Willy Wonka: Which actor played him best?

The beloved children’s story, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ was written by British author Roald Dahl in 1964. The story was first developed into a musical feature film in 1971.

American actor Gene Wilder was perfectly cast in the original musical film from 1971. His memorable performance brought the quirky chocolatier to life through song.

The original film strayed from Dahl’s vision and only grossed a disappointing 4 million dollars at the box-office. Despite its early struggles, the film gained popularity and reached cult classic status.

With Tim Burton as director, the 2005 adaptation of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ saw Johnny Depp tackle the unusual character.

As with many of his film roles, Johnny Depp immersed himself in his character. While doing press for the film, he shared that the inspiration for his portrayal of ‘Wonka’ was the hosts of children’s shows of his youth.

Depp has shared in interviews that the higher pitched voice he used for the character was inspired by what he thought President George W. Bush might sound like under the influence of drugs.

Unlike the first film adaptation, Tim Burton’s film was a smash hit at the box-office and received high critical acclaim. Depp was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role.

Current Hollywood darling, Timothée Chalamet, was cast in the lead role of ‘Wonka,’ the 3rd film adaptation.

The musical origin story features ‘Willy Wonka’ in his younger days as an aspiring inventor and chocolatier.

Like Johnny Depp, Timothee Chalamet has already been nominated for a Golden Globe award for ‘Best Actor - Musical or Comedy.’ With three film versions to choose from, it is hard to say which Wonka is the one to watch.