16 Facts About Peter Ostrum

Peter 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.

Peter Ostrum received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984, and retired by late 2023.

Peter Gardner Ostrum was born in Dallas on November 1,1957, to Dean Gardner Ostrum and Sarepta Mabel.

The agents took Polaroid photos of Peter Ostrum and recorded him reading from the original novel, then returned to New York.

Two months later, Peter Ostrum was called to New York for a screen test where he sang "My Country, 'Tis of Thee", and a month after that, he was contacted and given ten days to prepare to leave for filming.

Peter Ostrum had none of the obvious technique, tricks, or affectations of the kind that TV kid actors had, and continue to have.

Peter Ostrum was genuine, and his sincerity as a person shines through in his performance.

Peter Ostrum was an extremely intelligent kid, who was both self-aware and skilled at what he was doing.

In 2000, Peter Ostrum recalled that shooting Willy Wonka in Munich was "sort of like being an exchange student for five months".

The bond that developed between the two actors was such that, even though they never saw each other again after filming Willy Wonka, Peter Ostrum described Wilder's 2016 death as "like losing a parent"; in the 2023 documentary Remembering Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum remembered Wilder being fun to work with, and not speaking down to the child actors.

For some time, Peter Ostrum even lied and told people that his brother, and not he, had starred in the film.

The students chiefly ask about the film's special effects, and Peter 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".

In January 2009, Peter Ostrum teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts to hand out free rides on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority at South Station in Boston; Peter Ostrum's participation connected the MBTA's CharlieCards he was handing out with his portrayal of Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka.

Peter Ostrum contemplated a return to Hollywood, and even visited California for a week to "test the waters" there.

Peter Ostrum ultimately decided to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine instead, feeling that he would forever berate himself if he did not.

In 1984, Peter Ostrum received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.