Oompa Loompa, Doompety Done: Actor takes final bow

An original Oompa Loompa actor from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory has retired after reprising the role one final time.

Rusty Goffe began his film career in the Gene Wilder movie, before later appearing in the original Star Wars, the Harry Potter films and Doctor Who.

Last year, Netflix flew the 77-year-old from his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, to Brisbane, Australia, where he once again donned a green wig and overalls for the TV competition Wonka's The Golden Ticket.

He said: "I started on Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and now Wonka's The Golden Ticket is my swan song. I've just ended my career on Willy Wonka. Isn't that wonderful?"

The 1971 film was the first screen adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, written by Roald Dahl at his home in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.

It followed Charlie Bucket, a child who is one of five winners who find "golden tickets" inside a Wonka bar and are invited to tour the mysterious chocolate factory run by the eccentric Willy Wonka.

Filmed mainly in Munich, Germany, it featured 10 actors of restricted growth who played the Oompa Loompas - the factory's workers.

Netflix bought the rights to Dahl's children's books from the author's family in 2021. Its new competition series sees 12 pairs of contestants compete for a cash prize inside a chocolate factory inspired by the original film.

Johnny Depp played Wonka in director Tim Burton's 2005 version of the story, while Timothée Chalamet played him in 2023's "origin" movie, directed by Paul King.

Goffe said returning to the world of Wonka more than half a century later felt "very surreal", although some things had changed.

He said: "Fifty-five years ago, the costumer thought every little guy had the same size head with the same size wigs, so they pull it on, rake it on, glue it, whatever to make it stay on.

"This time, they done their homework and the wigs were handmade, fitted just like a hat."

There were other improvements too. The orange make-up could now be washed off with soap and water, the shoes were more comfortable and the chocolate river was no longer full of cigarette ends discarded by crew members.

Goffe is not the only member of the original cast to feature in the series. Willy Wonka actor Gene Wilder "narrates" the show, explaining the various games to contestants.

The actor died in 2016, but his voice has been recreated using AI, which has received some criticism, despite producers obtaining the consent of his estate and approval of his widow Karen B Wilder.

Goffe described hearing his former co-star's voice on set as "magical".

"I thought, sometimes, he was on the set behind me," he said.

"It was perfect, because he is Willy Wonka, he really is. Working with him was excellent. He was a lovely guy. Nice, kind, funny. He was brilliant.

"Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka. There's no other person that could do it."

The other Oompa Loompas on the Netflix set were new to the production and included performers of different genders and heights.

Among them was his son, Ben Goffe, who has performed in Shakespeare in London's West End and has been working on a major film project in Spain.

Having grown up watching the 1971 classic on video and DVD, Ben jumped at the opportunity to travel to Brisbane and perform alongside his father.

Rusty described watching his son step on to the set in full costume as an emotional moment.

He said: "I was so proud to have him next to me in Willy Wonka... my hero was with me."

Despite appearing in many iconic films across his career, Rusty insists that none of them compare and "Wonka is magical".

He continues to attend conventions around the world to meet fans of the original film.

He said: "I've had a great career, the majority of it has been Willy Wonka."

When asked directly if this series was his final bow, he laughed: "I think so, unless someone offers me a few bob to go back and do something else."

Wonka's The Golden Ticket premieres on Netflix this week, with a two-part finale scheduled for 30 September.

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