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| “ | The best way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy. | „ |
| ~ The Wizard of Oz foreshadowing the rest of Elphaba and Galinda's friendship, and his most famous quote. |
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkle Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, better known as The Wizard of Oz, is the main antagonist of the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the 2003 Broadway musical Wicked, and the 2024-25 two-part film adaptation of the same name.
He is a humbug dictator who uses deceit and trickery to hide his own mortal shortcomings and came to Oz originally seeking the Grimmerie, but became side-tracked when he discovered he could orchestrate a coup d'état and overthrow the Ozma Regent, thus becoming all throughout the land as His Highness - the Emperor Wizard of Oz. It is soon revealed towards the end of Wicked: Part I that he is responsible for locking all the animals away and banning them from Shiz Academy.
In the original broadway show, he was portrayed by Joel Grey. In the film adaptations, he was portrayed by Jeff Goldblum, who also played Calvin "Slick" Stanhope in Silverado, Brundlefly in The Fly, Dr. Erwin Armstrong in The Boss Baby: Family Business, the Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok, and Zeus in Kaos.
Appearance[]
The Wizard appears initially as a massive, robotic head that appears to pay homage to his original look in The Wizard of Oz. However, after realizing that his audience is with Elphaba, he comes out from behind the curtain and appears to be an older man that has a knack for tricks and technological wizardry.
Personality[]
The Wizard starts off as the kind and charismatic, but seemingly flawed ruler that once again appears in the original The Wizard of Oz. When giving a tour of a model with his planned yet-to-be-coloured brick road, he claimed that he always wanted to be father, yet never had the chance. But in Oz, he said he felt that all its citizens became his children, and thus became his purpose in ruling.
However, after figuring out that Elphaba can read the Grimmerie, he unveils his true nature; he is a power-hungry, manipulative and tyrannical conman that wants to keep power in Oz. It is revealed that he is behind the oppression of the animals, which was done to deflect from a famine that he was unable to solve; while offering recruitment for Elphaba, he insisted on continuing the persecution of the talking animals, which causes Elphaba to turn on him. As soon as she turns on him, he frames her as the Wicked Witch of the West to maintain his powerful status.
Despite his own lack of magical power, he had access to (or possibly created) elaborate mechanisms that created the illusion of magical power, which was aided by his talent in showmanship. When hidden behind the curtain, he embodies a godlike presence with an overwhelming demeanour, however, when revealing himself, he acts nebbish and friendly - both the spectacle of the Wizard and the supposed kindness his true self are separate manipulation tactics, with the "all-powerful Wizard" keeping people in line through fear, and his true human self exploiting the sentimental emotions of those he deemed more useful as allies than pawns.
Biography[]
In the Play[]
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Movie Version[]
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Quotes[]
To be added
Gallery[]
_02.jpg "Wizard (Wicked film) 02.jpg (301 KB)")
Trivia[]
- This is the only incarnation of the Wizard in an adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that is portrayed as an antagonist.
