Why are the Munchkins different in Wicked? How Ethan Slater inspired their new look

6 December 2024, 18:04

By Sam Prance

Instead of casting little people, Wicked director Jon M. Chu based the Munchkin look around Ethan Slater.

Wicked director Jon M. Chu has opened up about why he decided to reimagine how Munchkins look in his adaptation.

Ever since The Wizard of Oz debuted in 1939, the film's interpretation of L. Frank Baum's tale has become embedded in our cultural memory. To this day, it's impossible to imagine Dorothy without picturing Judy Garland. Not only that but Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton's depictions of Glinda and The Wicked Witch of the West are legendary.

The film also famously portrays the Munchkins as little people. In contrast, Jon M. Chu's Wicked casts actors of all different heights as Munchkins. Now, he's revealed that he based the Munchkins' look on Boq actor Ethan Slater.

• Read more: Why Wicked was not allowed to use the red slippers from The Wizard of Oz
• Read more: Every actress who auditioned for Elphaba in the Wicked movie

Why are the Munchkins not small in Wicked?

Meet Ethan Slater’s Boq in Wicked

How tall are Munchkins?

The Wizard of Oz has long been criticised for playing into offensive stereotypes by depicting the Munchkins as little people. In the original L. Frank Baum book, they're actually written as the same height as Dorothy and Wicked as a musical has steered clear of depicting Munchkins as little people in stage productions of the show.

As for why Munchkins aren't played by little people in the Wicked movie, Jon M. Chu told GQ: “We wanted [Boq] to come from a culture, and so we were trying to reinvent what a Munchkin is. In our eyes, Munchkin was not a size.”

He added: “We built the Munchkinland look around [Ethan Slater], in a weird way, like this red-haired, fair-skinned type of character...[Ethan] was just so natural and so likeable, and you root for him."

In Jon's mind, the Munchkins are “joyful, innocent people” who “harvested the joy [and] the colors of all of Oz”.

How tall is Ethan Slater?

As for Ethan Slater's height, he's 5 feet 7 in real life (1.8m) but all the Munchkins are different heights.

In the Wicked movie, the opening number 'No One Mourns the Wicked' is set in Munchkinland and the Munchkins all have red hair like Boq. We later see Boq and other Munchkins feature in scenes at Shiz university.

Based on the plot of Wicked the musical, we'll likely see more of Boq and the Munchkins in Wicked Part 2.

Read more about Wicked here:

• Who is the Tin Man in Wicked? Here's how the musical reveals his true identity
• Wicked fans are obsessed with Ariana Grande's huge lyric change in 'Popular'
• Wicked director explains why they cut iconic Glinda line from the film
• Wicked's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande say Elphaba and Glinda are queer
• Every actress who auditioned for Glinda in the Wicked movie

WATCH: Wicked cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'

Wicked Cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'

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