15 Actors Who Were FIRED From Movies During Production

10. Buddy Ebsen - The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard of Oz had one of the most chaotic film productions in the history of cinema. Directors were fired, actors were burned, and the original Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, nearly got killed.

When Ebsen was cast, he didn't realise his makeup contained aluminium dust, which he was allergic to. One day on set, he was rushed to hospital after he struggled to breathe. Without giving an explanation, the studio removed him from the picture and had him replaced with Jack Haley. However, Ebsen's voice can still be heard when Dorothy's group sings "We're Off to See the Wizard."

What makes this story more tragic was Ray Bolger, who portrayed the Scarecrow, was indirectly to blame for the entire incident. Bolger was to play the Tin Man and Ebsen was the Scarecrow, but Bolger convinced his co-star to swap roles. If Ebsen refused, he would have remained in one of the most celebrated movies of all time.