Johnny Depp says he developed the character of Willy Wonka after the shows he watched as a child

We’re about to see the third big screen version of author Roald Dahl’s iconic character, Willy Wonka. He first appeared in the beloved 1971 film, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factoryinterpreted by Gene Wilder, and this set the standard for the fan-favorite role. The next one was Johnny Depp as Wonka in the 2005 remake Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which put a new spin on the story, giving context to Willy Wonka’s backstory. Depp certainly took the character in a new direction, which some found a little disturbing, but the actor says he based his interpretation of him on some of the children’s show hosts he watched when he was a child.

Depp told IGN (via cheatsheet):

“In this movie with Willy Wonka there wasn’t one or two kids who served as role models, so to speak, for the character, but there were memories that I have of being a kid and watching kids’ shows and kids’ shows. guests. And I distinctly remember, even at that age, their way of talking and the musical quality of the way they talk to the camera, to the kids. Even then I thought it was really strange. I thought it was really bizarre because it said it all: “Hello children”. How are you??’ You know, that kind of thing.”

Depp drew inspiration from the shows he watched as a child.

“The kids I watched, like Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers and Uncle Al, became the main ingredient. And quiz hosts who I remember seeing and watching and thinking, ‘My God! They can’t be like this at home. They can’t really be like that.’ Which led me to believe that they were wearing a mask to get that all-important positive smile. So, that was the other side of Wonka. And then making something for Wonka’s look was incredibly important. It was incredibly important to have an idea and be able to wear that costume and put those veneers in my mouth and teeth, which actually changed the shape of my face a little bit.”

Depp used children’s shows to create his version of Willy Wonka, but he said his mother thinks there’s a good amount of Wonka in him.

“As a child, from what I understood, I liked to think I was like Charlie, but I don’t think I was. My [mother] he says I was… he uses the term hellion. I wasn’t obnoxious or precocious, but I was curious. Lots of practical jokes and stuff like that. I got on her nerves, basically. I pissed her off pretty often.

Depp also hinted that he took inspiration from Michael Jackson for the character:

“The strange thing is, it never actually occurred to me that there would ever be any kind of connection to Michael Jackson. It never crossed my mind. I still don’t quite understand it. I guess I might at some point. level because of the makeup and the kids and the fantasy kind of stuff. But it seems strange to me. I say if there was anyone you would compare Wonka to, it would almost be a Howard Hughes. Reclusive, germophobic, controlling.

Whatever made Depp develop the character the way he did, it was certainly original! The third version of Willy Wonka will be seen in the film this December 15th Wonkawith Timothée Chalamet.