Out of all the people that could possibly play Willy Wonka, a role that the late Gene Wilder epitomized, you wouldn’t really pick John Stamos as the first person for the part. But that’s just who’s going to be playing the lead role in the recreation of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when it comes to the Hollywood Bowl.
Stamos is an admitted fan of Willy Wonka and has reportedly watched the film over and over until he’s had the entire script memorized. He also admits that he is able to find something new each and every time, which is not too surprising since the film is a fun bit of chaos that’s made to be highly entertaining and very distracting. But he still doesn’t seem the type for the role since Wilder kind of set the bar so insanely high with his standout performance. If anything Stamos seems like he’d be a better fit for one of the parents.
He has the kind of pipes you need for a musical since he’s been starring in Broadway productions for a while, and he has the classic looks of someone that could easily step onto any stage, but it’s those same looks that many feel kind of set him apart from the character of Willy Wonka. One of his costars however seems like he could play Wonka without any trouble. Weird Al Yankovic will be joining the cast as well as the Oompa Loompas. Don’t ask how, that’s just what’s been revealed thus far. But Yankovic could easily play Wonka thanks to his looks as well as his singing talent since he too has impressed a lot of people with his musical abilities.
Looks aside though Stamos is a proven actor and should be able to handle the dialogue and singing aspects of the play. The mere thought that his looks should keep him away from the part isn’t fair and it’s not enough to veto his chance to become one of his childhood stars. There’s not a lot of doubt that he’ll do just fine and will impress again as he breathes new life back into the story and brings his own brand of hilarity to the play.
One thing you need to remember about Stamos is that he can be very funny. His comedy isn’t on par with the greats like the late Robin Williams or even George Carlin, but he’s still capable of being funny when he needs to be. It’s all about hitting his marks, which is something that Stamos does very well. He knows how and when to deliver his lines and has mastered this skill to the point that everything he does seems to come naturally and flow without any effort. This has been shown to be true of his live performances as well.
Would he have been my first choice for the part of Willy Wonka? Nope, probably not. But it’s not enough to look past him just because he doesn’t LOOK the part.
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