Timothée Chalamet has revealed that he didn’t ask Johnny Depp for advice on playing Willy Wonka ahead of his hotly anticipated film, Wonka.
The Oscar nominee stars as the famous sweet-maker in a new musical movie exploring the origins of the Roald Dahl character.
The character was most recently played by Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s 2005 remake, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
Yet, the 27-year-old, who has been previously linked with Depp’s daughter Lily-Rose Depp, revealed that he didn't ask the American star for advice on how to portray the iconic role.
He told E! at Wonka world premiere in London: “[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory] came out when I was about 10 or 11 years old. And I just thought it was very bold.”
In the same breath, the Dune star shared his love for the original 1971 musical adaptation of the classic novel, starring Gene Wilder, admitting it was the one he “saw first” and “grew up on”.
Chalamet has previously acknowledged Depp’s take on Wonka at a fan event in Japan.
According to Variety, he shared: “If you would’ve told me when I was 12 years old watching the Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka that I’d get to be here in Tokyo promoting this movie as Willy Wonka, standing next to Hugh Grant, I would’ve told you you were lying.”
The movie tells the story of Willy Wonka, focusing on how he went from being a young boy with big dreams to the world-famous king of candy, and exists as a prequel to Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Chalamet is joined on screen by a star-studded cast, including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, Matt Lucas, Keegan-Michael Key and others.
Directed by the man behind Paddington, Paul King, the movie promises to be a heartwarming affair that will add cheer to the Christmas countdown.
Wonka will be released in cinemas on December 8.
