The Oscar-nominated actor Johnny Depp landed the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Stepping into the role that had earlier been played by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, the actor was well aware of the challenge at hand. Drawing inspiration from several sources, including a couple of charismatic hosts of children’s shows, Depp delivered a masterclass.
However, once the film went into production, the actor admitted to feeling a sense of insecurity after he did not receive any feedback from the studio about his work.
Johnny Depp Was Worried About His Performance as Willy Wonka
Recalling his experience filming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Johnny Depp once shared a moment of insecurity he felt during the early days of filming. The actor shared that after almost a month into the production, he started getting anxious after weeks went by without any feedback or concern from the studio.
To discuss this situation, he reached out to his manager and asked if the studio had expressed any reservations about his performance. “Has no one called from the studio to complain or say, ‘Hey, what’s he doing?’ or ‘Hey, he’s freaking us out?'” he said, as per IMDb.
However, when his manager told him that there were no such issues, the Pirates of the Caribbean star got even more worried. “Christ, I’m not doing enough! Something’s wrong!” he said. So, when the studio executives visited the film set, he took it upon himself and asked for their feedback.
“I just had to know,” he said, explaining that he directly asked the executives who among them started feeling uneasy seeing the “dailies.” And Depp was able to feel better after Alan F. Horn, the president of Warner Bors., admitted that he was a bit worried after a brief moment of silence.
What Gene Wilder Had to Say About Johnny Depp’s Willy Wonka?
The late actor Gene Wilder, who initially played the role of Willy Wonka in the 1971 film, took Tim Burton’s take on the story as an “insult.” Although he claimed that Johnny Depp was a good actor, he candidly stated his issues with the filmmaker, saying (as per The 92nd Street Y),
“I think it’s an insult. And it’s probably Warner Bros.’ insult. I like Warner Bros. for other reasons, but to do that with Johnny Depp –- who I think is a good actor, and I like him –- but I don’t care for that director. And he’s a talented man, but I don’t care for him for doing stuff like he did.”
While it is unclear why the actor called the movie an “insult” to Warner Bros., it is believed to be due to Depp’s casting in the movie. The studio and the filmmaker mutually agreed on his casting, allegedly as the actor-director duo has given hits like Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands.
However, despite his reservations, the film was a critical and commercial success and grossed over $474 million at the box office. After Depp, the 27-year-old actor Timothee Chalamet is set to bring Willy Wonka back to life in the upcoming film Wonka.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are available on Max.
Wonka is set to release on 8 December 2023.
