Wonka: 50 years later, what happened to the young actor from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Wonka hits our screens this December 13; A project that emerged in 2016 when Warner acquired the rights to the famous Willy Wonka character created by Roald Dahl. Barley and the chocolate factoryIt was published in 1964. The film, directed by Timothée Chalamet at Arm’s Length, is actually a prequel to the original story, which recalls the youth of a whimsical inventor, magician and legendary chocolatier.

If we clearly remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton’s 2005 version, in which Freddie Highmore played a very young boy who won the famous golden ticket that allowed him to visit Willy Wonka’s ultra-secret installation, this adaptation was after that. He became famous in 1971.

Here’s the trailer again…

This adaptation, signed by Mel Stewart, allowed Gene Wilder, who plays Willy Wonka, to find here one of the most important roles of his rich career. It wasn’t a box office success, grossing only $4 million, but the success of this family film more than made up for it by becoming a hit at video stores in the early 80s.

It was also the revelation of a very young actor cast at the age of 12, Peter Ostrum, who plays Charlie Bucket. A stretch of brilliance that will be unique: Other than Julie Dawn Cole, none of the children in the film went on to have acting careers.

A promising start

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Peter Ostrum was noticed by talent agents when he appeared in several local theater productions. Her performance was considered convincing enough in the Mel Stewart film that she was immediately offered a three-film deal by producer David L. Wolper. But Peter Ostrum declined the offer. “Acting was not for me” He will comment Interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2014.

While he was taking it Barley and the chocolate factoryPeter Ostrum developed a keen interest in medicine. Returning home after shooting the film, he bought a horse with his modest salary. The beginning of a passion that would lead him to become a veterinarian.

Peter Ostrum has only briefly considered a return to acting. In 1974, the play Equus triumphed on Broadway and was brilliantly adapted for film by Sidney Lumet. A story that echoed his new passion: In a fit of madness, young Alan Strang, 17, gouged out the eyes of six horses in the stables where he worked. Martin Dysart, a famous psychoanalyst, is responsible for discovering the reasons for this gesture.

Ostrum will audition to replace actor Peter Firth, who starred in the stage and later Lumet film. So without success: “Acting this role was like being struck by lightning a second time” will say

Charlie, a passion for horses

“Once I knew veterinary medicine was what I wanted to pursue, I knew I had to go and take math and science classes.” He will tell a specialized site in 2013 Veterinary Practice News.

A 1984 graduate of Cornell University in Veterinary Medicine, Peter Ostrum, now 66, still practices in Lowville, not far from New York, with his wife and two (grand)children.

Strangely enough, Peter Ostrum didn’t really take this ultra-ephemeral career for a long time. In fact, he hid for a long time that he actually appeared in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

To the point that he told those who knew him that it was his brother. “I wanted nothing to do with Willy Wonka. In fact, it was only when I had children that I appreciated and understood the importance of the film.” He told Oprah Winfrey in 2014.

When Gene Wilder died of Alzheimer’s disease in August 2016, he had these touching words to say about his old partner. variety : “It’s like losing a family member. You know it’s going to happen, but it’s still a shock. He wasn’t in good health in the end and it wasn’t unexpected in any way, but when it happens, we say to ourselves: Gene is gone and there will never be anyone like him again.