We’ve Lost the Last Munchkin, Last Oz Actor Passes

Perhaps the greatest movie ever made is the 1939 film ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ which brought fame and fortune to Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton, Jack Haley, and director Victor Fleming. Who could forget the moment Dorthy landed in Munchkin Land, only to be serenaded by a group of actors who help her find the yellow brick road.

Sadly, the last actor to portray a Munchkin, Jerry Maren, passed away in San Diego at the age of 89. Jerry was born and lived as a child in Boston, but always wanted to be a star in Hollywood, taking dance lessons at the age of five. As a struggling actor in the late 30s, he answered a casting call that put him on a bus bound across the country to Hollywood for the director to get screen tests.

Imagine, on the hope and prayer of getting a walk-on role in a real Hollywood movie about to begin filming, he and others boarded the bus New York City and spent the next four days to the promised land. The director was impressed, hiring Jerry on the spot. In final casting, Jerry was chosen to be the Munchkin who shares the pivotal scene with Judy Garland, receiving a welcoming lollipop. Jerry Maren, the last Munchkin is gone at the age of 89.

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Photo credit: Gabriele Maltinti / Shutterstock.com