Margaret Pellegrini, who portrayed one of the original Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, died yesterday from a stroke. She was 89 years old.
The actress suffered the stroke at her home in Glendale, Arizona and died at a hospital near Phoenix, according to the owner of a Chicago theater where Pellegrini and other stars from that iconic movie have appeared.
Pellegrini was 16 when she filmed her role, portraying one of the "sleepy head" kids and wearing a flowerpot on her head for a couple musical numbers.
She later served as a guest speaker at grade schools across the Phoenix area, telling kids about her time along The Yellow Brick Road.
"There are two roads in life that you can take – the wrong road and the right road," the actress would often say. "And remember, there really is no place like home."
With Pellegrini’s death, only two original Munchkins remain: Jerry Maren, 93, who lives in Los Angeles, and Ruth Duccini, 95, who resides in Phoenix.