Who played the Tin Man in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz?

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

Haley also played Hickory, the Tin Man's Kansas counterpart, in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's celebrated musical fantasy. In Oz, his character joins Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion on the journey to see the Wizard, hoping to receive a heart.

Haley was not the first actor cast in the role. Buddy Ebsen originally played the Tin Man, but the aluminum powder used in the makeup caused a serious respiratory reaction and forced him to leave the production. The makeup was changed to a paste for Haley, although it still caused him an eye infection and temporarily sidelined him.

Another common mix-up comes from the other members of the quartet: Ray Bolger played the Scarecrow, Bert Lahr played the Cowardly Lion, and Frank Morgan played several roles, including the Wizard. Haley's breathy, gentle delivery and his performance of “If I Only Had a Heart” made his Tin Man one of the film's most enduring characters.