14 December 2023 , 10:21
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The charming world of Roald Dahl is back in the spotlight thanks to the arrival of Timothée Chalamet’s Wonka - a prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that starred the late Gene Wilder.
The new film sees 27-year-old American actor Timothée playing the aspiring magician, inventor and chocolatier Willy Wonka and explore’s the character’s early life. The new film has been described as direct sequel to the iconic 1971 film starring Gene and based on the timeless novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by late author Roald.
The original film is over fifty years old but continues to charm and inspire film lovers - while also terrifying new viewers thanks to the creepy characters and traumatic events that happen inside the titular chocolate factory. Looking back at the original film and its cast, a number of actors have unfortunately passed since the release.
Here we look at some of the tragic stories involving the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory cast.
Gene Wilder charmed , and frightened, the world as eccentric confectioner Willy Wonka (Getty Images)Gene Wilder (1933-2016)
American actor Gene Wilder starred in a wide range of films and television shows - including Westerns like Blazing Saddles and comedy horror like Young Frankenstein. But for millions, he is most famous for the iconic, eccentric, and slightly creepy lead character in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
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The actor had a long and successful life, but passed away in 2016 at the age of 83 following a devastating battle against Alzheimer's disease. He had been diagnosed with the condition three years before his death - but kept the news private.
Following his death, Gene's nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman explained the actor consciously kept his health battle secret to avoid upsetting fans. He said in a statement: "The decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasn't vanity, but more so that the countless young children that would smile or call out to him 'there's Willy Wonka,' would not have to be then exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment, or confusion. He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world."
Child actress Denise Nickerson passed away in 2019 (WireImage)
She played Violet Beauregarde in the original movie (Publicity Picture)Denise Nickerson (1957-2019)
Child actress Denise Nickerson played chewing gum-obsessed Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film and was just 13-years-old when she was cast in the scene-stealing role. She went on to appear in American educational children's television series The Electric Company and played three characters, Amy Jennings, Nora Collins, and Amy Collins in the soap opera Dark Shadows.
The American star effectively retired from acting by the time she was 21, moving into a career in admin - however she continued to show up at conventions celebrating Willy Wonka and Dark Shadows and featured in documentaries about her past on-screen success. She also appeared as a contestant on Top Chef: Just Desserts in 2011 where she wowed judges with her cooking skills.
Sadly, Denise suffered a devastating stroke in 2018 that left her hospitalised. The following year, she took an overdose of prescription medicines, hospitalising her again. While in Intensive Care, she developed pneumonia, then suffered a seizure, and slipped into a coma. She had a Do Not Resuscitate order and her family made the agonising decision to take her off life support. Denise died aged 62 on 10 July 2019.
Jack Albertson played Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar)Jack Albertson (1907-1981)
Jack Albertson was an esteemed actor who scooped a Tony, Oscar and Emmy award over the course of his impressive career. His Tony and Oscar wins were for playing the stage and screen version of John Cleary in the 1964 play The Subject Was Roses and subsequent movie adaptation - and he had memorable roles in in The Poseidon Adventure and Chico and the Man.
But to millions of fans, he was best known for playing Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - a role he starred in when he was 64. Sadly, just ten years later, Jack died after bravely battling colon cancer.
The LA Times reported his death - and the impressive beginnings of his career - announcing on 26 November 1981: “Jack Albertson, a one-time teenage pool hustler who learned to tap dance and eventually became an award-winning performer on Broadway, in films and on television, died of cancer Wednesday morning in his Hollywood Hills home. The 74-year-old character actor’s career lasted a half century, beginning during the Depression when a New York agent saw him going through tap steps with other would-be dancers in front of the Palace Theatre.”
Roy Kinnear died following an on-set accident of a film he was working on in 1988 (Getty Images)Roy Kinnear (1934-1988)
British actor Roy Kinnear played Henry Salt, the father of Julie Dawn Cole's Veruca Salt, in the iconic film - but this was just one of the many characters the actor and comedian played over his impressive career. Roy, from Lancashire, had roles in The Beatles' Help!, How I Won the War, The Hill, The Dick Emery Show, George and Mildred and many more.
Roy was one of the actors in hit 1973 film The Three Musketeers - and returned to the franchise to film the sequel, The Return of the Musketeers, which was released in 1989. Tragedy struck on set of the film, however, as Roy was thrown from a horse where he suffered a broken pelvis and internal bleeding.
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He was rushed to hospital - but died from a massive heart attack the following day. He was just 54-years-old when he passed away and left behind EastEnders actress wife Carmel Cryan and their three children; including now 45-year-old Bond film star Rory Kinnear.
Angelo Muscat died six years after Willy Wonka was released (FILE)Angelo Muscat (1930-1977)
Malta-born British actor Angelo Muscat was one of the ten actors cast as an Oompah Loompah in the original Willy Wonka movie. He had previously had roles in cult classic TV series Doctor Who and iconic drama The Prisoner - and also had a role in a 1966 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
Despite his success on screen, Angelo was reportedly plagued by depression and loneliness and also struggled to find acting work following the release of Willy Wonka. Author Rupert Booth, who wrote about The Prisoner, painted a sad portrait of the four-foot tall actor, quoting him as having confided: "I always feel lonely. I feel that people don't want to know me. Girls don't fancy me. I'm tiny and I'm nearly bald, but I'm only in my 30s."
Angelo died of pneumonia on 10 October 1977 and was aged just 47-years-old. Some reports have also claimed the actor was penniless when he passed away and had grown frustrated that he often lost out on roles when auditioning against children.
German actor Günter Meisner appeared in over 100 productions (FILE)Günter Meisner (1928-1994)
German actor Günter Meisner played rival confectionary maker Arthur Slugworth in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. His villainous character bribed the children to try to steal Wonka’s business secrets, only to be revealed to be on Wonka’s payroll at the end of the film.
The trilingual actor had roles in English speaking, German speaking and French speaking films, featuring in Is Paris Burning?, The Quiller Memorandum, and Funeral in Berlin. His impressive career saw him land roles in more than 100 productions, and he had even more roles on stage in theatre.
The European actor died suddenly of heart failure on 5 December 1994 at the age of 66 - while filming an episode of a German TV series. He was buried in Berlin's famous Friedhof Heerstraße Cemetery which also has graves of other famous Germans including Olympian Walter Volle, politician Hermann Scheer, and Schindler's List actor Hans-Michael Rehberg.
Tim Brooke Taylor (left, alongside John Junkin, centre, and Barry Cryer, right) died in the pandemic (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Tim Brooke-Taylor (1940-2020)
British comedian and actor Tim Brooke-Taylor had an uncredited role in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory where he played a computer scientist who believed he had an algorithm that would help people uncover the golden tickets hidden in Wonka chocolate bars. He appeared in other films, and had a long career on TV featuring in shows including The Goodies, Heartbeat, and the BBC soap Doctors.
Tragically, Tim was a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic, dying from complications caused by they respiratory disease on 12 April 2020. He was aged 79.
Goodies co-star Bill Oddie paid tribute to Tim following his death, calling him a "true visual comic and a great friend". And fellow co-star Graeme Garden said: "terribly saddened by the loss of a dear colleague and close friend of over 50 years. He was a funny, sociable, generous man who was a delight to work with. Audiences found him not only hilarious but also adorable."