Little People, Big World Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Lollipop Guild

As Dorothy Gale entered the magical kingdom of Munchkinland, she was welcomed by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, as well as a group of short townsfolk called Munchkins. Three of the Munchkins presented Dorothy with a giant lollipop as they welcomed her with a song:

"We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild
And in the name of the Lollipop Guild, we wish to welcome you to Munchkinland."

The actors which made up the Lollipop Guild were all short in stature. Harry Earles (1902-1985), Jerry Maren (1920- ) and Jakob "Jackie" Gerlich (1917-1960) were just three members of a 124 strong cast of actors and actress who starred as Munchkins. They collectively went on to win a deserved star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007, almost 70 years after they filmed "The Wizard of Oz".

Answer: Billy Barty

Billy Barty (1924-2000) once quoted "The name of my condition is cartilage hair hypoplasia, but you can just call me Billy!". He was a popular actor during the 1950's but he became frustrated with only receiving minor roles in film and television because of his diminutive height. He never grew more than 3ft 9 inches tall.

To raise awareness about dwarfism and small people, he formed the Little People of America Association. Starting out with 27 members when the organisation was first formed in 1957, it now has just under 7,000 members with resources which provide support and information to small people and their families.

Billy Barty went on to act in films such as "Rumpelstiltskin" (1987), "Masters of the Universe" (1987) and "Willow" (1988).

Answer: Dobby in the film "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Felix Silla (b. 1937) grew up as a circus performer in Italy and his talent led him to accept many roles in film and television when he moved to Hollywood. He started off as a stuntman but then took acting roles, many of them in disguise such as a flying Ewok in "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi".

One of his most famous roles had him dressed as the robot, Twiki, acting alongside Gil Gerard who starred as Buck Rogers in the television series which ran from 1979 to 1981. Silla also starred as the hirsute Cousin Itt in "The Addams Family" during the 1960s.

The "Harry Potter" character Dobby was a house elf created using special effects and voiced by British actor, Toby Jones.

Answer: "Ze plane! Ze plane!"

"Fantasy Island" was a popular television series which starred Ricardo Montalban as Mr. Roarke, the owner of an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, along with his small sidekick, Tattoo. Guests each week would live out a fantasy on the island, but at a personal cost. When the guests arrived by seaplane, Tattoo would alert everyone by shouting "Ze plane! Ze plane!".

Herve Villechaize (1943-1993) was also known for playing henchman Nick Nack in "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974). His career soon waned and he became depressed when his health deteriorated. He committed suicide by shooting when he was aged just 50 years old.

Answer: Ship of Fools

"Ship of Fools" was an Academy Award winning drama, set on an ocean liner and recounting the lives of several of its passengers, including Vivien Leigh, Jose Ferrer, George Segal and Lee Marvin. Michael Dunn played Carl Glocken, a cynical dwarf from Germany.

Dunn (1934-1973) was best known for playing arch villain Doctor Loveless in the American television series, "The Wild Wild West", which aired during the late 1960s. His dwarfism caused him several medical issues over the years, especially putting pressure on his heart which led him to an early death.

Answer: Oompa Loompa in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (1971) and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005)

Oompa Loompas originally lived in a nasty place called Loompaland until invited to work in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, earning cocoa beans while merrily singing and dancing. They are little people with a mischievous sense of humour but hard working and very wise.

In the 1971 film, "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory", the Oompa Loompa were portrayed by various actors including Rusty Goffe, a well known British actor who also starred in "Willow" (1988) and "Flash Gordon" (1980). In the 2005 Tim Burton version, all the Oompa Loompas were played by Deep Roy, previously known for acting in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000) and "Big Fish" (2003).

Answer: Kenny Baker

Born on 24th August 1934 in Birmingham, England, Kenny Baker was approached at a young age to perform with Burton Lester's Midgets then later becoming a clown on tour with Billy Smart's Circus. In 1976 his acting career took off when he was asked to play R2-D2 in the new and unheard of science fiction film, "Star Wars". Little did he know at the time how massively popular the film would become, spawning several sequels and leading him to other work which included "Time Bandits", "Labyrinth" and "Willow".

In the 2015 sequel "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", remote control robotics were used to introduce us to the more rotund looking BB-8 droid, as well as old favourites, R2-D2 and C-3PO. By now Kenny Baker was in his 80s and although credited as a consultant on the film, he was replaced as R2-D2 by another British actor, Jimmy Vee.

Answer: Leprechaun

Warwick Davis was born in 1970 with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare type of dwarfism which affects bone growth from birth. This did not stop him from taking up acting from a young age. His first role was as an Ewok in the 1983 film, "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi". He later went on to appear in other films under the "Star Wars" franchise, the title role in "Willow", and Professor Flitwick in the "Harry Potter" series of films. His television appearances included "Life's Too Short" with Ricky Gervais, and as the presenter of the British quiz show "Celebrity Squares".

The 1993 film "Leprechaun" featured Davis in the title role, an ugly and murderous little old man who went after the person who stole his pot of gold. After a ten year hiatus when he was trapped inside a crate, he was accidentally released and went on another killing rampage, this time after Jennifer Aniston and her friends who had managed to get hold of the gold.

Answer: Game of Thrones

American actor Peter Dinklage was born in 1969 with Achondroplasia, one of the most common forms of short limb dwarfism. Arms and legs are short in comparison to their torso, but a person with this type of condition has a "normal" lifespan and "normal" intelligence.

Dinklage has had a long and varied career in acting, but he became a household name when he took on the main role in the fantasy TV series, "Game of Thrones". His character, Tyrion Lannister, was the youngest member of House Lannister, a prostitute loving dwarf with a brave and kind soul, but underestimated by his father and older sister, Cersei. Dinklage bought depth of character to his role, saying with aplomb a number of one-liners which included the quote "It's not easy being drunk all the time. If it were easy, everyone would do it." For his portrayal, he won two Emmy awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011 and 2015.

Answer: The Little Couple

"The Little Couple" was an American reality television series which started in 2009. It featured newly-wed couple Bill Klein and Jen Arnold, highlighting their successful careers, Bill, as a businessman, and Jen, as a doctor pediatrician. It also documented their unsuccessful attempt at surrogacy and Jen's treatment for cancer. The couple eventually adopted two children who also had dwarfism, William and Zoey.

Other reality TV series that have feature dwarfism include "The Littlest Groom", "Little Big Shots" and "Little People, Big World". All of these have raised awareness about a subject that is still relatively taboo.