Whatever Happened to the Child Actors from the Movie 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?'

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a classic children's movie from 1971 that starred Gene Wilder as eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The movie, based on Roald Dahl’s iconic book,  has been beloved by millions for more than 40 years. And although Wilder went on to continue with his successful acting career, starring in films like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, the five child actors from the movie have been less visible. So what ever happened to the five child actors from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?

Peter Ostrum (Charlie Bucket). The main child character in the movie, Peter Ostrum was delightful as Charlie Bucket and he looked to have a promising career as a child actor. In fact, after the success of Willy Wonka, Ostrum was offered a three-movie deal, but he turned the offer down and never made another movie. Instead, Ostrum went on to graduate from Cornell. Today he's a large animal veterinarian, specializing in cattle and horses, and lives in New York.

See Ostrum today:

Michael Bollner (Augustus Gloop). Michael Bollner, who played the glutinous Augustus Gloop, didn't know how to speak English when he first started filming Willy Wonka. And although he was interested in continuing acting after the film's success, his father made him retire to pursue his education. Today, Bollner is a tax accountant and still lives in Munich, the city where the classic movie was filmed.

Interview with Willy Wonka castmates:

Denise Nickerson (Violet Beauregarde). Denise Nickerson played the gum-chomping Violet Beauregarde in the movie, best known for the scene where she blows up into a giant blueberry. Although a veteran of the goth-soap opera Dark Shadows, Nickerson is best known for her role in Willy Wonka. After Wonka, she continued on as a child actor, appearing on The Electric Company, Search for Tomorrow and even an episode of The Brady Bunch. (You may have recognized her as Peter Brady’s date in the season 5  episode “Two Petes in a Pod.”) After an accident left her in a leg cast for nearly a year, Nickerson married in 1981, and worked as a nurse. Sadly, her husband died suddenly two years later. She remarried in 1995 and had a son, Josh. Today, Nickerson is divorced and works as an accountant in Colorado. She also makes personal appearances at Dark Shadows and Willy Wonka memorabilia events.

Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee). Paris Themmen played the role of the hyper, TV-addicted Mike Teevee. After Willy Wonka, he landed a stint on Broadway in the musical "The Rothschilds," but then, like the other kids from the movie, he pretty much abandoned his childhood acting career. He went on to graduate from New York University with a BFA in theater, and also appeared as a guest on a couple of game shows like "Win Ben Stein's Money" and "Trivial Pursuit.” Themmen also had a few small, uncredited parts in movies like "The Doors" and "The Big Lebowski.” He dabbled in a real estate and film production, and even worked in retail for a bit. These days Themmen is an avid backpacker and works as a commercial casting director in Los Angeles.

Interview with Themmen and Nickerson:

Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt). After portraying spoiled brat rich girl Veruca Salt in Willly Wonka, Julie Dawn Cole continued with her acting career. Her role in Willy Wonka was immortalized in the 1990s when  rock band Veruca Salt, clearly named after her character, hit it big with the 1994 hit "Seether.” A veteran of British television, Cole has an impressive resume of acting and stage credits, including a surprising nude scene in the BBC series "Poldark" in the late 1970's (she was 19 at the time). Today, Cole has two children, Holly and Barnaby, and she is the only Willy Wonka child star who still works as an actor.

See Julie Dawn Cole today: