Here’s a breakdown of the Wonka cast and characters.
Thanks to the iconic novel and movies in 1971 and 2005, Willy Wonka is a character familiar to two generations.
And with the Timothée Chalamet movie in 2024, audiences were given another sweet treat in a prequel story.
It’s time for your tour of the chocolate factory. Here are the main actors in the Wonka cast and the characters they play.
Wonka cast and characters
Contents
- Willy Wonka: Timothée Chalamet
- Oompa Loompa: Hugh Grant
- Mrs. Scrubbit: Olivia Colman
- Noodle: Calan Lane
- Willy’s Mother: Sally Hawkins
- Chief of Police: Keegan-Michael Key
- Slugworth: Paterson Joseph
- Prodnose: Matt Lucas
- Fickelgruber: Mathew Baynton
- Father Julius: Rowan Atkinson
- Abacus Crunch: Jim Carter
- Piper Benz: Natasha Rothwell
- Lottie Bell: Rakhee Thakrar
- Larry Chuckleworth: Rich Fulcher
- Bleacher: Tom Davis
Willy Wonka: Timothée Chalamet
Our titular hero Willy Wonka is a man with one dream: to open a chocolate shop all his own. He’s ventured to the city where his mother once made the best chocolate in the world. He’s incredibly naive and always relies on the kindness of strangers.
Timothée Chalamet is best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Elio in one of the best romance movies of the 2010s, Call Me By Your Name. His star rose mighty fast after that, with roles in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, the cannibalism film Bones & All, and the Dune movies.
Oompa Loompa: Hugh Grant
The Oompa Loompa — who calls himself Lofty — is looking to take back chocolate from Willy Wonka after believing he stole it from Loompa Land. Dry and sarcastic, the Oompa Loompa has his eyes on the prize at all times.
With decades of credits under his belt, Grant is best known in the realms of drama and romcoms. Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Bridget Jones’s Diary are some of the ones he’s most known for.
Mrs. Scrubbit: Olivia Colman
Mrs. Scrubbit appears to be nice and hospitable but actually cons her guests. She claims not to have feelings for Bleacher, although this soon proves otherwise.
As well as starring in the Wonka cast, Olivia Colman is an Oscar-winning actor known for her work in The Crown, The Favourite, The Lost Daughter, and Peep Show. She also appeared in the first two seasons of Heartstopper and the masterpiece TV series Fleabag.
Noodle: Calan Lane
Noodle has grown up at Mrs. Scrubbit’s laundrette, having been abandoned there when she was a baby. Naturally, she hates her and tries not to let life get her down too much.
Calah Lane has previously starred in This Is Us and Family Reunion. She started her career you, starring in commercials and short films. She also likes to write and direct; one of Lane’s first scripts was written at nine years old.
Willy’s Mother: Sally Hawkins
Willy lost his mother when he was young, but he remains close to her spirit. Imagining their time together over the years, he claims that she made the best chocolate he’d ever tasted and wanted to know her secret.
Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water and Paddington 1 and 2 are some of Sally Hawkins’ most recent roles. She’s known for bringing warmth to every role she does and is a master at playing quirky, too.
Chief of Police: Keegan-Michael Key
If there’s one thing to know about the Chief of Police, it’s that he loves chocolate. So much so that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get some… including hunting down Wonka.
Keegan-Michael Key first made it big as part of the comedy duo Key and Peele. Since then, like his comedy partner Jordan Peele, he’s fleshed out his career. He led Schimgadoon!, lent his voice to Toy Story 4, and also had a ridiculous role as a music producer in Pitch Perfect 2 which we happen to love.
Slugworth: Paterson Joseph
Slugworth is one member of the so-called “Chocolate Cabal” and naturally asserts himself as the leader. Alongside being the most devious, he also seems to be the most successful.
Viewers might recognize Paterson Joseph from Peep Show, Boat Story, and Safe House. He was also in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach in 2000.
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Prodnose: Matt Lucas
Prodnose is another chocolatier rival of Wonka’s.
Matt Lucas can be recognized from roles in Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, as well as hosting The Great British Bake Off. He also played Rebel Wilson’s very weird brother in Bridesmaids, and is generally a good person to call if your character is off-kilter.
Fickelgruber: Mathew Baynton
Fickelgruber is the third and final chocolatier working against Willy Wonka.
The man who gave the world Ghosts and Horrible Histories, Mathew Baynton has also appeared in British TV series such as Gavin & Stacey.
Father Julius: Rowan Atkinson
Father Julius also loves his chocolate, and can often be seen eating it in church.
Aside from a cameo role in the Wonka cast, Rowan Atkinson is best known for Blackadder and his iconic comedy character Mr. Bean, who had an animated series, live-action specials, and movies.
Abacus Crunch: Jim Carter
Abacus Crunch is a former accountant who has also been swindled by Mrs. Scrubbit’s terms and conditions.
Alongside being in the Wonka cast, Jim Carter can be recognized from Downton Abbey, The Good Liar, and Brassed Off.
Piper Benz: Natasha Rothwell
Piper also works in the laundrette as a seamstress, having once been a successful plumber. Piper is unhappy there and dreams of escaping her awful work environment.
Natasha Rothwell has previously starred in Insecure and The White Lotus. She also brought a lot of fun to Sonic 2, where she and her suspicious fiancee try to plan a scenic wedding around the blue hedgehog’s shenanigans.
Lottie Bell: Rakhee Thakrar
Timid Lottie Bell doesn’t speak much to the rest of the Wonka cast until it’s revealed that she used to be a telephone operator.
Rakhee Thakrar is known for her roles as Shabnam Masood in the UK soap opera EastEnders and Emily Sands in the Netflix comedy Sex Education. She also voices the Eighth Doctor’s companion, Bliss, in the Doctor Who: The Time War audio dramas.
Larry Chucklesworth: Rich Fulcher
A former comic, Larry Chuckleworth often fails to get a laugh while working with the others in the laundrette.
Richard Fulcher is a comedian, actor, and author from the United States. He’s best known for portraying Bob Fossil in the British comedy show The Mighty Boosh and Edward Sheath in Jon Benjamin Has a Van. He has also appeared in Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy.
Bleacher: Tom Davis
Bleacher works with Mrs. Scrubbit and also has a not-so-secret crush on her.
Tom Davis is a comedian and actor, best known for his roles in Murder in Successville and King Gary. He also starred in and co-wrote The Curse.
You can check out our other coverage in our Wonka ending explained, the answer to is there a post-credits scene in Wonka, and our report on the Wonka box office performance.