CHOCOLATE STARS
Where original Willy Wonka film child stars are now – from actor’s TWO roles on Emmerdale to tragic early death
Most of the young actors ditched showbiz and ended up on very different career paths
CHARLIE And The Chocolate Factory fans will be snapping up golden tickets to the new Willy Wonka film set to be a huge hit this Christmas.
Wonka, which stars Timothée Chalamet and premiered this week, is a prequel to the infamous Roald Dahl story and focuses on the chocolate-maker's younger days.
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The late Gene Wilder played the eccentric inventor in the original Charlie And The Chocolate Factory film in 1971, with Johnny Depp taking up the role in Tim Burton's 2005 remake.
Many fans still cite the original as being their favourite re-imagining of the classic children's book - but what became of its young stars?
Here we take a look at how the lives of the youngsters who played Charlie Bucket and his fellow golden ticket winners turned out.
Peter Ostrum - Charlie Bucket
Charlie Bucket, the lucky lad from a poor family, was played by then 12-year-old Peter Ostrum.
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But rather than use the flick as a launch pad for a career in showbiz, Peter shied away from the limelight.
For years he was reluctant to even speak about his starring role, but he later began giving talks to school kids.
Having become interested in his family's horses after shooting the movie, Peter studied veterinary medicine and spent his career working with horses and cows.
Now 66, he lives in Glenfield, New York with his wife Loretta, with whom he shares two children, Helenka and Leif.
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Julie Dawn Cole - Veruca Salt
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Undoubtedly one of the most disliked characters, spoilt brat Veruca Salt was played by Julie Dawn Cole.
Surrey-born Julie was cast aged 12 and admitted she had a crush on co-star Peter, as did Violet Beauregarde actress Denise Nickerson.
After filming she kept her Golden Ticket prop, which later sold at auction on Bargain Hunt for more than £15,000.
Julie, now 66, continued to act, landing a breakout role in BBC drama Angels, the original Poldark, and had two parts on Emmerdale - Pip Coulter in 1978, and Bob Hope's ex-wife Barbara in 2006.
She qualified as a fitness instructor in 1998 and worked as an adviser on ITV's Fat Families in 2005. She's also a trained psychotherapist.
In 2016 Julie released a memoir called I Want It Now! about her time filming Willy Wonka.
She married fellow actor Nick Wilton in 1991 and they had two children, but they divorced in 2002.
Denise Nickerson - Violet Beauregarde
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Gum-obsessed Violet Beauregarde, who famously morphed into a huge blueberry, was played by US actress Denise Nickerson.
She claimed the role left her with 13 cavities in her teeth as a result from all the sugary gum she had to chew to get into character.
In 1976, Denise was hit by a car while crossing the road and left in a full leg cast for eight months.
She continued to act, but aged 21, Denise quit showbiz and attended nursing school, though she ultimately worked as an accountant.
Denise married twice - first to Rick Keller in 1981, but he died two years later after suffering a brain aneurysm.
She then wed Mark Willard in 1995 and had a son, Joshua, but they divorced after just three years of marriage.
In 2018 she suffered a severe stroke, and the following year, following multiple seizures and a bout of pneumonia, Denise was taken off life support and passed away aged 62.
Her family made a plea on GoFundMe to help cover her death expenses.
Michael Bollner - Augustus Gloop
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German Michael Bollner was also just 12 when he bagged the role of gluttonous Augustus Gloop.
But the child star left the showbiz world soon after and found a career working as a tax lawyer in his native country.
Now 65, he previously revealed the film wasn't as popular in Germany as it was in the UK.
He said: "Nobody knew of the film until the version with Johnny Depp came out [in 2005].
"So when I tell people I was a part of the Willy Wonka movie, nobody knows."
Paris Themmen - Mike Teevee
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Mike Teavee is known for doing nothing but watch TV - a passion shared by the actor who played him.
Then just 11, Paris Themmen went on to appear in a number of shows including an episode of Star Trek: Voyager in 2000.
The actor, casting director, and entrepreneur, now 64, also founded a travel company called Access International, which arranged trips for backpackers.
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He regularly signs autographs at conventions and runs a photography business alongside occasional acting appearances.
Paris has been married to Nikki Grillos since 2014 and they live in Los Angeles.
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