It’s hard to believe but it’s literally been 46 years since Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory first hit theaters. What’s even weirder is to think that when this movie came out The Vietnam War was still going on. I don’t know why I thought of that one thing above all else, but isn’t that kind of insane? Anyhow, I personally think that this was Gene Wilder’s finest role of his career. It was just so original, so weird, so fascinating and yet endearing all at the same time.
The cast of that movie will always be tied together forever and let’s just forget that a remake was ever even made. I love Tim Burton but come on. I was extremely annoyed that movie ever existed (and still am). Have you ever wondered what happened to all the kids in the cast?
Just in case you have, here’s a look below:
Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop)
His role as the chocolate-loving golden ticket-holder is the only acting credit Bollner has. He’s kept out of the spotlight and works as a tax accountant in Munich. “I’m still not skinny,” he told People magazine in 2005. “I love to eat anything with a lot of sugar.”
A big reason why he probably chose not to stay in the spotlight was that he never actually knew there was a spotlight to begin with. The film didn’t gain near as much momentum in Germany as it did in the US, so he was completely unaware of the popularity of the film until he was asked to come to a reunion in 1998.
Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt)
Cole did a little more acting after Willy Wonka, most notably appearing on Angel and the soap Emmerdale. She went on to be a fitness trainer, but now she’s a psychotherapist at a hospice for families and children suffering from illnesses and she really enjoys it.
She stays true to Veruca Salt, however. She wrote a book called I Want It Now! A Memoir of Life on Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 2011, keeps up with several social media accounts and makes regular convention appearances.
Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket)
Ostrum was just a middle school kid performing plays when he got the role of the classic 1971 film. He called it a whirlwind. “It was sort of like being an exchange student for five months,” he said about his time filming in Munich. He did enjoy working on the film, but realized that acting wasn’t for him. He even turned down a three-picture deal from the studio.
He even used to lie and say his brother was the one who performed the role. “Acting was fine,” he said, “but I wanted something more steady, and the key is to find something that you love doing, and that’s what my profession has given to me.”
So what was his true calling? Animal care, since he’s now a veterinarian.
Denise Nickerson – Violet Beauregarde
The 60-year-old has a number of other acting credits under her belt, including a role on the soap opera “Dark Shadows.” She largely quit acting by the end of the ’70s, save for some smaller parts.
Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee)
Themmen is still in the performance industry, just not in front of the screen. He now works as a casting director for commercials. After Wonka, Themmen worked on broadway before taking a break from acting at 14 to “just be a kid.” He went to NYU and got his BFA in theater.
After he graduated Themmen started traveling, going to at least 40 countries. He founded Access International, a travel company that sends backpackers on charter flights to Europe. He dabbled in real estate, retail, financial consulting and film production before settling down with his casting job. He even worked as a Disney Imagineer.
He’s had a few roles since the movie, such as a small part on Star Trek: Voyager and a ‘featured extra’ role in The Big Lebowski. (he’s in the bowling alley and the title sequence).
Descriptions via The Chive
Follow Us
