The original 'Wizard of Oz' cast: See where the actors ended up after Dorothy returned to Kansas (2024)

Eighty-five years ago, The Wizard of Oz arrived in cinemas and forever changed the art form.

Based on L. Frank Baum's novel, the beloved film follows Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) and her cast of companions — a brain-seeking scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a heart-seeking Tin Man (Jack Haley), and a courage-seeking cowardly lion (Bert Lahr) — through their journey to the magical Land of Oz. Though they are nearly thwarted by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), the gang, of course, makes it to the Wizard (Frank Morgan) before Dorothy returns to Kansas with the aid of Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke).

It's a well-known tale, though the story ofWicked— which hits theaters on Nov. 22 — flips the narrative on its head by showing how the Wicked Witch came to be so, well, wicked while Glinda the Good remained, you know, good.

While The Wizard of Oz cemented its cast in entertainment history, not everyone in the ensemble went on to fortune and riches afterward. In fact, many of the stars are best remembered for the 1938 film, which defined their careers.

Ahead of Wicked taking flight, here's a look back at the original The Wizard of Oz cast and what happened to them after Dorothy returned home to Kansas.

Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale)

Judy Garland stars as sweet-natured Kansas girl Dorothy Gale, who, with her dog Toto and new ruby red slippers, just wants to go home.

Born in 1922, Garland started performing with her sisters in a vaudeville group before signing with MGM at age 13. She appeared in nearly 30 films for the studio, including The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and Easter Parade (1948). She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in A Star Is Born (1954) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and hosted The Judy Garland Show (1963–1964), which garnered two Emmy nominations.

She was also a successful recording artist, with her songs “Over the Rainbow” and “Meet Me in St. Louis” (from two of her most famous films) becoming anthemic for the star. In 1962, she became the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year with her concert LP Judy at Carnegie Hall.

ThoughThe Wizard of Ozcatapulted Garland's career, her on-set experience was far from magical.While shooting Oz, she was plied with “pep pills” (amphetamines) to keep her energetic and thin. At night, she was given barbiturates to help her sleep. This led to addiction issues which plagued Garland until her death at age 47 in 1969 from an accidental overdose.

Garland's ex-husband Sid Luft alsoalleged in his posthumous memoirthat she was repeatedly molested by some of the actors who played the Munchkins. "They would make Judy's life miserable on set by putting their hands under her dress … The men were 40 or more years old," he wrote.

Garland was married four times: to David Rose (1941–1944); Vincente Minnelli (1945–1951), with whom she shares daughter Liza Minnelli; Luft (1952–1965), with whom she shares son Joey Luft and daughter Lorna Luft; Mark Herron (1965–1969); and Mickey Deans, whom she married in March 1969, just three months before her death.

Frank Morgan (the Wizard of Oz)

In addition to starring as the "wonderful" Wizard of Oz who flies Dorothy home in a hot air balloon, Frank Morgan played the Wizard's gatekeeper, the carriage driver, and Professor Marvel in Oz.

Morgan made his screen debut in 1916’s The Suspect and appeared consistently in film, television, and radio until his death in 1949 at age 59. Though The Wizard of Oz remains his most well-remembered work, Morgan also held memorable roles in The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and as King Louis XIII in The Three Musketeers (1948).

He married Alma Muller in 1914; they shared a son, George. Morgan struggled with alcohol addiction, and it was noted in Aljean Harmetz’s book The Making of the Wizard of Oz that the actor came to work each day with a small black briefcase containing liquor.

Ray Bolger (the Scarecrow)

Ray Bolger was a noted star on the stage and screen by the time he played the Scarecrow, whom Dorothy tells "I think I'll miss you most of all" upon her departure from Oz.

In addition to The Wizard of Oz, he’s best remembered for playing the devious Barnaby in the original Babes in Toyland (1961) film. He married Gwendolyn Rickard in 1929, and the couple remained together until Bolger died in 1987 at age 83 following a bladder cancer diagnosis. They had no children.

Bolger reportedly struggled in the Scarecrow's costume for a surprising reason. Harmetz wrote in her 1977 book that Bolger found it nearly impossible to use the restroom on set because, when he would disrobe, all of the prop straw would scatter.

Bolger attended Garland's funeral along with Harold Arlen, who composed "Over the Rainbow." He was the last surviving star of the film.

The actor never diminished his involvement inThe Wizard of Oz, sayingin a 1976 interviewthat he felt lucky to be a part of a movie that left such an impression on the culture. "It's a great American classic," he said, "and after I'm gone, it will be — and I will be — remembered. And very few people can say they were remembered for anything in life."

Bert Lahr (the Cowardly Lion)

Like much of the cast, Bert Lahr is best known for his role in The Wizard of Oz. As the film progresses, his Cowardly Lion becomes anything but, fiercely defending his cohorts and discovering self-worth.

In addition to parts in Anything Goes (1954) and The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968), Lahr was among the first to star in the classic play Waiting for Godot as Estragon. He performed the show in Europe and its state-side debut in Miami, Fla., before moving on to a successful Broadway run.

Lahr frequently had trouble in his lion costume, with the hefty rubber mask restricting his movement and hindering his ability to open his mouth. Harmetz wrote in The Making of the Wizard of Oz that Lahr was resigned to liquid meals through straws throughout filming.

“The only thing that was his was a bit of cheek and his eyes," Charlie Schram, Lahr's makeup technician, told Harmetz. “On top of his head he wore that enormous fur wig, and his chin was covered with a fur beard. He wore mittens, and besides being a real lion skin, his suit was padded. It was like carrying a mattress around with you. He had to take his lion suit off completely after each shot, and he'd always be dripping wet. The poor man went through hell.”

Lahr was married first to Mercedes Delpino, with whom he shared a son, and later to Mildred Schroeder, with whom he shared a son and daughter. He died of pneumonia in 1967 while filming The Night They Raided Minsky’s.

Jack Haley (the Tin Man)

Jack Haley played the technically heartless but nevertheless sensitive Tin Man, the second companion to join Dorothy's trek on the iconic yellow brick road.

Haley replaced Buddy Ebsen, who was originally cast as the Tin Man but had to drop out after aluminum dust in the face paint made him sick. Things were hardly any easier for Haley, who like many of Oz's ensemble players suffered in his makeup. “I couldn't lie down in that costume,” reads Haley's quote in Harmetz's book. “I couldn't even sit in it. I could only lean against a reclining hoard.”

He starred in musicals opposite Shirley Temple (Poor Little Rich Girl) and Frank Sinatra (Higher and Higher). After Oz, Haley had roles in One Body Too Many (1944), People Are Funny (1946), and Norwood (1970). His final film appearance was an uncredited part in Martin Scorsese's New York, New York (1977) starring Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli.

Haley was married to Florence McFaddenfrom 1921 until his death in 1979 after suffering a heart attack at age 81. They had two children, Jack Jr. and Gloria. A collection of his writing, Heart of the Tin Man, was published posthumously in 2000.

Billie Burke (Glinda the Good Witch of the North)

Billie Burke essayed the role of Glinda the Good Witch of the North, who aids Dorothy and her ragtag companions on their journey to the Emerald City.

Upon Oz’s release, Burke was coming off a 1938 Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance in Merrily We Live (1938). She also acted in the Topper movies, the first of which starred Cary Grant and Constance Bennett as ghosts haunting Burke’s husband. She collaborated with George Cukor on Dinner at Eight (1933) and appeared in The Man Who Came to Dinner (1940).

Margaret Hamilton, who played Glinda's wicked counterpart, recalled in The Making of The Wizard of Oz that her costar was one of the more famous cast members on set. Burke therefore enjoyed a more comfortable dressing room adorned in pinks and blues. Hamilton would even sneak into Burke's quarters when the Good Witch had days off, allowing her a respite from the chaotic set.

Burke married Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. in 1914. They had a daughter in 1916 and remained married until Ziegfeld’s death in 1932. Burke died in 1970 at age 85 and was buried alongside her late husband in New York.

Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West)

Margaret Hamilton played the frightful Wicked Witch of the West, who has it out for Dorothy and her little dog, too.

A former school teacher who took up acting in the early 1930s, Hamilton debuted opposite Helen Hayes and Robert Montgomery in Another Language (1933). She appeared in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), in W.C. Fields’ My Little Chickadee (1940), and in Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s Comin’ Round the Mountain (1951), playing a nefarious witch who battles it out with the comedians.

According to The Making of The Wizard of Oz, Hamilton was forced to leave the production for six weeks due to injuries sustained while filming the Wicked Witch vanishing in a puff of smoke. A hidden elevator was supposed to lower her before the smoke and fire effects went off, but they deployed while she was still above ground, causing second and third-degree burns. Because the witch's green body paint was copper-based, and therefore toxic if absorbed into the bloodstream, Hamilton's burns had to be sterilized with acetone.

Hamilton was married to Paul Boynton Meserve from 1931 to 1938, after which she raised their son on her own. She died at age 82 in 1985 of a heart attack.