‘Willy Wonka’: Veruca Salt Actor Admits She Channeled Her ‘Darker Side’ for Her Iconic Role
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of the most beloved and enduring films of all time. Based on the children’s fantasy novel by Roald Dahl, the movie was released in 1971 but remains as popular as the day it was first released.
The film featured a star-studded cast, including Gene Wilder in the title role of Willy Wonka. For the actors who portrayed the children touring Willy Wonka’s mysterious factory, filming was a life-changing event. And in a June 2021 NPR report, the actor who portrayed spoiled Veruca Salt opened up about how she was able to bring such a despicable character to life.
What did Julie Dawn Cole say about playing Veruca Salt?
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory included a large ensemble cast of young actors, including Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt. The character of Veruca is an intensely spoiled rich girl, used to getting everything she wants—a quality which ultimately proves to be her undoing.
In a June 2021 NPR feature, Cole discussed her role as Veruca. As to how she was able to accurately portray such a spoiled child, Cole said, “Well, I think we’ve all got inner demons, haven’t we? So, yeah, I was channeling my darker side that isn’t allowed out very often.”
Cole also talked about the wondrous experience of filming Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, admitting: “The sets were so wonderful and it wasn’t computer generated, as it would be now. No CGI. And, you know, the chocolate room and the river and the inventing room — I really liked the inventing room. There was so much going on there. It was such fun – the goose room, you know, stuff all over the place.”
Is Julie Dawn Cole still acting today?
While many child actors are groomed from birth for a career in the spotlight, Cole’s very first movie role was in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She was only 12 when she was cast in the film, and the character of Veruca would go on to define her acting career. In the years following her big break, Cole acted in TV shows such as And Mother Makes Three and Within These Walls.
Throughout the ’70s and into the ’80s, Cole continued acting, lending her voice to a variety of radio broadcasts, according to IMDb. While Cole took a step back from acting in the 2000s, she still appeared in a few projects from time to time – including, most recently, acting in the British television drama Holby City. In 2016, Cole published a book titled I Want It Now!, a memoir detailing her memories of filming Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Julie Dawn Cole describes filming ‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’ as ‘magic’
Cole experienced a lot of success after her sudden rise to fame in 1971. However, the actor and psychotherapist fondly recall her days filming Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as one of the defining experiences in her life. In the NPR report, Cole noted, “It did have a magic. It’s hard for us to say because, you know, we grew up with it. So, we don’t know the difference. But yeah, it does — it’s not lost on us. And of course, we get it vicariously when we meet people.”
She also praised the legendary Wilder, saying that he was “lovely,” and incredibly patient, especially considering that he had a handful of rambunctious child actors keeping him busy in between takes. Ultimately, Cole will always be associated with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a comedy classic that has defined many a childhood.
