Which actor played the Tin Woodman in the 1939 film?

Jack Haley played the Tin Woodman in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Haley was an established American entertainer who had worked in vaudeville, radio, and film before joining MGM’s major Oz production. He was cast after the role changed hands during the film’s troubled development. Buddy Ebsen was originally hired to play the Tin Man, but he became seriously ill from the aluminum powder used in the character’s makeup and was replaced before filming resumed.

Haley’s performance helped define the Tin Woodman as gentle, anxious, and deeply emotional beneath his metallic appearance. The character believes he lacks a heart, even though his compassion is evident throughout the journey with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion.

The cast is easy to confuse because several performers played the companions. Ray Bolger portrayed the Scarecrow, Bert Lahr played the Cowardly Lion, and Frank Morgan played the Wizard along with several other roles. Haley’s Tin Woodman is also sometimes casually called the Tin Man, the name most commonly used in discussions of the film.