Ask someone from my generation to name the scariest movie villains of all time and you can bet the Wicked Witch of the West will make that list. When we were kids “The Wizard of Oz” only came on once a year and we would huddle around the TV in awe, completely fascinated and shaking in our footie pajamas!
From the moment the Wicked Witch appeared in Munchkinland we were on the edge of seats. She was only on the screen for 12 minutes of the entire movie but she made a lasting impact. And that voice…
The actress is Margaret Hamilton and she had a strong career going long before she ever played her most famous character. But, once “The Wizard of Oz” had burned her villainous image in our minds, you would think it would be hard for her to ever break away from such a memorable character, right? After all…everyone knew what she looked like without that green make up because she was also Almira Gulch, the nasty neighbor who stuffed Toto in a basket so she could take him to the Sherriff to be “destroyed”!
But she did break away from it. Margaret is credited with 150 film and television roles, not to mention her stage performances. She was also hired as the lead in a very popular commercial campaign…a character she played for many, many years. So, what company was willing to set aside her famous role and believed she could project a warm, kind, and trusting image for their product? Check it out…
Sure, she was an actress so changing roles is what she did. But, she could have played her biggest role and been satisfied that her place in history was set…or fallen back on similar characters and rode that wave for the rest of her career. She didn’t.
I think we can all get stuck in a rut, being what others expect us to be. There is a certain amount of security in doing what you’re known to be good at, rather than moving on and doing what you really want.
For 15 years I worked successfully in the marketing and publishing world. Then I decided to completely change direction and work for Great Harvest – a decision I’ve never regretted.
So for 13 years now, I’ve worked with bakery owners from all over the country most of whom did not start out as bakers. They had successful careers in the auto industry, teaching, insurance, engineering, marketing, architecture, law and… well… just about any field you can name. The reasons they came to Great Harvest are as varied as their backgrounds but they all knew they wanted to make a significant change and own their own business. And so they did.
Margaret’s career as Cora the coffee lady began over 30 years after the release of “The Wizard of Oz.” I guess we can all take a cue from her… It’s never too late to change your role in life.
