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Fan Casting Willy Wonka

Role added by user_1372 on February 10, 2019

Description of Willy Wonka:

In the novels and films, Willy Wonka is the odd owner of an extremely prosperous factory making candies and chocolates. The inciting action of the story occurs when Wonka holds a contest, hiding five Golden Tickets within the wrappers of chocolate bars, promising their discoverers a tour of his factory and a lifelong supply of his creations. Implications stand in all three versions that he allows four of his five finalists to disgrace themselves, in the hope that one does not. In the book, Wonka is described by Roald Dahl as having a goatee and "marvelously" bright eyes, a high and "flutey" voice, a face "alight of fun and laughter", and quick little jerky movements "like a squirrel". He is enthusiastic, eccentric, charming, talkative, and friendly, but at times insensitive, and has been given to glossing criticisms of himself. In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, he is portrayed by Gene Wilder. While his personality remains generally the same as in the original, he is more melancholy here, and frequently quotes books and poems, including William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet ("Is it my soul that calls upon my name?") or John Masefield's "Sea Fever" ("All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by"), and the famous "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker" from "Reflections on Ice Breaking" by Ogden Nash, among many others. Toward the end of the film, he tests protagonist Charlie's conscience by reprimanding and pretending to deny him any reward, due to him and Grandpa Joe sampling the Fizzy Lifting Drinks against his orders, but assumes an almost paternal role when Charlie proves honest. As Charlie returns Wonka`s gobstopper on his desk, Wonka declares Charlie the winner, apologizes for his anger and tells him to meet his assistant Mr. Wilkinson (known earlier as "Slugworth"). He explains they had to test him and Charlie passed. As they go to the Wonkavator, Wonka tells Charlie that the real grand prize is the entire chocolate factory and makes Charlie Bucket the new owner of the Willy Wonka Chocolate factory (as Willy Wonka retires), and the entire family can move in and live there. Wonka also reminds Charlie not to forget about the man who suddenly gets everything he ever wanted: he lives happily ever after. In the 2005 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, he is portrayed by Johnny Depp. In this version, a back-story was added that Willy Wonka's father (being a dentist) would not let him eat sweets because of the potential risk to his teeth, and that the young Wonka left home to become a chocolatier. The conflict was so bad on young Wonka (portrayed by Blair Dunlop), that he took no interest in the kids when they arrived and couldn't even say the word "parent". He later gains a soft spot for Charlie and offers him a spoon from the chocolate river. Toward the end of the film, Charlie reconciles the two.

 

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Physical Appearance of Willy Wonka
  • Gender: edit
    Male
  • Hair Color: edit
    Gray
  • Hair Length: edit
    Medium
  • Eye Color: edit
    Blue
  • Ethnicity: edit
    White / European Descent
  • Body Type: edit
    Average
  • Facial Hair: edit
    Goatee
  • Age Range: edit
    60-69
  • Nationality: edit
    United Kingdom

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