Arts & Entertainment
Royal Oak Native Sam Raimi Directs Former Teacher in 'Oz the Great and Powerful'
Jim Moll, former Birmingham drama teacher now Royal Oak High School's interim principal, appears in the movie as Emerald City Citizen #10
Among those walking the yellow carpet at the Emagine Theatre Tuesday for the advance screening of Disney’s fantastical adventure Oz: The Great and Powerful was Royal Oak High School Interim Principal Jim Moll—or Emerald City Citizen #10.
Moll is an actor at heart. He's the former Birmingham Groves High School drama teacher and a current member of the Farmington Players community theater group.
Moll was a young teacher at Groves when Sam Raimi, 53, was in his class. Cult actor Bruce Campbell, 54, who starred in many of Raimi’s films, is also a former student. Both Raimi and Campbell were born in Royal Oak.
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“Sam was here to shoot Oz: The Great and Powerful film in Pontiac, so he contacted four or five of his old teachers to visit him on set,” Moll said. The next thing Moll knew, he was taken to wardrobe and makeup, and was fitted with a long beard. He was then taken to the set where 150 extras in costume were already waiting.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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[Tomorrow meet Channing Pierce of Royal Oak. The former Miss Royal Oak portrays a Coochie Girl in Oz: The Great and Powerful.]
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