Michael Böllner
Michael Böllner | |
|---|---|
 Böllner in 2011 | |
| Born | September 14, 1958[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, tax accountant |
| Known for | Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory |
Michael Böllner (born September 14, 1958) is a German former child actor known for playing Augustus Gloop in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Life and career
Böllner grew up in Munich, West Germany, where he was cast for Willy Wonka and where many scenes in the movie were filmed.[2][3] He was the only one of the five main child actors to be German, and did not speak much English at the time of filming.[2][4] After Willy Wonka was completed, Böllner had a few minor roles on German television, but his father decided that education should be a priority.[5][6] He subsequently gave up acting and became a tax accountant in Munich.[5][7] By 2005, Böllner had been married and divorced.[8]
With Willy Wonka being rarely shown in Germany, Böllner was unaware of the cultural impact the film had until the mid-1990s, when the cast reconnected for the first time.[9] Other cast members got in touch with Böllner by placing an advertisement in a German newspaper that read "Augustus, Show a Sign".[9] Böllner has since regularly appeared with other cast members at fan conventions.[10] Following the 2016 death of co-star Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka, Böllner expressed regret that he had not talked with him more as an adult after his English improved.[4]
Böllner to date has not had any film roles besides Willy Wonka. He most recently appeared as himself in a TV show called Bizarre Transmissions from the Bermuda Triangle, which aired in 2015.[11][12]
In 2023, after publishers removed the term "fat" to describe Augustus Gloop in the Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book on which Willy Wonka was based, Böllner publicly defended the original text and called the change unnecessary.[13]
References
- ^ "Michael Böllner: Movies, TV, and Bio". Amazon.com. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b "The stars of 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' look back as the film turns 50". WBAL (Associated Press). 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (2016-05-13). "In search of the perfect Willy Wonka". BFI. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b Evans, Patrick (2016-08-30). "Wonka kids pay tribute to Gene Wilder". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b Stuart, Mel; Young, Josh (2001). Pure Imagination. St. Martin's Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-5-559-10649-6. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Bland, Simon; Arnold, Ben (7 December 2023). "What happened to the kids from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?". Yahoo Movies. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Torgovnick, Kate (2010-01-13). "What happened to the 'Willy Wonka' kids?". CNN.com. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Sweet Memories – Vol. 64 No. 5". People. 2005-08-01. Archived from the original on 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ a b Juneau, Jen (2021-06-29). "Original Willy Wonka Cast Reunites After 50 Years: We 'Kept a Couple of Golden Tickets!'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Reed, Ryan (2015-11-11). "Watch 'Willy Wonka' Cast Reunite for Film's 44th Anniversary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
- ^ Bianco, Julia (2017-08-14). "What The Willy Wonka Kids Look Like Today". Looper. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ "Michael Böllner". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
- ^ Revoir, Paul; Hyde, Rob (2023-02-21). "Roald Dahl controversy: Augustus Gloop actor Michael Bollner defends author's story amid censorship row". PerthNow. Retrieved 2024-02-15.