Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” makes a brief cameo in Netflix game show “Wonka’s The Golden Ticket,” his first on-screen return to the franchise in 55 years.
Contestants in the series earn golden tickets to compete in challenges inside a chocolate factory-inspired setting. Showrunner Emer Harkin told Tudum Ostrum’s participation was meaningful to the team, describing it as a blessing for the project.
Ostrum was 12 when the 1971 film premiered and left acting soon afterward for a career in veterinary medicine. He turned down a three-film contract; in a 2023 interview, he said not knowing what roles he might be offered made him uneasy.
