It’s been 21 years since Freddie Highmore’s Charlie Bucket found that Golden Ticket.

Where is the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cast now? See the stars of Tim Burton’s whimsical hit 21 years later

It’s been 21 years since Freddie Highmore’s Charlie Bucket found that Golden Ticket.

and Kevin Jacobsen

July 14, 2026 7:00 p.m. ET

James Fox as Mr. Salt, Adam Godley as Mr. Teavee, Jordan Fry as Mike Teavee, Missi Plye as Mrs. Beauregarde, AnnaSophia Robb as Violet Beauregarde, Julia Winter as Veruca Salt, David Kelly as Grandpa Joe, Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket, and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Credit:

Warner Brothers/Courtesy Everett Collection

Since it was first published in 1964, Roald Dahl’s *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* has inspired various adaptations across film, television, and video games. Movie lovers long associated the story of the impoverished Charlie Bucket winning a chance to tour the enigmatic Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory with the 1971 musical adaptation starring Gene Wilder, but Tim Burton offered a new take on the story in 2005.

Burton put his signature dark spin on *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, presenting an oddly unsettling Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Adorned with scrumptious production design, the fantasy comedy became one of the highest-grossing films of 2005 and has since found a devoted following among Gen Z. It also helped boost Freddie Highmore’s career thanks to his lovable performance as Charlie Bucket.

Nearly two decades later, Timothée Chalamet put his stamp on Willy Wonka in the 2023 musical prequel *Wonka*, and an animated adaptation is slated to arrive on Netflix in 2027. But for those who will always have a special place in their hearts for Burton’s 2005 version, we’re looking at where its main cast members are now, 21 years after the film’s theatrical release.

Johnny Depp (Willy Wonka)

Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Johnny Depp attends the opening night screening of ‘HWJN’ at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 on Nov. 30, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Getty; Everett Collection

It was no surprise that Tim Burton would turn to Johnny Depp to play another eccentric character with a wild wardrobe in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. The pair first collaborated on Burton’s *Edward Scissorhands* in 1990, and Depp returned to work with the director on *Ed Wood* (1994) and *Sleepy Hollow* (1999).

To play the charming chocolatier, Depp had a milky-white complexion and wore a top hat over a chestnut Prince Valiant bob, a tailored suede jacket, a candy-filled walking stick, and purple latex gloves. It’s an unforgettable costume, but the actor had hoped to push the character’s look even further. “What I was really excited about was a long nose,” Depp told EW in 2005. “I brought it up with Tim, and he was like, ‘Hang on, hang on. A prosthetic nose? Come on!’”

Following *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, Depp continued to perform outrageous characters in more Burton films, including *Corpse Bride *(2005), *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (2007), *Alice in Wonderland *(2010), and *Dark Shadows* (2012). He also spent more than a decade in the *Pirates of the Caribbean *series, playing dissolute pirate hero Jack Sparrow in five films spanning 2003 to 2017. Depp has been nominated for an Academy Award three times, for *Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl *(2003),* Finding Neverland* (2004), and Burton’s *Sweeney Todd.*

Depp’s 2015 marriage to actress Amber Heard ended in divorce in 2017 and led to highly publicized legal disputes that were ultimately settled in 2022. He exited the *Fantastic Beasts* franchise, in which he played Gellert Grindelwald, after Warner Bros. asked him to step down following his loss in a 2020 U.K. libel case stemming from abuse allegations made by Heard.

Since then, he has starred in and produced the historical drama *Jeanne du Barry* (2023), directed the biographical film *Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness* (2024) about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, and is set to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West’s *Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol*, slated for release in November 2026.

The actor has two children from his previous relationship with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis: daughter Lily-Rose Depp and son Jack.

Freddie Highmore (Charlie Bucket)

Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Freddie Highmore arrives to the 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on Sept. 12, 2022.

Getty; Everett Collection

Plucky young Charlie Bucket was played by Freddie Highmore, who has transitioned from child performer roles into a successful television career.

At age 12, Highmore’s breakthrough role was in the 2004 Johnny Depp film *Finding Neverland.* Depp was impressed with Highmore’s performance and recommended him to Tim Burton for the role of Charlie.

Highmore enjoyed working with Depp on both films, telling *Access Daily* in 2020, “He never felt like a ‘star,’ as such. He didn’t behave like one. I think when you start off as a kid acting, you don’t get caught up in the madness of it. It just feels like a nice group of people that you get to go in and hang out with every day.”

Highmore continued to work in films like *August Rush* (2007) and *The Spiderwick Chronicles* (2008) for several more years before attending Emmanuel College from 2010 to 2014. He studied Spanish and Arabic, developed an interest in finance, and considered becoming a lawyer before making the choice to return to acting.

Since his return, Highmore has headlined two successful television shows. His first was *Bates Motel*, a highly acclaimed prequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s *Psycho* (1960) that ran for five seasons. In 2017, he began leading the ABC medical drama *The Good Doctor*, earning a Golden Globe nomination in the process. The series ended in 2024 after seven seasons. He also plays the son of the titular character on *The Assassin* and has provided the voice of Teto for an episode of *Star Wars: Visions*.

Highmore married web designer Klarissa Munz in 2021.

David Kelly (Grandpa Joe)

David Kelly as Grandpa Joe in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; David Kelly at the ‘Mean Machine’ movie premiere held at the Odeon Cinema in Kensington, London, in 2001.

Getty; Everett Collection

Charlie’s devoted Grandpa Joe was played by Irish actor David Kelly, who was known for his work on British television, such as the 1970s sitcom *Robin’s Nest* and his scene-stealing turn as the builder Mr. O’Reilly on the classic comedy *Fawlty Towers.*

*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* was one of Kelly’s last films. His final screen performance was the 2007 fantasy adventure *Stardust**,* alongside Charlie Cox and Robert De Niro.

Kelly was married to actress Laurie Morton and had two children, David and Miriam. He died in 2012 at age 82.

Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Bucket)

Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Bucket in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Helena Bonham Carter attends a special screening of ‘One Life’ at Picturehouse Central on Nov. 30, 2023, in London.

Getty; Everett Collection

Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Charlie’s resilient and optimistic mother, has long been one of Tim Burton’s most frequent collaborators.

Bonham Carter began a relationship with Burton in 2001 and appeared in his film *Big Fish* in 2003. She went on to collaborate with *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* costar Johnny Depp in several Burton films, including *Corpse Bride* (2005), *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street* (2007), *Alice in Wonderland* (2010), and *Dark Shadows* (2012).

Following *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, Bonham Carter played the witch Bellatrix Lestrange in the *Harry Potter* film series from 2007 to 2011. She also appeared in the heist film *Ocean’s 8* (2018) and stars alongside Millie Bobby Brown in Netflix’s *Enola Holmes* film series.

Bonham Carter received two Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Princess Margaret in seasons 3 and 4 of *The Crown*. She also has two Academy Award nominations, for *The Wings of the Dove* (1997) and *The King’s Speech* (2010).

Her relationship with Burton ended in 2014, though the two have remained amicable. They share a son, Billy, and a daughter, Nell. In 2018, Bonham Carter began a relationship with art historian Rye Dag Holmboe.

Noah Taylor (Mr. Bucket)

Noah Taylor as Mr. Bucket in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Noah Taylor attends the world premiere of ‘Free Fire’ during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival at Ryerson Theatre on Sept. 7, 2016, in Toronto, Canada.

Getty; Everett Collection

Noah Taylor took on the role of Charlie’s father, Mr. Bucket, who struggles to provide for his family after being laid off from his job at the toothpaste factory.

Since *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, Taylor has built a steady television career, with notable roles in several sci-fi and fantasy series. He appeared as Locke in the third and fourth seasons of *Game of Thrones* and played Hitler for a second time on AMC’s *Preacher *(see also 2002’s *Max*)*. *The actor also had a supporting role in *Peaky Blinders *as Mob boss Darby Sabini.

In 2023, he appeared in season 2 of the Apple TV series *Foundation* and recurred on the Nat Geo miniseries *A Small Light. *He starred in the 2024 miniseries *Thou Shalt Not Steal *and will play Cyrus in the upcoming season 3 of *Wednesday** *(another Tim Burton collaboration).

Taylor married Australian fashion designer Dionne Harris in 2012.

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Missi Pyle (Mrs. Beauregarde)

Missi Pyle as Mrs. Beauregarde in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Missi Pyle attends the 3rd annual Legacy Ball at SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills on Oct. 14, 2023, in Los Angeles, Calif.

Getty; Everett Collection

Missi Pyle played the overly supportive stage mom to gum-chewing champion Violet Beauregarde, who balloons into a blueberry.

After *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, Pyle briefly pursued a country music career, teaming with actress Shawnee Smith as the duo Smith & Pyle. The band broke up in 2011. She then appeared in the Oscar-winning film *The Artist* (2011) and the 2014 psychological thriller *Gone Girl*, as well as on the Comedy Central series *Another Period* and in season 2 of *Dirty John*.

Pyle has voiced several characters on *The Great North*, popped up in a 2026 episode of *9-1-1: Nashville*, and played Horny Divorcee in the *Drag Race* franchise’s *Stop! That! Train!* (2026).

Pyle was married to author Antonio Sacre from 2000 to 2005. She later wed naturalist Casey Anderson in 2008. They divorced in 2012. She has an adopted daughter, Zooey, born in 2015.

James Fox (Mr. Salt)

James Fox as Mr. Salt in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; James Fox attends the afterparty for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical ‘Stephan Ward’ at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel on Dec. 19, 2013, in London, England.

Getty; Everett Collection

James Fox played Mr. Salt, another unwise parent who spoils his daughter, Veruca, and follows her down the garbage chute.

Fox’s credits date back to the 1960s. Following *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, he played Sir Thomas Rotheram in *Sherlock Holmes *(2009) and appeared in many British dramas like *Midsomer Murders*, *Death in Paradise*, and *Downton Abbey**.*

Fox married Mary Elizabeth Piper in 1973, and they remained together until her death in 2020. They shared five children: four sons (Robin, Thomas, Laurence, and Jack) and a daughter, Lydia.

Deep Roy (Oompa-Loompas)

Deep Roy as an Oompa-Loompa in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Deep Roy attends the 2023 Burbank International Film Festival at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center on Sept. 24, 2023, in Burbank, Calif.

Getty; Everett Collection

Kenyan-British actor, puppeteer, and stuntman Deep Roy played all of the dancing Oompa-Loompas in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*.

Tim Burton originally hired him to play five Oompa-Loompas, but the role got bigger. Roy told EW in 2005: “Five Oompas quickly turned into 165 — and they’re not computerized; I did each one individually myself. For example, there are 21 Oompas in the foreground during the first song, and as I acted out each one, we’d bring in professional dancers [as stand-ins] because I couldn’t do all 21 at the same time.”

After *Charlie*, Roy played Keenser in all three *Star Trek* reboot films — *Star Trek* (2009), *Star Trek: Into Darkness *(2013), and *Star Trek Beyond* (2016) — and delivered one of the funniest supporting performances of all time in season 2 of HBO’s *Eastbound & Down*.

Roy married Millie Farris in 2014.

Christopher Lee (Dr. Wonka)

Christopher Lee as Dr. Wonka in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Christopher Lee poses during the Bangkok International Film Festival at Siam Paragon Festival Venue on Feb. 20, 2006, in Bangkok.

Getty; Everett Collection

Christopher Lee appeared in more than 200 films over his six-decade career and was best known for playing villainous characters, including Saruman the White in the *Lord of the Rings* (2001–2003) and *The Hobbit* trilogies (2012–2014). Willy’s candy-despising dentist dad in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* isn’t quite the same as Count Dracula (whom Lee played seven times), but Dr. Wonka is the closest this film gets to an antagonist.

Lee appeared in four other Tim Burton films as well: *Sleepy Hollow*, *Corpse Bride*, *Alice in Wonderland*, and a brief cameo in *Dark Shadows*.

Lee married Danish painter and former model Birgit “Gitte” Kroncke in 1961. They shared a daughter, Christina. Lee died in 2015 shortly after his 93rd birthday.

AnnaSophia Robb (Violet Beauregarde)

AnnaSophia Robb as Violet Beauregarde in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Anna Sophia Robb attends the 2023 Footwear News Achievement Awards at Cipriani South Street on Nov. 29, 2023, in New York City.

Getty; Everett Collection

AnnaSophia Robb made her film debut in two movies released in 2005; in addition to the super-competitive gum-chewing champion Violet Beauregarde in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*, she starred in the comedy-drama *Because of Winn-Dixie* as Opal. She soon led another adaptation of a well-known children’s novel, *Bridge to Terabithia* (2007).

As she’s grown up, Robb has appeared in many films and TV series, including *Jumper* (2008) and *Race to Witch Mountain* (2009). She played the lead role of young Carrie Bradshaw on the *Sex and the City *prequel *The Carrie Diaries*, and Lacey in the Hulu miniseries *The Act*.

Robb more recently played gangster Meyer Lansky’s daughter, Anne, in the biopic *Lansky* (2021) and starred in the acclaimed action thriller *Rebel Ridge* (2024). She is set to play Sylvester Stallone’s wife, Sasha Czack, in the upcoming biopic *I Play Rocky*.

Robb married Trevor Paul in 2022.

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Adam Godley (Mr. Teavee)

Adam Godley as Mr. Teavee in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’; Adam Godley attends the 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on Feb. 27, 2022, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Getty; Everett Collection

An English actor known for his work on the New York and London stages, Adam Godley made his Broadway debut in 2002 in Noël Coward’s *Private Lives*. He later earned two Tony nominations for the 2011 revival of *Anything Goes *and the play *The Lehman Trilogy*. As for the silver screen, he played small parts in the films *Love Actually* (2003) and *Nanny McPhee* (2005), and his supporting part as the downtrodden Mr. Teavee in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* was one of his most recognizable film roles.

Since *Charlie*, Godley has enjoyed success on television with recurring roles on *Breaking Bad*, *Suits*, and *The Copenhagen Test*. He also appeared in the ensemble cast of Netflix’s *The Umbrella Academy* and had a major role as Catherine the Great’s tradition-bound Archbishop, “Archie,” on the Hulu historical comedy series *The Great*.

Godley lives with his partner, screenwriter Jon Hartmere. Hartmere wrote the book for the 2023 Britney Spears jukebox musical *Once Upon a One More Time*, and Godley appeared in the show’s Broadway production as the narrator.

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