The Funny Behind-the-Scenes Moment From The Wiz That Showed Michael Jackson’s Childlike Joy

One of the funniest things Michael Jackson experienced while filming The Wiz had nothing to do with a scene, a dance number or a camera.

It happened after filming was over for the day.

Long before Michael Jackson became known worldwide as the King of Pop, he played the Scarecrow in the 1978 musical film The Wiz. Each day on set required an elaborate makeup process that transformed the young performer into one of the movie’s most memorable characters.

But according to makeup artist Michael R. Thomas, the real magic often happened after the cameras stopped rolling.

Michael Jackson’s Daily Scarecrow Transformation

Every morning, Michael began a long transformation into the Scarecrow.

Thomas said Michael’s hair, braided into dozens of tiny plaits, had to be carefully hidden beneath a bald cap. After that came the foam-latex prosthetics that created the character’s face and neck.

The makeup included a forehead, two cheeks, a chin, a neck ruffle and the Scarecrow’s famous nose, which was designed to resemble the wrapper of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

The look had to stay in place throughout the filming day and was constantly maintained between scenes.

For Michael, it was part of the job. But removing it at the end of the day became something far more memorable.

The Rubber Mask That Made Michael Laugh

When filming wrapped, Thomas would carefully peel away the bald cap and prosthetic pieces. Sometimes, the entire Scarecrow face came off almost in one piece.

Instead of simply throwing it aside, Thomas turned it into a puppet.

He would duck behind Michael’s chair so Michael could not see him in the mirror. Then he would slip the rubber Scarecrow face over his hand, slowly raise it behind Michael’s head and wiggle it around while making a ridiculous sound:

“OOODLE-OOODLE-DOOODLE-DE-OOOOHHH!”

Michael would burst into laughter.

Not a polite laugh. Not a celebrity smile. A real, uncontrollable laugh.

Thomas later recalled that Michael reacted as if it were one of the funniest things he had ever seen. He said Michael had a childlike sense of humor and that even the simplest silly joke could make him laugh.

A Small Moment That Revealed Something Bigger

That behind-the-scenes story has stayed with fans because it shows a side of Michael Jackson that fame often overshadowed.

The world remembers him for moonwalks, record-breaking albums, unforgettable music videos and stadiums filled with screaming fans. But many people who worked closely with him remembered something much simpler.

They remembered his laugh.

They remembered his innocence.

They remembered his ability to find joy in small, silly moments.

On the set of The Wiz, behind the elaborate makeup and the Scarecrow costume, Michael was still a young man who could laugh like a child at a rubber mask on someone’s hand.

The Human Side of a Future Icon

Stories like this help explain why so many people who knew Michael personally described him as someone who never fully lost the child inside him.

At the time of The Wiz, he was not yet the global superstar he would become in the 1980s. He was still growing as an artist, learning from people around him and experiencing one of his first major film roles.

Yet even then, those around him noticed his sensitivity, humor and gentle spirit.

The image is simple but unforgettable: Michael Jackson sitting in a makeup chair after a long day of filming, watching his own Scarecrow face become a puppet, and laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.

It was not a grand performance.

It was not a historic concert moment.

But somehow, that ordinary little moment says as much about Michael Jackson as any spotlight ever could.