Wizard of Oz (character) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oscar Diggs/The Wizard of Oz
Oz character
The Wizard as illustrated by William Wallace Denslow (1900)
First appearance	The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900)
Portrayed by	J. Charles Haydon Charles Murray Frank Morgan Richard Pryor Jeffrey Tambor Christopher Lloyd André De Shields James Franco Carter Kinsella Christopher Gorham Vincent D'Onofrio Joel Grey
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Advisor and court magician to Princess Ozma
Title	The Wizard of Oz
Family	A prominent Omaha politician and his wife (parents)
Nationality	American

Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, better known as the Wizard of Oz, is a famous character from the magical Land of Oz. He was created by American author L. Frank Baum. People also call him "Oz, the Great and Terrible" or the "Great and Powerful Oz."

The Wizard became even more famous through plays and movies. These include the classic 1939 film and the 2013 movie that tells his earlier story.

The Oz Books: The Wizard's Story

The Wizard is a main character in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. For most of the book, no one sees him. He is the ruler of the Land of Oz and his people respect him greatly.

Dorothy and her friends believe he is the only one who can help them. They travel to the Emerald City, the capital of Oz, to meet him. The Wizard is hesitant to meet them. But eventually, he sees each of them one by one.

Each time, the Wizard appears in a different form. He is seen as a giant head, a beautiful fairy, a scary monster, and a ball of fire. When he finally meets them all together, he sounds like a voice with no body.

The Truth About Oz

Later, everyone learns the truth. Oz is not a powerful wizard at all! He is just an ordinary man from Omaha, Nebraska. He used clever tricks and special props to make himself seem "great and powerful."

Before coming to Oz, he worked as a magician in a circus. He wrote "OZ" on his hot air balloon to advertise. These letters were the first initials of his first two names: Oscar and Zoroaster. One day, his balloon floated into the Land of Oz. The people there thought he was a mighty sorcerer. Since Oz had no leader at the time, he became the ruler. He tried his best to keep his secret.

At the end of the first book, he leaves Oz in his hot air balloon. After he leaves, the Scarecrow becomes king for a short time. Then, Princess Ozma, the true ruler of Oz, is freed from the witch Mombi. This happens at the end of The Marvelous Land of Oz.

The Wizard's Return

The Wizard returns in the book Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. He falls through a crack in the earth with Dorothy and a boy named Zeb. During their journey underground, he guides and protects them.

Oz explains his full name: Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs. He used his initials (O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D.) to shorten it. But because this spelled "pinhead," he just called himself "Oz."

When Ozma rescues them from the underground kingdoms, he tells his story of becoming ruler of Oz. Ozma explains that before the witches took her grandfather's throne, the ruler of Oz was always called Oz or Ozma. Ozma then lets him live in Oz forever. He becomes a student of Glinda, who is the most powerful magic-user in Oz. Ozma decides that only she, the Wizard, and Glinda can use magic without special permission.

The Wizard as an Inventor

In later books, the Wizard becomes a great inventor. He creates devices that help characters on their journeys. He even brings mobile phones to Oz in Tik-Tok of Oz. Some of his most amazing inventions are the Ozpril and Oztober. These are balloon-powered planes called Ozoplanes in Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz. He also invents smart taxis called Scalawagons in The Scalawagons of Oz.

The Wizard in Movies and TV Shows

The Wizard of Oz has appeared in many films and TV shows.

Early Films (1908–1925)

The Wizard appeared in almost every silent Oz film. Different actors played him each time.

• The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays (1908): Sam 'Smiling' Jones
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910): Hobart Bosworth
• The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914): Todd Wright
• His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914): J. Charles Haydon
• Wizard of Oz (1925): Charles Murray

The Classic 1939 Movie

In The Wizard of Oz (1939), the Wizard is a clumsy trickster, much like in the books. Actor Frank Morgan played him. Morgan also played several other characters in the movie. These included Professor Marvel, the Doorman at the Emerald City, the Guard at the Gates, and the Coachman.

The Wizard in the movie is also from Kansas, just like Dorothy. He proudly says he is "an old Kansas man." However, his balloon says "Omaha State Fair," and Omaha is in Nebraska. In the film, the Wizard only appears as a floating head and as a human. He does not take on other shapes as he does in the book.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

Oz the Great and Powerful is a movie that tells the Wizard's story before Dorothy arrived. Oscar Diggs, played by James Franco, is a small-time magician. He travels to Oz and becomes its ruler.

In this movie, he is a charming but overconfident con artist and stage magician. He meets Theodora, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. He wants to be the legendary Wizard who brings peace to Oz. He is also interested in the Oz Treasury!

As he travels, he sees how his actions affect people. He realizes the people of Oz truly need him. He uses his skills in illusions to free them. He makes it seem like he died by using his balloon. But he hides in a caravan and uses smoke and a projector to show his face. He claims his "death" allowed him to become a spirit. He also forms a new "family" with Glinda the Good Witch, Finley (a winged monkey he saved), and the China Girl (a living china doll whose legs he fixed).

Once Upon a Time (2014)

The Wizard of Oz appears in the TV show Once Upon a Time. Christopher Gorham plays him.

In this story, Walsh is from Kansas. He ends up in the Land of Oz and calls himself "Oz the Great and Terrible." He pretends to be an all-knowing wizard. Glinda is upset by this because she knows he gives people false hope. Walsh uses a shadow image and a loud voice from behind a curtain to trick visitors. He also asks for real magic items in return for his "help."

A woman named Zelena asks for his help to find her birth family. He gives her silver heels to take her anywhere. Zelena goes to the Enchanted Forest and returns wanting to go to the past. She wants to change her fate of being abandoned. The Wizard says this is not possible. Angry, she pulls back the curtain and finds he is just a simple man. Zelena then turns Walsh into a flying monkey to be her pet.

Later, Glinda finds out about Zelena. Glinda thanks Zelena for showing the Wizard's true self. She believes being a pet is a fair punishment for his tricks. Zelena joins Glinda's sisterhood of witches. But a young girl named Dorothy Gale "defeats" her. Dorothy only wants to go home. Glinda sends her back to the Wizard, who is thought to be back to normal. But Zelena, from behind the curtain, pretends to be the Wizard and gives Dorothy the silver slippers to send her home.

Emerald City (2017)

The Wizard of Oz appears in the Emerald City TV series. Vincent D'Onofrio plays him. He rules Emerald City and all of Oz. He has banned magic from the land. His real name is Frank Morgan.

He traveled to Oz through an early experiment. He stayed because he felt he could be more successful there than in Kansas. He tries to use the witches to keep his power. He wants to prove he is stronger than magic. He tries to defeat the Beast Forever by copying Dorothy's gun. Dorothy used her gun to trick the Witch of the East into killing herself. But Dorothy does not follow his orders, which causes problems for him.

He makes many guns to use against the witches. He claims they are the Beast Forever to trick people. But his plans fail because only witches can kill other witches. The series ends with the witches facing the Wizard as the Beast Forever comes closer to Oz.

Other Adaptations

The Wizard of Oz has appeared in many other stories and shows.

• In The Wiz, a musical, the Wizard is a balloonist from Omaha named Herman Smith. He accidentally flew to Oz.
  • In the 1978 movie The Wiz, Richard Pryor played the Wiz. This version is a politician from Atlantic City, New Jersey. He flew a balloon for his campaign and got lost in a storm.
  • The 2015 TV special The Wiz Live! had the first female Wiz, played by Queen Latifah.
• In the musical Wicked, the Wizard is a dictator who uses tricks to hide his weaknesses. It is also revealed that he is Elphaba's father. Joel Grey played the Wizard in the original stage show.
• In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005), Jeffrey Tambor plays the Wizard. He is a former tour bus driver named Francis Cornfine. He came to Oz, and people thought he was powerful. He used special effects to keep up the illusion.
• In the 2007 TV show Tin Man, a character called the "Mystic Man" (played by Richard Dreyfuss) is a former ruler. He also uses technology to seem more impressive.
• The Wizard of Oz appears in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, voiced by Tom Kenny. He wants to become a real wizard. He tries to help resurrect the Wicked Witch of the West's spirit.
• In the play The Wonderful Winter of Oz, Kermit the Frog portrays the Wizard.

See also