Though it was the role that would make her a legend in the film industry, Margaret Hamilton had no interest in playing The Wicked Witch of the West for the rest of her life.

When asked whether she might reprise the character in any future MGM films, The Wizard of Oz (1939) actor was honest and admitted she had no intention for the character to make another appearance.

“The witch is dead,” Hamilton said during an interview with The Pantagraph. “She melted at the end of that film. I suppose I’ve turned down a fortune, but I just didn’t want to spoil the magic. Little children’s minds can’t cope with seeing a mean witch alive again.”

Hamilton was aware of the effect the character had on children. “Many times, I see mothers and little children,” said the actor. “The mothers often say to the kids, ‘Don’t you know who she is? She’s the witch in The Wizard of Oz.’ Then the kids look so disappointed and say, ‘But I thought she melted.’ They think maybe I’m going to go back and cause trouble for Dorothy (Judy Garland) again.”

Because of this, Hamilton decided that, though she loved playing the iconic antagonist, it was best to let her live and die in her original 1939 film.