{"id":20697,"date":"2023-12-07T14:05:54","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=20697"},"modified":"2023-12-07T14:15:20","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:15:20","slug":"in-conversation-with-the-cast-of-wonka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2023\/12\/07\/in-conversation-with-the-cast-of-wonka\/","title":{"rendered":"In Conversation With The Cast Of “Wonka”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET, as the idealistic Willy Wonka<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201cI guess the words that I would use to describe Paul King are \u2018joyful, hilarious, collaborative, kind.\u2019 He was very enthusiastic about the project in front of him and worked to do everything he could to realize his vision. He took on a character as iconic as Willy Wonka, one that\u2019s revered in culture, and put him in original story outside the bounds of Roald Dahl\u2019s original material. And all the while, he was helming these big dance numbers and checking in with the performances\u2014not from a critical standpoint, but from the perspective of really trying to bring more joy into the world. That was a great guiding light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Calah Lane\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201cI\u2019m really, really proud of Calah Lane, who plays Noodle. It\u2019s a huge endeavor to be on a project when you\u2019re this young. I was working as an actor at this age, but not on things this long\u2014maybe a day or two here or there. She really has her head on her shoulders; she\u2019s a fantastic actress. She didn\u2019t drag her feet ever; she was happy to be there. A big shout out to her mother. You have to smile when you see a parent who\u2019s really taking care of their kid working in show business. And I hope I got to be part of her feeling comfortable on set for the seven months we worked\u2014and every day she always brought a great spirit. The days when we had a lot of kids around, it brought a sincerity, an earnestness and a joy to the set, especially when you\u2019re wearing the burgundy coat and you see the way people are reacting\u2026 It was great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On singing and dancing\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201cI had a lot of singing and vocal training with our head of the music department, the British<\/em> James Taylor, not the<\/em> other James Taylor. Also, there was a lot of dance training with Chris Gattelli, a fellow New Yorker and a fantastic choreographer. Then, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition. It was smart, because by the time the movie started, the physical stamina was there. And I have to say that this was the most physically challenging project I\u2019ve ever been on. This was every scene<\/em>. There\u2019s the enthusiasm of the character coupled with the fact that there isn\u2019t a scene that\u2019s really static. That\u2019s not only great for the story, but it was also a great lesson as an actor. I was grateful to have that run up because of the shape I was able to get into.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wonka\u2019s signature look\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201c[Costume designer] Lindy Hemming designed \u2018The Dark Knight,\u2019 and that was the film at 12-years-old that made me want to act\u2014\u2019Man, I wanna be a part of that, whatever that is!\u2019 And she was very collaborative. I was incredibly lucky to work with these masters of craft\u2014like Lindy and production designer Nathan Crowley\u2014who have been doing this for long enough, and their enthusiasm and hunger has stayed the same. As a young actor, to get to work with artists like that\u2026 that\u2019s the sweet spot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the message of \u201cWonka\u201d:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201cThis is a joyous movie. This is about bringing a light into a world that is in desperate need of it, at least that\u2019s how I read it. As a young actor, the things that were most attractive to me were things that were emotionally challenging. Either from some sense of vanity or perhaps from some sense of needing to express what I was feeling, those were the things I was most attracted to. When I read \u2018Wonka,\u2019 I did feel the classic thespian challenge\u2014the singing, the dancing. But when I think about the main theme of this movie, when I think about its raison d\u2019etre<\/em>\u2014it is to bring joy into the world. It\u2019s to encourage dreaming; to encourage the dreamers to continue dreaming; to encourage declaring yourself as you are, who you are, without question. It\u2019s to declare that to share in kindness and enthusiasm is to paint a way forward, not only for yourself, but for those around you. It\u2019s about community, and it\u2019s about community surviving in spaces of erosion. It\u2019s about light and love. I\u2019m so proud to have been a part of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALAH LANE, as Noodle<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On her character, Noodle\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALAH LANE: \u201cNoodle, I\u2019d say she\u2019s like a tough character. She doesn\u2019t wanna open up her heart to anybody, but when she meets Willy, she kinda cracks, and she\u2019s like, \u2018Oh, well, somebody likes me.\u2019 So, she cracks and she\u2019s like, \u2018Maybe I can bring that out in other people, too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALAH LANE: \u201cWorking with Timmy\u2019s definitely been great. He\u2019s such a nice person. Just like Willy and Noodle, we laugh, we joke. He knows how to put a smile on my face. He knows how to put a smile on a lot of faces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALAH LANE: \u201cPaul [King] definitely showed me what I can do, and I really appreciate that. I\u2019ve never done anything like this before, but being able to work with Paul, he definitely showed me how to be me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the world created\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALAH LANE: \u201cI loved the sets. The sets are absolutely beautiful. Every set is just its own character. And my favorite set, I\u2019d say, is the Wonka Chocolate Shop. I love it. It\u2019s like when you walk in, and you see everything, it\u2019s just like a big bright sun. It\u2019s crazy. When you see it and you see all the flowers and the river, it\u2019s just really cool to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY, as the arm of the law, the Chief of Police<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On Paul King\u2019s vision\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: \u201cSo much of what Paul\u2019s created, it\u2019s not from the source material, it\u2019s from his imagination. Or him saying, \u2018Well, I know there\u2019s this name of this character who happened to be in the Gene Wilder film, like Slugworth, or Prodnose and Fickelgruber, who are in the books\u2026\u2019 But for him to blow up those characters and make them more\u2026 Then my character, as far as I know, is a completely brand-new creation, and so is Noodle, and all of the people that work at Scrubitt and Bleacher, along with Scrubitt and Bleacher\u2014I just admire his imagination and I like his writing style. It\u2019s been wonderfully collaborative to work with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his character, the Chief of Police\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: \u201cMy character, the chief of police, is I guess, for lack of a better word, a lacky, and he knows he\u2019s a lacky but he tries to assert his power, which is nonexistent (LAUGHS) and so he ends up being the muscle. But it\u2019s a new turn for him, because he\u2019s never been the muscle before. He\u2019s always been able to find an administrative way to move people along so that they don\u2019t threaten the Cartel\u2019s business, and now there\u2019s been this turn where he\u2019s in a position now where they\u2019re asking him to actually use muscle to get rid of Wonka. They\u2019re so afraid of Wonka. They\u2019re like, \u2018Now, we need you to really, really<\/em> get rid of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On working with Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: \u201cI mean, that\u2019s another reason I did the movie\u2014this kid never ceases to amaze, just amazes me all the time, and his work is so varied. When I watch him in previous projects that he\u2019s done, he\u2019s such a young man and has such a deep soul\u2014he really does for someone as young as he is. And he is very handsome and beautiful, and I get all that, but I think that there\u2019s something way deeper than\u2014I think this young man\u2019s going to work for a very, very long time. He\u2019s more than a pretty face, and he brings something interesting. He brings substance to his roles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the transformative costume\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: \u201c[Costume designer] Lindy Hemming\u2019s wardrobe is unbelievable\u2014that she found a way to incorporate all these different periods, but make them very cohesive. That\u2019s a real talent, that\u2019s a gift to do that, and she\u2019s done it in spades. And I love the fact that I get to wear this costume. This is the kind of thing I wanted to do when I was young and wanted to be an actor, \u2018cause to me, this was acting\u2026 when you get to play dress-up, like you did when you were a kid. You put the blanket around your neck and you were Superman. You look in the mirror and the exquisite work that the hair and makeup team have done\u2014part of my excitement for people to see this movie is just that, that they can see the makeup and the wigs and it\u2019s extraordinary. It just harkens back to when you were a kid, and that part of me has been activated while making this movie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: \u201cI think everyone including kids are going to like the scope. I mean, it\u2019s like as soon as you figure out the caper element of the story, then all of a sudden there\u2019s an Oompa Loompa. And then once you figure out the Oompa Loompa\u2014because Willy\u2019s always solving problems, he\u2019s, \u2018Okay, I\u2019ve got this thing and I\u2019m going to solve it this way, oh, but the Oompa Loompa stole my chocolate. Okay, so I\u2019ve got to get him and I\u2019ve got to get a contraption to capture him so I can make a deal with him. Okay, then I\u2019ve got to figure out if the Cartel won\u2019t let me stay here\u2026\u2019 I think everyone\u2019s going to enjoy that. There are great characters in this piece, but it\u2019s so cleverly plot-driven that adults will be activated and they\u2019ll be enamored by Willy. You really root for him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATERSON JOSEPH, as nefarious Chocolate Cartel head Slugworth<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On working with Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATERSON JOSEPH: \u201cThe thing about Paul King is he\u2019s very astute, a visionary, strong, knows his mind, will not be swayed, knows how a scene should be. But he comes across like a cuddly bear, and you just go, \u2018Paul King, he\u2019s so nice!\u2019 So, everything he asks you to do, you just go \u2018Yes, Paul.\u2019 Everybody loves him, everybody loves him, and it\u2019s just his manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his character, Arthur Slugworth\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATERSON JOSEPH: \u201cArthur Slugworth. He thinks he\u2019s very worthy; he is worth a lot of money, but he does behave like a slug. He has a very clever mind, but it\u2019s used for evil. He\u2019ll sell you anything, and what he hates are people who are excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the detail of the sets\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATERSON JOSEPH: \u201cI\u2019d never seen how vast this cavern was, and that was amazing in itself. Then we\u2019d gone onto the set of the town square, which was the next scene we shot, and it was snowing. I mean, you just melted, because it was perfect. It\u2019s a sort of 1940s fairytale European setting. It\u2019s beautifully designed\u2014the detail in the shop windows, the cafes, the details on the costumes\u2026 every single one is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

PATERSON JOSEPH: \u201cI think what people will love about this movie, it\u2019s a celebration of our childhood fantasy of chocolate, and how magical we thought chocolate was. We were always seeking it, we always loved it, and I think it will just be satisfying for all adults. And children will just love it just because, \u2018Oh my goodness, chocolate!\u2019 Imagine being not only satisfied with the taste, but there\u2019s also magic in it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATT LUCAS as less-than-sharp Chocolate Cartel member Prodnose<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATT LUCAS: \u201cPaul King is a brilliantly skilled director. He makes things look amazing, but because he came through television comedy, he allows actors to work really freely, to improvise, to be playful, to try things out. And so, it\u2019s rare I think that you get to work on a movie of this scale with such freedom. There\u2019s a child inside Paul, I think, and he\u2019s not afraid at all to embrace that. He doesn\u2019t worry about being cool. There\u2019s a real joy in his work, and a sense of color and fun and\u2026 mischief I think as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the music of Neil Hannon\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATT LUCAS: \u201cWhat\u2019s brilliant is the music is by Neil Hannon, who I\u2019ve long been a massive fan of. I was really thrilled when I heard he was doing the songs, which are really catchy. They\u2019re witty, they\u2019re warm, the lyrics are smart, and that just makes it easier for you as an actor to interpret.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Chocolate Cartel\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATT LUCAS: \u201cPaul and Simon have really fleshed-out Fickelgruber, Slugworth and Prodnose. They\u2019ve set up this cartel of chocolatiers who are rivals, but who will work together to ward off any threat, and the threat right now is this magnificent new chocolatier on the block by the name of Wonka.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATHEW BAYNTON as persnickety Chocolate Cartel member Fickelgruber<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On joining \u201cWonka\u201d\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATHEW BAYNTON: \u201cI can\u2019t think of a single reason why I wouldn\u2019t want to be part of \u2018Wonka.\u2019 I think like many people on Earth (LAUGHS) I grew up with Roald Dahl\u2019s books, and Willy Wonka as a character has a very special place in all our hearts, and certainly in mine, in my childhood. And I\u2019m a huge fan of Paul\u2019s and Simon\u2019s, who wrote the script, and he\u2019s a friend, and their \u2018Paddington\u2019 films were so beautiful. So, the idea of a Willy Wonka movie that they had written, that Paul was directing, I would\u2019ve said \u2018Yes\u2019 without knowing what the role was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the trio of Cartel\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATHEW BAYNTON: \u201cWe\u2019ve got three chocolatiers: Slugworth, who is a ruthless businessman and clearly the brains of the operation; Prodnose, who doesn\u2019t seem to even know why he\u2019s there, but (LAUGHS) is just happy to be; and then Fickelgruber, who\u2019s not necessarily interested in the business or the money itself, but the trappings of it. He\u2019s interested in the clothes, the tailoring that it affords him, and how it looks to be wealthy. So, everything with him is about appearances, everything is superficial. Even in the midst of high drama, we decided he would be thinking about how he looks at all times. And I have this sort of idea in my head that maybe he didn\u2019t have money, and that\u2019s why he\u2019s so obsessed with it, with all of this stuff now. Maybe that\u2019s why he cares so much about how it looks, \u2018cause he doesn\u2019t want anyone to find out his secret. But that\u2019s just my fantasy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the empty store in the Galeries Gourmet\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MATHEW BAYNTON: \u201cThe Cartel have managed to monopolize chocolate-making by creating this appearance of competition between them, where actually, underneath it, they\u2019re working together and making sure that they share\u2026 which sounds nicer than it is, I suppose, even using the word \u2018share.\u2019 But the idea is there\u2019s this fourth shop that they\u2019ve made sure no one can occupy, and Willy comes along and starts selling better chocolate than they make, along with these crazy, fun, new flavors. And not just that, but they\u2019re magic, they\u2019re literally magic, so they have to get rid of him. And the Chief of Police has sort of been in their pocket, but they\u2019re asking him to do a bit more now than he\u2019s done for them before, which is why they have to step it up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SALLY HAWKINS as Willy Wonka\u2019s Mamma<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On collaborating with Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SALLY HAWKINS: \u201cI love working with Paul\u2014he is endlessly creative. He makes you feel that anything is possible. I trust him as he does me and this allows you to be free and play\u2014which is everything. He gives you confidence and he makes one feel able to take a leap into the unknown. And it is because of his unwavering passion, heart and spirit\u2014everyone follows with absolute abandon, taking his lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPaul is engaged fully to the tiniest detail. He inspires in every single department. He seems fearless when he is filming\u2026 yet to carry the enormity of a shoot, of the whole world one has created upon your shoulders must be one of the most terrifying things. He fights every single day and will never compromise his vision; he is always at the same time looking to make it sing even brighter. Every single beat means everything to him to get it right. He is so exceptionally finely tuned. There is nothing he does not see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have known Paul for almost 20 years. I met him in Edinburgh when he was directing a theatre show, but he doesn\u2019t remember this! I first worked with him on a workshop a few years later, along with some of his wonderfully talented friends. I loved every moment of that time and knew he was rather exceptional and brilliant in how he created with others, bringing the story out through detailed rich character work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe greatest part is he is one of my dearest friends and the greatest joy is working with friends who you love dearly and who you understand and they understand you, too. It is a shared language, a trust and a knowing. I would follow Paul to the moon and back, and want to work with him for the rest of time\u2014if he would have me. Paul makes everything better!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 On what Mamma instills in Willy\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SALLY HAWKINS: \u201cLove is all you need. Belief and truth. Holding onto your own truth. Trusting that, trusting oneself. Faith in one\u2019s ability and vision. Led by love, follow the heart. Magic exists in the everyday. She instils a strength in him that is underpinned by such a deep and fierce love. To never let go of one\u2019s dream. To never forget oneself. To listen to the pull of the heart, for it will never steer you wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On growing up with books by Dahl\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SALLY HAWKINS: \u201cDahl books were everything\u2014they still are and always will be. His work, his writing is ever inspiring and ever thrilling. I found such a connection to his writing, probably more than any other writer as a child. I found him on my own\u2014that is to say he was not on a school syllabus. And I would return many times and seek him out, because I could get lost in his words, the worlds. He wrote like a poet. Reading his work out loud, it is lyrical. His work speaks to children\u2019s rebellious nature and yet, the morality is also so very strong in all. I remember loving this about his stories. A favorite and most adored teacher\/creator. Every single one of his books was special to me. I loved James and the Giant Peach<\/em>, The Twits<\/em> and Charlie<\/em> and the Chocolate Factory<\/em>, too. But I cannot have a favorite. All are so beautifully written and constructed works of art, and every single one reaches deep into the imaginations of children and adults alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was a true and pure genius. I loved him as a child and I still do. And I will read him forever more and be ever inspired to do better!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JIM CARTER, as by-the-books accountant \/ washerman Abacus Crunch<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On the character of Wonka\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JIM CARTER: \u201cWonka just sees, well, endless possibilities, and nothing is impossible for him. So, with his joie de vivre<\/em> and his innocence, he liberates himself and then liberates us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the denizens of Scrubitt and Bleacher\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JIM CARTER: \u201cSo, we\u2019ve got the silent one, we got the somewhat aggressive plumber, we got the annoying comedian and the rather tetchy, sad chartered accountant\u2026 It\u2019s a good mixture, with Rakhee Thakrar, Rich Fulcher, Natasha Rothwell and me. So, it\u2019s a great contrast there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JIM CARTER: \u201cIt\u2019s just magic. If you say it\u2019s old-fashioned entertainment\u2014it\u2019s really not, because it\u2019s from an imagination that right bang up-to-the-minute, using all of the skills and technology that cinema can offer, will take people into a world of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OLIVIA COLMAN, as the scheming and entrepreneurial Mrs Scrubitt<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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The experience of \u201cWonka\u201d\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OLIVIA COLMAN: \u201cI think \u2018Wonka\u2019 really goes back to an era of grand filmmaking. The tricks, the flying and things are all in-camera. They\u2019re not post. Scenes with big musical numbers and tunes that I\u2019m still hearing in my head. I can imagine kids around the country singing these songs at school. Paul\u2019s done such a beautiful job and he\u2019s made a masterpiece, I think. And he is so sweet and so patient. As a director, he\u2019s clearly a perfectionist, because his work is exquisite. And on set every day, he is happy to see everyone. He is joyful, funny and cracking jokes, and he keeps the atmosphere high and buoyant. He has a fantastic eye and a fantastic eye for comedy. His notes are perfect every time. I couldn\u2019t wait to get to work every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the relationship with Bleacher\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OLIVIA COLMAN: \u201cMrs Scrubitt thinks she\u2019s above Bleacher. She calls him a horrible peasant. Then one day she finds out, well, that he might be related to Bavarian aristocracy. Then suddenly she goes, \u2018Oh,\u2019 and thinks he\u2019s rather nice, and they have a little love affair. They really don\u2019t like each other, but they might end up together\u2026 but they\u2019re still not very nice people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the look of Mrs Scrubitt\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OLIVIA COLMAN: \u201cIt was so much fun going for my first fitting with Lindy Hemming. The beautiful drawings of all the characters around the room, the fabrics and swatches\u2014it was like going into an incredible haberdashery. Because of the height difference between Tom [Davis as Bleacher] and me\u2014we\u2019re this pair of very Dahl-esque classic baddies, like the nasty aunts in James and the Giant Peach<\/em>\u2014I just wanted Mrs Scrubitt to be a bigger person than me. And considering she got these poor indentured servants in the laundry downstairs and they\u2019re eating gruel, and she\u2019s living well upstairs\u2026 it became that sort of duo of a great big man and a rounder woman. I can\u2019t remember if it was Lindy or me, but probably Lindy, having the idea of shaping her a little bit more. Mrs Scrubitt was sort of gorgeous\u2014well, not that gorgeous. She had pretty nasty teeth and she wasn\u2019t a very nice person\u2026 but she really enjoyed her body and that was quite fun to play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HUGH GRANT, as the Oompa Loompa<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On how he was pitched the idea\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HUGH GRANT: \u201cPaul and I were always in contact vaguely since \u2018Paddington 2,\u2019 and then I think he just emailed me one day and said he was doing \u2018Wonka.\u2019 He has been nuts about Roald Dahl since he was a kid, in exactly the same way that he was obsessed with Michael Bond and Paddington<\/em>, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/em> was one of his favorite books. And then he explained how much he loved the Oompa Loompas in those early films, particularly for being so unpleasant. And he said, \u2018Whenever I think of someone really curmudgeonly and unpleasant, I immediately think of you.\u2019 And so that was his pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Paul King as the perfect fit for \u201cWonka\u201d\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HUGH GRANT: \u201cWell, I think first reason is because Paul loves it. And the older I get, the more I realize that the best films come from something that someone really genuinely loves. So, for instance, all those romantic comedies I made with Richard Curtis, I think they work\u2014apart from the fact that he\u2019s funny\u2014because he\u2019s mad about love; he\u2019s passionate about the subject. So, they\u2019re genuine. Paul King has always adored Paddington<\/em>, and he\u2019s always adored Charlie and the Chocolate Factory<\/em>. So, there\u2019s something genuine behind this. Paul\u2019s also brilliant on visuals\u2014he\u2019s very, very visual, with a wonderful sense of production design and photography. And since we\u2019re dealing with chocolate factories and sweeties and candy colors, it\u2019s made for Paul King.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On creating his version of the Oompa Loompa\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HUGH GRANT: \u201cI ended up reading the book and watching the earlier films. And then I thought, \u2018How do we make this different?\u2019 But I definitely thought the key was to keep the sort of negativity and anger, the curmudgeonly old bastard element of the Oompa Loompa. This is my speciality. The Oompa Loompa in this film is propelled by those things, but also by a sort of sadness and a kind of loneliness. He\u2019s been ostracized, chucked out of his homeland and his home tribe for letting them down. And he\u2019s on a mission to try and win back their favors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATASHA ROTHWELL as force-of-nature plumber \/ washerwoman Piper Benz<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On her character, Piper Benz\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATASHA ROTHWELL: \u201cI think for me, it was important to play an empowered woman who\u2019s not afraid of being strong and isn\u2019t helpless, even though she\u2019s in a helpless situation. I think there\u2019s a bit of silliness with her as well. I love being able to tap into the playfulness. I think that that\u2019s another thing that is really cool about this film, and that is to see adults be as playful as we remember the children in the original being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATHASHA ROTHWELL: \u201cHe\u2019s an empathetic storyteller. He\u2019s really wonderful at elevating the things that are simple: kindness, joy, helping each other. And I think that we are in short supply of some of those beatitudes. So, I love the way he reminds us of why those things are important.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Calah Lane as Noodle\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATASHA ROTHWELL: \u201cI\u2019m obsessed with Calah. I actually spent a Thanksgiving with her and her family. She\u2019s delightful and I think that it is something beautiful to see, when someone that young embraces the talent they have. The fearlessness with which she performs and the honesty that she approaches her scenes with, I think, too, is inspiring to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the finely-detailed sets\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATASHA ROTHWELL: \u201cAll of the sets are impressive and when I say no detail is spared\u2026 I always joke that there are certain people, when they decorate a Christmas tree, there\u2019s some people that just decorate the part that people see and the back is just super sad. And then, there are those that decorate the parts that no one sees, because it\u2019s about the holistic sort of spirit of it, and this set is the latter. I mean, there are corners, nooks and crannies, where every single thing has a purpose and an intention, which just makes the set come alive for us as actors and I think it will do that for people in the theater as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATASHA ROTHWELL: \u201cI think people are going to love this movie and I think they\u2019ll love it for a myriad of reasons. I think they\u2019ll love it because one, it\u2019s fun. I think the songs are incredible. I think folks are going to be singing them. I do think people are going to tap into the thing that I was talking about that Paul brings to his work, which is this sort of through-line of kindness and elevating the ordinary to extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RICH FULCHER as vaudevillesque comedian \/ washerman Larry Chucklesworth<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On joining \u201cWonka\u201d\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RICH FULCHER: \u201cWonka to me was a big part of my life in terms of films. It was just up there. When I found out about the cast, oh my God. Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, I just had to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his character, Larry Chucklesworth\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RICH FULCHER: \u201cChucklesworth is like an old-school comedian. We sort of liken him to (GROANS and CHUCKLES) a Rodney Dangerfield type. Henny Youngman. You know, this is like the 1940s. So, he\u2019s an old-school boom-badda-boom, punchline. Rimshot. Mother-in-law (SCREAMS). That type of comic. So, he is old-school and Larry will not pass up an opportunity for a joke at any moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RICH FULCHER: \u201cI think this will be a movie that you\u2019ll want to see over again, because there are so many things to it. There are so many characters in it. There are so many emotional moments in it that I know it\u2019s like one of those things where you\u2019ll be flicking at night and you\u2019ll just want to see it over again, no matter what part of the movie you\u2019re in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAKHEE THAKRAR as quiet-but-mighty phone operator \/ washerwoman Lottie Bell<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On working with Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAKHEE THAKRAR: \u201cWorking with Paul [King] is like working with somebody who is going after perfection, and I don\u2019t mean in that kind of stifled way. I mean in that he\u2019s looking at what could be a timeless film\u2014he\u2019s done that with \u2018Paddington\u2019\u2014and he creates this atmosphere of both spontaneity and creating a completely perfect piece of art, and that\u2019s really hard to do. And also, he\u2019s really silly and makes it so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the magic of Lindy Hemming\u2019s costumes\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAKHEE THAKRAR: \u201cThe thing about [costumer designer] Lindy\u2019s work that I absolutely love is that it\u2019s so specific to not only the character, but to your body shape and type and the period. You could be talking to her and she would just be like, \u2018Just that tiny bit needs to go like this.\u2019 And she also is very much about the actor making it their own and making sure that it\u2019s all about the character. She\u2019s a master of her industry, isn\u2019t she? She\u2019s brilliant. The thing is when you go into fittings with her, it\u2019s just so exciting, because she gets excited as well when we get excited. She\u2019s like, \u2018Turn around,\u2019 and you turn around and you see your costume and it\u2019s truly like movie magic, you know? It\u2019s not an experience that you have every day and it\u2019s been an utter privilege to work with her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On what\u2019s in store for audiences\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

RAKHEE THAKRAR: \u201cI think we could do with a story about hope, for me, that\u2019s what this is\u2026 It\u2019s about people who\u2019ve had loss, lots of loss. Willy and Noodle and have had lots of loss. The workers have had a lot of loss. And finding the light again, and I think everyone will be able to relate to that and maybe believe their situation can change as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOM DAVIS as besotted henchman Bleacher<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n
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On Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet as Wonka\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOM DAVIS: \u201cIt\u2019s a hell of a thing to take on, and Timoth\u00e9e is\u2026 wow. I was fortunate to be in rehearsals with him, and also to shoot some of the first stuff. And I was like, \u2018Wow, you have to put your big boy pants on and man-up here, Tom, because this kid\u2019s unreal. He\u2019s another level.\u2019 The genius of what Timoth\u00e9e is doing out there\u2014in any sort of evolution piece\u2014he\u2019s taking it back to the beginning of how does Willy become Willy Wonka, the guy with this chocolate factory. Like, there\u2019s a journey that you can see. And you see it through the film\u2026 From the moment he meets mine and Olivia\u2019s characters, he\u2019s just like this nervous, almost quite na\u00efve kid and then he grows into the man that we all know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOM DAVIS: \u201cPaul is a phenomenal visionary. When you see that Paul King is doing any film or show, there\u2019s not a stone that goes unturned. Like Paul has a vision across every part of this movie. It\u2019s nothing short of phenomenal. But when you\u2019re an actor, he\u2019s just the most giving man you could want to work with. He normally makes it sometimes feel like the smallest thing when it\u2019s the biggest. Most of my scenes are with an Oscar nominee and an Oscar winner. And I was working on a building site seven years ago. That\u2019s like, you\u2019re terrified because you\u2019re coming into this. But Timmy, Olivia and Paul make that just the easiest job to come into. The relaxation you feel. And that starts at the top and that starts with Paul King.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his character, Bleacher\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOM DAVIS: \u201cBleacher would be a sort of rough, tough kind of man. But actually, he\u2019s madly in love with Mrs Scrubitt. And it\u2019s not subtle as well. And I was like a little schoolboy when I heard that it would be me and Olivia Colman, because she is incredible. Her character\u2019s just vile, but she\u2019s probably one of the nicest people I\u2019ve ever been blessed enough to meet in my whole life. Olivia Colman plays nasty like no one else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KOBNA HOLDBROOK-SMITH as true-hearted Officer Affable<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On his character, Officer Affable\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KOBNA HOLDBROOK-SMITH: \u201cHe\u2019s just perfectly loveable. He\u2019s like this truthful, earnest\u2014I imagine he was quite passionate and believes in his job. Affable loves his job, that\u2019s the key. That\u2019s the core of my playing of him. He really enjoys being what he is, being a policeman and upholding the law, keeping people safe and keeping the town happy. And I think that working with the Chief of Police (LAUGHS)\u2026 He has to try and keep that steadiness alongside the Chief\u2019s chaos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Paul King\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KOBNA HOLDBROOK-SMITH: \u201cPaul King is one of the loveliest humans out there, and he is very concerned with the details of the shape of things, as he should be\u2014he\u2019s the director. But I think he also takes the time it takes to get it right, and as an actor, I feel I\u2019m able to trust. I can relax and trust that his eye is going to steer me right, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Keegan-Michael Key as Chief of Police\u2026<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KOBNA HOLDBROOK-SMITH: \u201cKeegan-Michael Key is hilarious. He\u2019s so many people\u2019s idol, and I can completely see why. The man is so inventive, endlessly inventive. Sometimes, people can just go improvise and it can get quite dry; it can become a bit tedious. It\u2019s an exercise in just finding anything new. But what he finds, to me, it seems genuinely possible. Like, you could go down any of the roads he chooses and start another film.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET, as the idealistic Willy Wonka On Paul King\u2026 TIMOTH\u00c9E CHALAMET: \u201cI guess the words that I would use to describe Paul King are \u2018joyful, hilarious, collaborative, kind.\u2019 He was very enthusiastic about the project in front of him and worked to do everything he could to realize his vision. He took on a… Continue reading In Conversation With The Cast Of “Wonka”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20567,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Wonka.png?fit=280%2C172&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20697\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20567"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}