Hugh Grant Says Playing Oompa Loompa In Wonka Was Very Uncomfortable: “I Made A Big Fuss About It”

Hollywood star Hugh Grant will soon be seen as Oompa Loompa in Paul King’s Wonka, which features American-French actor Timothee Chalamet in the titular role. The musical fantasy chronicles the origin story of candy maker Willy Wonka, a character who was first introduced in 1964 by Roald Dahl in the children’s novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and has most famously been portrayed on-screen by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). In the 1971 film starring Wilder, the factory had many workers with orange skin and green hair; Grant’s appearance takes inspiration from the same in the upcoming film.

Grant’s character in Wonka was filmed using too many cameras and other tools for animators to animate his movements, which, the 63-year-old said, was awful and miserable. And, just when he thought it was all over, he was called in again after two months to perform the laborious task all over again. The celebrated actor also added that, while going through the entire process was awkward and confusing, he didn’t even feel it was worth it after watching the film.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Hugh Grant went candid about taking on the challenging and arduous role of Oompa Loompa and revealed that it was a “crown of thorns” and “very uncomfortable.” “Frankly, what I did with my body was terrible, and it’s all been replaced with an animator. [The dance sequence] should be fun, but that was done by the animator. It’s very confusing; with CGI now, you can’t tell what’s going on… I slightly hate [making films], but I have lots of children and need money,” he said.

It’s fascinating how Grant despised playing the role of Oompa Loompa since he was director Paul King’s first and only choice for the mysterious character. The filmmaker had earlier revealed that Hugh’s knack for playing grumpy old men makes him best suited to play the small-sized being in Wonka.

Hugh Grant’s appearance as Oompa Loompa has been mired in controversies ever since the first Wonka trailer dropped, which is partly due to the alleged racist and offensive depiction of the small creatures in Dahl’s novel. Moreover, many also highlighted the veteran actor’s casting in the film as Oompa Loompa is a loss of opportunity for budding actors with dwarfism in Hollywood. Notably, in both the 1971 and 2005 films, the Oompa Loompas were played by dwarf actors.

Wonka had its world premiere in London, at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, on 28 November 2023. The film will be released in the US on 15 December 2023.

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