Timothée Chalamet is proud to be a part of Wonka.
All the singing and dancing aside, Timothée, who plays the beloved chocolatier in the film, is most proud of being part of “a joyous movie that is about bringing a light into a world that is in desperate need of it,” as he put it.
When Timothée read Wonka, he says he did feel “the classic thespian challenge—the singing, the dancing.” However, when he thinks about the film’s reason for being, he says, “it is to bring joy into the world. It’s to encourage dreaming; to encourage the dreamers to continue dreaming; to encourage declaring yourself as you are, who you are, without question. It’s 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’s about community, and it’s about community surviving in spaces of erosion. It’s about light and love. I’m so proud to have been a part of that.”
Photo by Jaap Buittendijk
A prequel to the 2005 hit Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka is an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, and tells the story of Willy Wonka’s younger days when he was just starting out as a chocolate maker hoping to share his chocolate with the world by setting up shop at the cathedral of candy known as the Galeries Gourmet with nothing but a few sovereigns and a hat full of dreams.
To make sure he does the iconic character of Willy Wonka justice, Timothée worked hard in preparation for the role, especially for the singing and dancing bits. “I had a lot of singing and vocal training with our head of the music department, the British James Taylor, not the other James Taylor,” he shares. “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’ve ever been on. This was every scene. There’s the enthusiasm of the character coupled with the fact that there isn’t a scene that’s really static. That’s 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.”
Watch Timothée talk about becoming Wonka in this Wonka featurette:
It helped that Timothée had a great co-star in Calah Lane, who plays Noodle, a smart, cynical, sardonic young orphan who befriends Willy. Chalamet was very much impressed with his younger co-star.
“It’s a huge endeavor to be on a project when you’re this young. I was working as an actor at this age but not on things this long maybe a day or two here or there,” Timothée points out. “She really has her head on her shoulders. She’s a fantastic actress.”
Lucky for Lane, there were days on set when she wasn’t the only kid, and Timothée treasured those days too because they brought about a very positive energy. “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’re wearing the burgundy coat and you see the way people are reacting. It was great.”
Wonka opens in Philippine cinemas December 6, one week ahead of the U.S. – a perfect Christmas treat!
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