Buddy Ebsen was originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz but had to leave after becoming seriously ill from the character’s makeup.
Ebsen had first been cast as the Scarecrow, while Ray Bolger was set to play the Tin Man. The two actors swapped roles, and Ebsen recorded songs and attended rehearsals in the Tin Man costume. During filming, he inhaled aluminum dust from the makeup, developing severe breathing problems, muscle cramps, and body aches.
Ebsen was hospitalized and spent about two weeks on oxygen. MGM replaced him with Jack Haley, who became the Tin Man audiences see in the finished 1939 film. The studio also changed the makeup to a safer aluminum paste, although Haley later suffered an eye infection.
A common mix-up is answering Jack Haley, because he played the Tin Man on screen. Ebsen’s voice can still be heard in some group vocal recordings, making his uncompleted performance part of the film’s history.