The Wiz old for the part. However, she contacted Rob Cohen of Universal Pictures, who offered to have them finance the film if she were to play Dorothy, at which point he acquiesced. The resulting film version of "The Wiz" also starred former Motown star Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man, Richard Pryor as the Wizard, jazz singer Thelma Carpenter as Miss One (the name "Addapearle" was not used for this production) and Lena Horne as Glinda. Ted Ross and Mabel King reprised their roles of the Lion and Evillene from the Broadway production. Sidney Lumet served
Michael Jackson (wide receiver) Michael Jackson (wide receiver) Michael Dywane Jackson Dyson (April 12, 1969 – May 12, 2017) was an American professional football player and politician. Jackson was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'4", 195 lbs. wide receiver from The University of Southern Mississippi, Jackson played in eight NFL seasons from 1991 to 1998 for the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson signed a 1-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks to play the 1999 season but was cut at the end of the preseason. In college, he was teammates with QB Brett Favre