hamilton, even though he knew she was just an actress. He still feared she might be like her terrifying character in real life. And he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t see past the green makeup.
25. She Always Thought About The Kids
Being a former school teacher who loved kids, Margaret Hamilton was always weary of the impact her role in The Wizard of Oz had on the youngest audience members. “She was always afraid of the impact it had on kids,” her son once explained. “She was constantly trying to reassure children that this was make believe”.
In fact, she even enlisted some help.
26. She Appeared on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
In an attempt to soften her wicked image amongst children, Hamilton appeared on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood decades after The Wizard of Oz. As she slowly put on her old costume, she explained that witches were just nice people playing dress-up. “Witches are just nice ladies, like me,” she said, “dressing up in a costume”.
Even Mr. Rogers couldn’t take the wicked out of the witch.
27. She Still Frightened Kids
Even Mr. Rogers joined in on the effort to change her terrifying reputation, saying, “I like witches now”. However, despite her best efforts, Hamilton’s attempt to show her gentle side didn’t fully work. For the rest of her life, children would still scream and run away from her on the street, unable to separate the actress from her iconic role.
28. She Was Too Sus For Sesame Street
In 1976, Hamilton reprised her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in an episode of Sesame Street. The consequences were disastrous. The episode aired only once before the network pulled it from circulation. Angry parents had written in, complaining that Hamilton’s Wicked Witch was too frightening for their children. Eventually, she learned to lean into the character.
29. She Gave Subtle Nods To Her Iconic Role
After a while, Margaret Hamilton learned that it was best to simply embrace the wickedness. Throughout her career, she made subtle references to her iconic role. In the 1960 film 13 Ghosts, for example, she carried a broom when first introduced on camera and her character is repeatedly referred to as a witch.
At the end of the film, she breaks the fourth wall and winks at the camera while picking up the broom.
30. She Finally Got The Red Slippers
In the 1970 film Brewster McCloud, Margaret Hamilton did what the Wicked Witch never could: she got the red slippers. In the film, her character, Daphne Heap, wears red slippers, in a deliberate and cheeky nod to The Wizard of Oz. Though the slippers were rhinestone, not ruby, the scene also included a few bars of “Over the Rainbow” playing in the background.
31. She Was Still A Teacher At Heart
Even after her success in Hollywood, Margaret Hamilton stayed committed to helping children and never lost sight of her humble beginnings as a school teacher. She founded a kindergarten in a Beverly Hills church and even served as the president of the local board of education. Her acting career and education career came full circle in a funny way.
32. She Kicked A Star Out Of Class
Hamilton's teaching days included some memorable moments, like the time she ordered a disruptive student to leave her class. In a funny twist of events, that student grew up to be William Windom, who later starred alongside Hamilton in the 1971 film Is There a Doctor in the House. It was a fitting bookend to her Hollywood career.
33. She Moved To Maine
Hamilton spent most of her life in Manhattan, enjoying her Gramercy Park apartment and the hustle and bustle of life in the big city. But, in the summers, she liked to escape to Southport, Maine to find peace and quiet. This small coastal retreat became her sanctuary, where she could unwind from the pressures of her Hollywood life.
34. She Almost Bought A Lighthouse
Once Margaret Hamilton heard that the government was selling off lighthouses in Maine, including one near her summer home, she saw an opportunity. But, while visiting with her son and daughter-in-law, she set her sights on something bigger: Cape Island.
She and her son cleaned out their savings accounts and bought the island, turning it into a family refuge.
35. She Had A Wicked Island
By the time Margaret Hamilton took up residence on Cape Island, she was already in her 60s. Even though she was still working and often away filming a movie or television show, she quickly became a beloved figure in her Maine community. Locals affectionately dubbed her summer retreat “Witch’s Island,” though they knew her as anything but wicked.
36. She Was A Pioneer
On her tiny island, Margaret Hamilton exercised her independence and lived like a pioneer. She often rowed herself between the island and the mainland, given that there weren’t any ferries and the island was without electricity. The local lobstermen admired her for it and looked out for her. And thank goodness they did—because she nearly melted for real.
37. She Nearly Melted For Real
While rowing back to the mainland to catch a taxi for a flight back to New York, Hamilton faced a perilous situation. The dock floats had been removed for the season, leaving her to climb a ladder up the dock. However, it was low-tide and the water was feet beneath the level of the ladder, so that Hamilton had to reach to grab it.
Then the worst happened.
38. She Was Sinking Fast
Margaret Hamilton stretched to reach the ladder but came up short. Just then, she lost her footing on the rocky boat and fell into the water. Weighed down by her coat, she began to drown. Miraculously, a taxi driver had a premonition and walked to the edge of the dock where he witnessed the famous actress sinking under the weight of her saturated coat.
Thankfully, the driver was able to pull her to safety.
39. She Embraced A Simpler Life
Hamilton made her final film appearance in 1982’s Pardon Me for Living. After that, she retired to her island and lived without electricity, using kerosene lamps and stoves, and spending her days chopping wood and enjoying the solitude.
It was a peaceful retirement, especially after all the wild adventures she’d been in on film sets—including some on The Wizard of Oz that had turned out to be downright harrowing.
40. Her Cape Got Caught
Hamilton’s iconic scene where her Wicked Witch character disappears from Munchkinland in a plume of red smoke and fire nearly ended in disaster. During the first take, the smoke appeared too early, and Hamilton wasn’t in position. On the second take, however, things went horribly wrong and nearly ended her career—and life.
41. She Was Melting—Actually!
On the second take of the dangerous scene, part of Hamilton’s cape got caught in the platform that was supposed to descend into the stage. So, when the pyrotechnics went off, she got caught in the fiery plume. With the flames around her, her copper-laced makeup heated up, causing second and third-degree burns on her hands and face.
Suffice to say, the producers went with the first take for the final cut.
42. She Endured Agonizing Pain
Hamilton’s suffering didn’t end when the flames went out. Removing her green makeup from her tender burns was no easy task. The makeup crew had to resort to using acetone, a strong solvent, to remove the copper-based paint from her freshly fried flesh. The process was so excruciating that it caused Hamilton unbearable pain.
And her suffering had only just begun.
43. She Spent Weeks Recovering
Hamilton’s burns from the technical mishap were so bad that she had to take six weeks off to recover. She split her recovery time between the hospital and home, before finally returning to the set to finish her iconic role. However, it’s not like she was exactly eager to jump back on the proverbial broomstick and fly to the land of Oz.
44. She Refused To Sue
Margaret Hamiton was nothing if not the consummate professional. Despite the severity of her injuries, she wasn’t eager to get revenge on the studio—all for a heartbreaking reason. “I won’t sue,” she said, “because I know how this business works, and I would never work again”. She did, however, make one demand before returning to the set: “No more fireworks!”
The studio didn’t exactly listen.
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45. Her Stunt Double Took Her Place
Hamilton wasn’t the only one to suffer serious burns on the set of The Wizard of Oz. Following her accident, Hamilton’s stunt double, Betty Danko, took on the more dangerous scenes, including the Wicked Witch’s fiery entrance into Munchkinland. Danko’s dedication to the role led to serious consequences during one of these stunts.
46. Her Stunt Double Took One For The Team
During the famous “Surrender Dorothy!” skywriting scene, Danko was supposed to ride a pipe designed to look like the Wicked Witch’s broomstick. Unfortunately, on the third take, the pipe exploded, leaving Danko, much like Hamilton, with severe burns—only worse. Medics rushed her to the hospital, where she stayed for 11 days.
47. Her Stunt Double Needed A Stunt Double
The Wicked Witch of the West turned out to be a dangerous role to play. Danko’s injuries from the explosion left her with permanent scarring on her legs. Unable to continue filming, the studio had to replace Hamilton’s stunt double with yet another stunt double (a stunt triple?), Aline Goodwin. It had almost been Hamilton on that broomstick.
48. She Avoided Dangerous Stunts
When she returned to set, Margaret Hamilton was gravely serious about not doing any further scenes with fireworks. So, when costuming asked her if she wanted her “regular costume” or a “fireproof costume” for the skywriting scene, Hamilton declined both and avoided the disaster that landed her first stunt double in the hospital.
But she couldn’t escape danger on that set no matter how hard she tried.
49. She Was Green
The iconic green makeup that made Hamilton’s Wicked Witch so terrifying had its own terrifying aspects. The copper-based paint was so toxic that Hamilton could only consume liquids through a straw while in full makeup. To make matters worse, the green tint lingered on her skin for months after filming wrapped, leaching toxins into her body.
50. She Wasn’t So Wicked After All
Hamilton’s pioneering lifestyle kept her in relatively good health well into her older age. However, unlike a real witch, she couldn’t live forever. Six months before her passing, she moved into a nursing home in Salisbury, Connecticut then succumbed to a heart attack on May 16, 1985. She was 82 years old.
Despite never wanting to work with fireworks again, she was cremated.
