Margaret Hamilton was an accomplished character actress who had been typecast as a spinster woman who looked down her nose at shenanigans and misbehavior. Imagine the type of woman who runs for her fainting couch while exclaiming 'Well I never!' and you've got the idea.
When the role of the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz was offered to Ms. Hamilton she jumped at the chance to do a larger than life character. She manages to steal the show as the fearsome witch, but the result was not what Ms. Hamilton imagined.
She soon found herself scaring children inadvertently. She tried to convince children that she was a nice lady who just happened to have played a witch, but it was mostly for naught. An infamous episode of Sesame Street that she appeared in as a way to reassure children was pulled and banned after just one airing- too many children missed the point of her appearance and got frightened beyond belief. Ms. Hamilton shrugged this situation off, however, and became a tireless donor to children's charities. In real life, this 'wicked witch' had a heart of gold.
