Wonka: Hugh Grant hated the process of playing an Oompa Loompa

Last Updated on December 15, 2023

The new prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka, is getting high praise. The musical is helmed by Paul King, who has been getting acclaim for his work on the Paddington movies. Our own Chris Bumbray enjoyed the film more than he initially thought he would in his review, “I think Wonka is a great family movie for the holidays. While some may mock it as twee, everyone involved has their hearts in the right place. The fact that something so boldly sentimental and sweet still gets made is remarkable in our cynical age, so I give Wonka a big recommendation for that alone.”

Among the wonder and the excitement of the film, Hugh Grant is somewhat bah-humbugging about his experience playing an Oompa Loompa. Grant is a newcomer to special effects acting, and his time with motion capture seems to have taken a toll on him. Grant told Metro.co.uk that his experience filming the movie was “drivel.” He relayed how it felt to have multiple cameras pointed at his face with the motion capture tools applied to him, “It was like a crown of thorns, very uncomfortable. I made a big fuss about it. I couldn’t have hated the whole thing more.”

Grant’s performance was quite confused as well since the actor said he wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to “act with my body or not, and I never received a satisfactory answer. And frankly, what I did with my body was terrible, and it’s all been replaced with an animator.” Grant was asked if it was worth it when he finally saw the final product, and he responded, “Not really.” This was met with laughs among his co-stars and the press. When he was also inquired if the dancing aspect was fun for him, he replied, “It should be fun, but that was done by the animator. It’s very confusing, with CGI now, you can’t tell what’s going on.” Finally, Grant would joke, “I slightly hate [making films] but I have lots of children and need money.” He wasn’t all negative as he also pointed out that it was still “quite fun, messing around and trying new lines.”

If it seems like a hassle for director Paul King to hire Grant for such a role, it was all by King’s design. He describes Grant as “the funniest, most sarcastic s**t I’ve ever met.”