Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, about Charlie Bucket, a kid who lucks into a Golden Ticket that entitles him to visit Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, has delighted viewers of all ages since its release in 1971. The musical fantasy received generally positive reviews, but was not a huge commercial success at the time: it earned only about $4 million in its initial run from a $3 million budget. However, it resurfaced in the 1980s and took on a new life, thanks to repeated TV airings and home video sales.
A Budding Star
Much of the success of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is owed to Charlie Bucket, played by Peter Ostrum. The child actor’s innocent smile and big blue eyes captivated audiences and helped catapult the movie into cultural icon status. Ostrum, who was twelve-years-old when casting agents decided that he was the perfect fit for the role, took five months off from his studies and traveled to Munich for filming.
When shooting Willy Wonka was finished, Ostrum was thirteen-years-old, and he was offered a three movie contract. However, he had not liked the experience of being away from home, and it soured him on acting. As he later put it: “I enjoyed doing it but I couldn’t really see myself doing it for the rest of my life”. Ostrum turned down the offer, turned his back on acting, and pursued a normal life. So after he killed it in his single silver screen performance, Ostrum dropped out of the public eye.
Charlie Bucket Became a Veterinarian
Compared to other child actors, Ostrum was remarkably successful in attaining his goal of normalcy. When he got back home, his parents had bought a horse. The young Ostrum was impressed with the veterinarian who took care of it. So he decided that he wanted to be a vet when he grew up. He went ahead and did just that, and earned a doctorate of veterinary medicine from Cornell University in 1984. He worked as a vet until 2023, when he retired from the Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville, in Upstate New York, where he lives with his wife and two kids.
When Peter Ostrum looks back at how things turned out, he has no regrets about his choice not to pursue an acting career when he had a chance. He knew himself, even at that young age, and knew that he wanted stability in life: “How many kids carry a successful child acting career into an adult acting career? The Jodie Fosters and Ron Howards you can count on one hand … Acting was fine, but I wanted something more steady. The key is to find something you love doing, and that’s what I got ”.
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Some Sources & Further Reading
History Halls – After the Fame: Sonny Bono
