When Buddy Ebsen was cast as the Tin Man in 1939, there was one key difference between the actor and the character he played - Ebsen certainly had a lot of heart.

Ebsen had honed his performing skills on the Broadway stage, appearing in Flying Colors and Ziegfeld Follies of 1934. The actor’s strong singing and dancing skills gave him the opportunity to appear in musical films like Born to Dance (1936) and Captain January (1936).

Later, Ebsen was chosen for the role of the Tin Man in the popular 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Though initially excited by the opportunity, Ebsen revealed in his memoir that preparing for the film was certainly no walk down the yellow brick road.

In Ebsen’s book, The Other Side of Oz, the actor recalled the arduous makeup process to become the character, including the attachment of several false facial pieces to create the look of the Tin Man’s face.

“After the false pieces were applied, a coat of clown-white grease paint was smeared over my entire head and neck area,” wrote Ebsen. “Next came the giant step in the wrong direction: The makeup people powdered their entire creation with aluminum dust.”

According to the actor, it was “impossible” not to breathe the dust in during application. Additionally, when Ebsen sweat during filming, reapplication was required, meaning he was exposed once more. At the time, neither Ebsen nor the makeup department had any idea that the aluminum dust was detrimental to his health. In just a few days, Ebsen began experiencing cramping and shortness of breath. He was sent to the hospital.

“It took two weeks of hospitalization and six weeks of recuperation to get me feeling like myself again,” wrote the actor.

At first, doctors weren’t able to find out what had been causing Ebsen’s ailment until a sample was provided of his Wizard of Oz makeup.

“That was the problem,” wrote Ebsen. I had ingested pure aluminum; it had coated my lungs like paint.”

By the time Ebsen had gotten his strength back, they had already replaced him with actor Jack Haley. “I had the feeling they regarded my bizarre illness with disbelief,” wrote Ebsen. “They thought I was malingering because I didn’t like the part. So they punished me by slamming me into a series of ‘B’ pictures.”

Destined for stardom, Ebsen later appeared in films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). The actor also benefited from a highly successful television career, starring in hit shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and Barnaby Jones.