Margaret Raia (1928 – August 17, 2003), also known as Margie Raia, was an American actress with dwarfism, best known for her role as one of the Munchkin villagers in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.[2]
Margaret Raia | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1928 Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 17, 2003 (aged 75) Port Richey, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Relatives | Matthew Raia (brother)[1] Agrippina (sister) |
Early life
editRaia was born in Long Island, New York in 1928 as one of four children to Italian immigrants Emanuel and Maria Raia.[2][3] She and her brother, Matthew, who also had dwarfism, worked in carnival sideshows as children. The two became acquaintances with Leo Singer, who eventually got the two their acting roles.[2]
Career
editAt age 10, Raia played a munchkin villager in The Wizard of Oz. During production, MGM officials discovered that Raia was underage and as a result she was expelled from the set halfway through filming.[4] Her brother Matthew also appeared in the film, as Munchkinland's City Father.[2]
Later life
editIn the late 1980s Raia moved to Port Richey, Florida with her sister, Agrippina, and Agrippina's husband John J. Santiago. Raia remained close with her sister and Santiago, and helped Santiago care for her sister after she developed Alzheimer's.[2]
On August 17, 2003, Raia died from a brain seizure in Port Richey at the age of 75.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Margaret Raia, Actress". Variety.com. August 25, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Miller, Michele (20 August 2003). "Pasco: 'Oz' film actor never measured stature in inches". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2023-04-12.
- ^ III, Harris M. Lentz (2008-10-24). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2003: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7864-5208-8.
- ^ Cox, S. (2002) "The Munchkins of Oz, Third Edition", pp. 6
External links
edit- Margaret Raia at the British Film Institute[better source needed]
- The Munchkins (of Oz) at thejudyroom.com
- Margaret RAIA at AFI
- Wizard of Oz with a list of Munchkins at TMC
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