Kiki Ebsen, Daughter Of Late Buddy Ebsen, Opens Up About Loss Of ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Role

The late Buddy Ebsen was renowned for portraying Jed Clampett in the popular television series, Beverly Hillbillies. Before his rise to fame on the small screen, Buddy missed out on a golden opportunity to star as the Tinman in the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz.

Recently, the late Buddy’s daughter, Kiki Ebsen, disclosed to Fox News Digital that her father didn’t get to play a significant role in the famous musical fantasy movie due to an unfortunate incident that occurred on the set, which nearly cost him his life.

Kiki Ebsen says her father’s original role was given to another actor

Kiki Ebsen explained that her father signed a contract with MGM after hearing about the massive budget and the color style in that The Wizard of Oz would be shot. The late actor thought being a part of the movie would generate a lot of publicity and be a massive breakthrough for him.

RELATED: Beverly Hillbillies’ Star Buddy Ebsen And His Second Wife Both Became Lieutenants In WWII

After auditioning for the movie, film producer Arthur Freed, who worked closely with Louis B. Mayer, the co-founder of MGM, informed Buddy that he had been chosen to play the role of the Scarecrow. Kiki recounted that her father was overjoyed to receive this news and was eagerly anticipating his role in the movie. “He started practicing his moves, the wobbly dance, the whole thing,” she said.

However, Buddy’s hope faltered when Ray Bolger, another actor, arrived on the movie set, and he was instead offered the part of the Scarecrow while the late actor was then reassigned to play the role of the Tinman. Unfortunately, this marked the beginning of a challenging period for him.

Kiki Ebsen reveals that the make-up for his father’s character almost cost him his life

Buddy’s new role was a death trap as he was exposed to aluminum dust used for his Tinman costume and this began to coat his lungs. “They covered his face in white clown makeup,” Kiki told the news outlet. “And they dusted his face and arms with aluminum powder… real aluminum dust. It was in the air. And because the lights were hot, his makeup melted several times a day. So he had to be reapplied with aluminum dust. And he inhaled it over time.”

The makeup made breathing hard for him, and he had no idea what was happening to his health. When it became unbearable, Buddy quickly rushed to a nearby hospital. He stayed in an oxygen tank for two weeks to recover from the effects of the aluminum dust on his lungs. “It took him another six weeks to recover,” Kiki said. “He actually couldn’t get oxygen to his blood and his blood fermented.”

Kiki Ebsen says her father, Buddy Ebsen, was kicked off the movie set by the producers

However, the late Buddy was met with the shock of his life after he was discharged from the hospital and set to return to work. On getting back to the movie set, he discovered that Jack Haley had replaced him.

“They gave him some pretty bad films to act in before his contract ran out,” Kiki told Fox News Digital about his late father’s experience after his discharge. “They also spun that story. [They said] he had an allergic reaction… it was a toxic reaction to aluminum powder poisoning.”