Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp potrays Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Before Tim Burton was involved with the film, Warner Bros. considered many actors for the role of Willy Wonka, such as Ben Stiller, Mike Myers, John Cleese, Patrick Stewart and Will Smith, who all expressed interest in playing the character. However, when Burton became involved, his first choice for Wonka was Johnny Depp. Depp accepted the role without having read the script. Instead, he decided to have a completely different approach to the character than what Gene Wilder did in the 1971 film.

Depp's portrayal of Willy Wonka was derived from children's television show hosts and various other game show hosts. Depp also based Wonka's look on the Vogue magazine editor, Anna Wintour, and sported an over-exaggerated bob cut and sunglasses.