Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory cast now – tragic deaths and vet career

Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory burst onto our screens for the first time in 1971.

Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole, Paris Themmen and Rusty Goffe to name just a few.

Many of the actors who starred in the original movie dropped out of acting after earning fame and fortune from the 1971 smash.

Some though, have had blossoming careers in the world of acting, while others took more low-key routes.

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka

Tumbling down the pathway and up to the gates of his chocolate factory everybody was obsessed and intrigued by this weird and wonderful character.

Prior to taking one of the lead roles in the 1971 hit movie, Gene Wilder was best known for starring in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967.

After starring in the hit movie adaptation of the bestselling book by Roald Dahl, Gene went on to star in multiple films including the 1974 film Blazing Saddles, and the 1976 film Silver Streak.

Gene also cowrote and starred in 1974 film Young Frankenstein.

Another hit film that Gene is well-known for is the 1989 blockbuster See No Evil, Hear No Evil – the comedy starring himself and Richard Pryor.

After 2003, the star who rose to prominence as Willy Wonka, took a step away from acting.

He published a few books including his 2005 memoir Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art.

Gene died at the age of 83 on August 29 2016.

He was at home in Connecticut, and died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition he never spoke about publicly.

His family have reportedly said that he died while listening to one of his favourite songs, Over the Rainbow sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

He reportedly chose not to disclose information on his condition has he didn’t want to cause worry, disappointment or confusion to any young fans.

Peter Ostrum as Charlie Bucket

Peter Ostrum played Charlie at just 12-years-old after being scouted for the role.

Participating in a local children’s theatre, Peter was asked if he wanted to audition.

At the time of his audition, there was no script, so he had to read parts of the Roald Dahl book.

Peter only ever starred in Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, and to date it remains his only film credit.

In 2000 he told the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association that he found acting to be a “difficult profession,” hinting it wasn’t as glamorous as people perceive from the sidelines.

After starring in the hit film as a young boy, he then grew up to become a vert after studying veterinary medicine in 1984 at Cornell University in America.

To this day Peter is still a vet and practices at New York’s Countryside Veterinary Clinic, mainly working with dairy cows.

Michael Bollner as Augustus Gloop

Michael Bollner starred as Augustus Gloop, the first child to fall victim to the Wonka factory.

Instead of pursuing more acting roles after the hit film, he went to law school and as of 2016, he was working as a tax lawyer in Munich, Germany.

He has credits in the 2015 film Bizarre Transmissions from the Bermuda Triangle and the 1999 film After They Were Famous.

Denise Nickerson as Violet Beauregarde

Gum-chewer Violet Beauregarde was played by Denise Nickerson, who was best known in America for her roles on ABC’s Dark Shadows.

After starring in Willy Wonka, the prolific chewer of gum who famously blew up in a purple ball after chewing Wonka’s new blueberry gum invention, went on to star as a guest in the ABC hit show The Brady Bunch.

At the age 21, she took a step back from acting and became a receptionist.

She sadly passed away in 2019 at the age of 62 after complications from seizures and a stroke.

Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt

Julie Dawn Cole played the role of spoiled brat Veruca Salt.

Willy Wonka was her first ever acting job, which led her to a long career in acting.

She has had a long and successful career in TV on shows. Some of which are as follows: ITV’s And Mother Makes Three, BBC’s Angels, BBC’s Poldark, ITV’s Married for Life, and BBC’s Casualty.

In 2011 she wrote and published the book I Want It Now! A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

2013 saw her switch career paths and she became a psychotherapist at a cancer centre.

She told blog From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors that she switched careers because “it was time to do something more meaningful”.

To this day, Julie posts about her time as Veruca Salt on her Instagram page.

Paris Themmen as Mike Teavee

Paris Themmen was around the age of 12 when he starred in the hit movie as Mike Teavee.

Before playing Mike, he had appeared in a fair few TV adverts.

After his stint as Mike Teavee, he appeared in an episode of UPN’s Star Trek: Voyager, and has also taken a step behind the camera to direct 2012 film The Owner.

A keen traveller saw Paris backpack through 30+ countries before his 30th birthday, and by 2015 he had travelled through more than 60.

He has dabbled in everything from travelling, directing, real estate, Walt Disney Imagineering and financial consulting too.

Rusty Goffe as an Oompa Loompa

10 actors played the Oompa Loompas in Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory.

One of these was Rusty Goffe who was one of the main Oompa Loompas.

This role was his first ever acting stint and was his first film role, and he went on to appear in many blockbusters including The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, an episode of Star Wars, Willow, Fred Clause and four Harry Potter films from the famous franchise.

Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk