German schoolboy Michael Böllner played the greedy chap who was the first to find a Golden Ticket. Although he was keen to continue acting, his father insisted he finish his education.
He appeared in just a handful of films in his native Germany before becoming a tax attorney in Munich.
Violet Beauregarde
Denise Nickerson, who played the competitive gum-chewer, was known for her role in the long-running show Dark Shadows (1966 – 1971). She went on to have minor parts in TV shows, including The Brady Bunch(1969 – 1974) and auditioned for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars but left acting in 1978.
Following a severe stroke, Denise took an overdose of prescription medicine and died from complications in July 2019 after suffering a seizure and pneumonia, aged 62.
Veruca Salt
English actress Julie Dawn Cole filmed the I Want It Now! scene on her 13th birthday. With a career spanning four decades, she is the only Wonka winner who continued acting.
She has had roles on British TV shows, including Emmerdale and Casualty. More recently, Cole has trained as a fitness instructor and psychotherapist.
In 2010, she performed Willy Wonka Revisited: The Veruca Salt Sessions, a show at the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2016, she released a book about her time making Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory entitled I Want It Now.
Mike Teavee
Western-mad ticket winner number four was played by Paris Themmen. He began acting at the age of six, but his on-screen career began with a TV commercial for bubble bath.
Paris’ career stalled with just a few stage roles and a one-off appearance on Star Trek: Voyager. He has since worked as a real estate broker, Walt Disney Imagineer and Financial Advisor.
Charlie Bucket
After Peter Ostrum played Charlie, he was offered a three-movie contract but turned it down to complete his studies.
He earned a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1984 and ran a veterinary practice in upstate New York until his retirement in 2023.
