Celebrity Biographies
Margaret Pellegrini
Margaret Pellegrini was one of the last three survivors of the Munchkins, played by more than 100 theater and circus dwarfs, in “The Wizard of Oz,” the 1939 classic. The performer died on August 7, 2013, in Phoenix as a result of a stroke.
Born September 23, 1923, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, Margaret Williams (real name Margaret Pellegrini ). She was only 16 years old when she was recruited to take part in The Wizard of Oz . She played the Munchkin in the Pot, one of the merry inhabitants of the country ruled by the Wicked Witch of the East, until Dorothy’s house crushes the latter, sparking great joy.
Later, she married Willie Pellegrini, a wrestling boxer, with whom she had two children. During the last years of her life, Margaret Pellegrini was a regular at the conventions that are still organized around the legendary film, such as the annual Frank L. Baum Gathering, which takes place in Chittegnango, New York. In addition, in 2007, the actress appeared dressed as her character at the ceremony in which the Munchkins received their star on the Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. Two of them are still alive, Jerry Maren, 93, and Ruth Duccini, 95.