In both Wicked and Wicked: For Good, the Wizard, in name only, is the charismatic ruler of Oz, played by the ever-iconic Jeff Goldblum.
As per the Wicked books, the Wizard came to Oz by way of a hot air balloon. He journeyed to the magical land in search of the Grimmerie, a spellbook known as The Lesser Key of Solomon here on Earth. After a cheeky little coup to overthrow the king, the Wizard situated himself as the ruler of Oz, as he used those born with magical talents to do his dirty work. At the end of the story, he chooses to return to Earth to escape a violent uprising.
The Wizard is a character drenched in mystery, and we don’t get a major look at his backstory in either of the Wicked films. Considering that, you might be surprised to learn that the Wizard is not even his real name. Who could’ve guessed?
Credit: Universal Pictures
Okay, so what’s the Wizard’s real name in Wicked?
The Wizard hails from Omaha, Nebraska, where he was whisked away to Oz by a tornado. He’d painted his initials, OZ, on the side of his hot air balloon, because the rest of his initials actually spelt out Pinhead. Arriving in Oz with the land’s name on his balloon, it’s not surprising that the somewhat naive citizens believed he was an all-powerful sorcerer.
Fun Fact: The Wizard was loosely based on Washington Harrison Donaldson, a balloonist, ventriloquist and stage magician who worked for P. T. Barnum.
Obviously, he wasn’t called the Wizard here on earth, and his name was actually – deep breath here – Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs.
The Wizard is not the only Wicked character to have a fake name, because Madame Morrible is actually Muriel Morrible, Boq’s full name is actually Boq Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion’s name is just Brr.
You really do learn something new every day.
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Featured image credit: Universal Pictures
