‘Oz’ Munchkin Mickey Carroll turns 86

His character advised Dorothy to ‘follow the Yellow Brick Road’

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updated 4:09 p.m. ET July 4, 2005

ST. LOUIS - It's been 66 years since Mickey Carroll’s only movie role, but he’s still being celebrated for it.

Carroll is one of a few surviving Munchkins from MGM’s 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz.” His character led the Munchkin parade and advised Dorothy, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.”

On Saturday, friends and fans gathered in a park to celebrate his 86th birthday. (His actual birthday is July 8).

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“Oz” was Carroll’s only movie. When it appeared on television in the 1960s, he found a new career at charitable events, retail events and Oz-related events.

“It’s not me; it’s the movie,” Carroll said. “When they see me, they think of their childhood, and it makes them smile.”