Peter Gardner Ostrum (; born November 1, 1957) is an American veterinarian and former child actor, whose only film role was as Charlie Bucket in the 1971 motion picture ''

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...

''. Ostrum was 12 years old when selected by talent agents for ''Willy Wonka''. Though he enjoyed the experience of shooting the film, he opted not to sign a three-film contract when it was over. After eschewing a career in film and theater, Ostrum became reluctant to speak about his one starring role. In 1990, he began an annual tradition of speaking to schoolchildren about the film, and he became a subject of interest again when the 2005 film ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' was released to theaters. Ostrum became interested in his family's horses when he returned from shooting ''Willy Wonka'', and was particularly influenced by the veterinarian who tended to them. He received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University is a college of veterinary medicine at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1894, it is the first statutory college established by the State University of New York ...

in 1984. , Ostrum practiced and lived in

Glenfield, New York Glenfield is a hamlet in the town of Martinsburg, Lewis County, New York, United States. The community is located in the southeast corner of Martinsburg, along the Black River and New York State Route 12, southeast of Lowville. Glenfield has a ...

with his wife Loretta (), having raised two children.

Personal life

Peter Gardner Ostrum was born in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

on November 1, 1957, to Dean Gardner Ostrum (1922–2014) and Sarepta Mabel (; 1922–2021). He is the youngest of four children. Ostrum was living in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

at age twelve—a city of which he was described as a native by

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...

, and later attended North Hunterdon Regional High School in

Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 128,947, making it the state's 18th-most populous county, Ostrum married Loretta M. Lepkowski in . The couple have two children, Helenka and Leif, with the latter following his father onto the stage as the leading actor in several

South Lewis Central School South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

musicals. Ostrum and his wife lived in

as recently as 2021.

''Willy Wonka''

Ostrum was in the sixth grade and performing at the

Cleveland Play House Cleveland Play House (CPH) is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1915 and built its own noted theater complex in 1927. Currently the company performs at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square whe ...

children's theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

, when he was noticed by

talent agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, and other professionals in various entertainment or sport ...

s who were searching nationwide for an actor to portray Charlie Bucket in ''

''. The agents took Polaroid photos of Ostrum and recorded him reading from the original novel, then returned to New York. Two months later Ostrum was called to New York for a

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

where he sang "

My Country, 'Tis of Thee "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)" is an American patriotic song, the lyrics of which were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The song served as one of the ''de facto'' national anthems of the United States (along with songs like "Hail, Columb ...

", and a month after that he was contacted and given ten days to prepare to leave for filming. Ostrum left for

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

on August 10, 1970. In 2000, Ostrum recalled that shooting ''Willy Wonka'' in Munich was "sort of like being an exchange student for five months". Fond memories of his five months in West Germany included watching the construction of

Olympiapark The Olympiapark (English: Olympic Park) in Munich, Germany, is an Olympic Park which was constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics. Located in the Oberwiesenfeld neighborhood of Munich, the Park continues to serve as a venue for cultural, social, ...

, for the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

, and working with

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

and

Jack Albertson Harold Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981), known professionally as Jack Albertson, was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in variety. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor. For his perfor ...

. As Ostrum had not worked in film before, Wilder took it upon himself to instruct the young actor in the business. Ostrum would later describe Wilder as a quirky yet gentle gentleman who "treated people with respect and dignity." The bond that developed between the two actors was such that, even though they never saw each other again after filming ''Wonka'', Ostrum described Wilder's 2016 death as "like losing a parent". Ostrum was

tutor TUTOR, also known as PLATO Author Language, is a programming language developed for use on the PLATO system at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign beginning in roughly 1965. TUTOR was initially designed by Paul Tenczar for use in co ...

ed on-set for three hours a day, though sometimes only for 30–60 minutes at a time. Though in his audition he had been assured that his singing would probably be cut and dubbed, it was Ostrum's own singing voice that made it to the screen—albeit significantly cut. In a 2011 interview, Ostrum told the story of how director

Mel Stuart Mel Stuart (born Stuart Solomon; September 2, 1928 – August 9, 2012) was an American film director and producer who often worked with producer David L. Wolper, at whose production firm he worked for 17 years, before going freelance. Ea ...

gave him a

clapperboard A clapperboard (also known by various other names including dumb slate) is a device used in filmmaking and video production to assist in synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark the various scenes and takes as they are fi ...

from the film, and later on asked him how he got it because he had forgotten that he had done so; it is Ostrum's only souvenir from the set. After he finished shooting ''Willy Wonka'', the then 13-year-old Ostrum declined

David L. Wolper David Lloyd Wolper (January 11, 1928 – August 10, 2010) was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as ''Roots'', '' The Thorn Birds'', and ''North and South'', and the theatrically-released films ''L.A. Confiden ...

's offer of a three-film contract. The teenager confided in Frawley Becker, his ''Willy Wonka''

dialogue coach A dialect coach is an acting coach who helps an actor design the voice and speech of a character in the context of an on-camera (film, television or commercial), stage (theatre, musical theatre, opera, etc.), radio or animation voiceover production. ...

, that he turned down the contract to retain "the freedom to choose what he played, and in what picture." (Ostrum and Becker remained friends through at least 1996.) In January 2018, Ostrum said he sometimes misses acting—though not its hurry-up-and-wait nature—but feels he dodged having to make the transition from child- to adult-actor. , Ostrum still received US$8–9 (equivalent to $– in ) of

royalty payment A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

s about every three months.

Lasting effect

In his senior year, Ostrum was involved in film class and, at the interest of one of his instructors, looked back into theater and acting. After auditioning for, but not landing, several roles (including for Alan Strang in ''Equus'' on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

), Ostrum decided not to pursue it further. After putting his short film career behind him, Ostrum declined reporters and interviews, preferring not to speak on the subject; "I wanted people to judge me on who I was, not what I’d done". For some time, Ostrum even lied and told people that his brother, and not he, had starred in the film. It took Ostrum years after moving to Lowville before he told anybody there about his one-time stardom; even his wife Loretta did not know about his role until he warned her about it just before she met his mother. Since 1990, Ostrum has spoken to students at Lowville Academy once a year—on the last day of school, as a special treat—about his experience in ''Willy Wonka'' as well as his work in veterinary medicine. The students chiefly ask about the film's special effects, and Ostrum describes to them "what happened to Veruca, how did Violet blow up like a blueberry, how did Charlie fly with Grandpa Joe, all those types of questions." Ostrum also accepted an invitation to appear at the 2018 Snowtown Film Festival in

Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by the ...

, answering audience questions after a screening of the film; "it’s in my backyard—it's become a popular event in January and I like to support local events." Ostrum said of the 2018 event that he enjoyed re-watching the film, and that people ask him "great questions." Ostrum has been called "the most famous man in Lowville", where the local

video rental shop A video rental shop/store is a physical retail business that rents home videos such as movies, prerecorded TV shows, video game discs and other media content. Typically, a rental shop conducts business with customers under conditions and terms ...

twice wore out its VHS copy of ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. In the run-up to the release of ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' in 2005, Ostrum garnered a spate of attention that included seeing the film in New York City with

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

as well as being included in VH1's list of "100 Greatest Kid Stars" (at 78th). On the new film, Ostrum quoted fellow ''Wonka'' actor

Julie Dawn Cole Julie Dawn Cole (born 26 October 1957) is an English actress. She began her career as a child performer in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'', playing Veruca Salt. Career ''Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'' Raised in ...

, saying that "It's sort of like going back to a house that you once lived in and it's been redecorated." Ultimately, the media attention was so pervasive that Ostrum stopped answering his phone, and requested "please, no more interviews." In January 2009, Ostrum teamed up with

Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...

to hand out free rides on the

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...

(MBTA) at

South Station South Station, officially The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station, is the largest railroad station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston and New England's second-largest transportation center after Logan In ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

; Ostrum's participation connected the MBTA's

CharlieCard The CharlieCard is a contactless smart card used for fare payment for transportation in the Boston area. It is the primary payment method for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and several regional public transport systems in ...

s he was handing out with his portrayal of Charlie Bucket in ''Willy Wonka''. The promotion also gave out one "golden ticket", worth unlimited rides on MBTA and unlimited Dunkin' Donuts coffee for 2009. In October 2000, Ostrum and some of his co-stars from the film were scheduled to record an audio commentary for a special edition DVD. In a 2010 interview, ''Wonka'' co-star

Denise Nickerson Denise Marie Nickerson (April 1, 1957 – July 10, 2019) was an American child actress. She is best known for her role as Violet Beauregarde in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. She later played Allison on ''The Electric Co ...

(Violet Beauregarde) revealed that Ostrum had agreed to join her and

Paris Themmen Paris Themmen (born June 25, 1959) is an American former actor who started his career as a child actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Teavee in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. After leaving acting, he worked in business as a real ...

(''Wonka'' Mike Teevee) for a reunion commemorating the 40th anniversary of the film's release in 2011.

Veterinary career

Soon after Ostrum returned home from filming ''Willy Wonka'', his family acquired a horse; while the teenaged Ostrum was interested in the horse, it was the animal's veterinarian that left a lasting impression on him. Taking a hiatus from school between high school and college, Ostrum groomed horses and worked at the Delaware Equine Center in Pennsylvania. Ostrum contemplated a return to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, and even visited California for a week to "test the waters" there. He ultimately decided to pursue a degree in

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in animals. Along with this, it deals with animal rearing, husbandry, breeding, research on nutri ...

instead, feeling that he would forever berate himself if he did not. In 1984, Peter Ostrum received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from

. , Ostrum worked in

Lowville, New York Lowville is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 4,888 at the 2020 census,

both as a veterinarian with the Countryside Veterinary Clinic (working mainly with horses and cows) and as a

managing partner A partner in a law firm, accounting firm, consulting firm, or financial firm is a highly ranked position, traditionally indicating co-ownership of a partnership in which the partners were entitled to a share of the profits as "equity partners". The ...

with Dairy Health & Management Services. Ostrum also took part in ''Veterinarians on Call'', a

Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...

-funded video series that highlighted the work of large animal veterinarians.

References

External links

*
Countryside Veterinary Clinic, LLP
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ostrum, Peter 1957 births 20th-century American male actors American male child actors American male film actors American veterinarians Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine alumni living people male actors from Cleveland male actors from Dallas male veterinarians North Hunterdon High School alumni people from Lowville, New York