Over 40 years ago, Gene Wilder took us to a world of pure imagination in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Recently, the Today Show featured a mini-reunion of sorts with all Golden Ticket winners including the actors who played Charlie Bucket, Mike TeeVee, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, and Violet Beauregard (“Violet! You’re turning Violet!”).
While they’ve all since retired from show business, the actors have remained close over the years. “We think of ourselves as a family,” said Paris Themmen (who played TV addict Mike TeeVee) adding, “Maybe a bit of a dysfunctional family.”
See The Cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Today:
After the movie, the children all shied away from the limelight. Peter Ostrum who captured our heart as Charlie Bucket grew up to be a veterinarian, but when asked if they would do it again, everyone raised their hands. “Everybody could be so lucky to have an experience like this,” Ostrum said.
But not everything was as magical as snozzberries and everlasting gobstoppers. Michael Bollner (who played the glutonous Augustus Gloop) admitted that the choco-river was just brown water.
Watch the full reunion on Today:
