Wizard Kelly is a recurring foil in Disney Channel's The Proud Family. He is the ambiguously moral celebrity that is a constant reminder of Oscar Proud's failures. While not necessarily an antagonist in the traditional sense, he tends to act as an obstacle for Penny Proud and her friends.
History
He is Oscar Proud's successful and lifelong arch-nemesis who made his fortune on a basketball shot that Oscar missed back in high-school; he now owns virtually the whole setting of the show. It is implied that Wizard Kelly is a pun for Magic Johnson. It is probably more accurate to say that Wizard Kelly's last name comes from the maiden name of Magic Johnson's wife, Earleatha "Cookie" Kelly. The gag on Magic Johnson's wife is extended in the fact that Wizard Kelly's wife is mentioned to be named Gingersnaps. The name of the town that the Proud Family lives in is Wizville, California, as shown when Penny gets her driver's license in The Proud Family Movie.
Despite all the mean things he's done to Oscar, he still attends all of Wizard Kelly's events, mainly because of the prizes and awards that are likely offered. The Wizard is motivated by his own pursuits of profit and fame, working with or against Oscar and his associates depending on whether it conflicts or aids his greed.
A running gag of the series is his notoriously lousy memory; that he doesn't remember the names of the main characters, no matter how many times they tell him. He always calls Zoey "Susie" and Oscar "Oliver Prune", though it's implied he purposely misidentifies Oscar's name out of spite unless he wants to shift blame. He often ends most of his sentences with "y'all".
The front of Wizard Kelly's face is never shown in any of the episodes. Instead, the shot is awkwardly angled so that he can only be seen from the neck down; but his face has made two separate appearances. Once in the "Sista Spice" episode, and in The Proud Family Movie when they were swept by the peanut butter. Wizard Kelly has Arnold Schwarzenegger-like employees. He is a retired former professional basketball player who made millions creating several entertainment properties.
He also has a twin brother named Lizard who runs the UBC television network. He owns many stores and businesses in town which makes him the mayor. He has a son named after him and a wife named Ginger S. Kelly. He also has a pet alien named Spats.
In the reboot series Louder and Prouder, Kelly is shown to hold rather conservative political views, as evidenced by his apparent apathy towards matters related to the history of American slavery.
Gallery
Trivia
Backside view of Kelly’s small head.
- In the earlier season 1 episodes, Kelly’s head appears to be smaller. Due to being a large character, his head is modified, though his face is rarely shown until briefly in The Proud Family Movie. However, Bruce W. Smith denied this and claimed it was his stunt double.[1]
- Ironically, it was revealed in "One in a Million" that if Oscar had never missed that shot during the big basketball game, Oscar and Wizard would then have each other's lives.
- Kelly is notorious for never taking responsibility for his mistakes. Lying to Penny about his control over TV shows funded by him, and using Oscar as a decoy to get away from an angry crowd.
- Kelly's voice is a very high tenor in the original series. In "Louder and Prouder", it has since deepened to a raspy baritone. This is due to voice actor Aries Spears' smoking habit which has altered his voice.
