Timothée Chalamet’s rendition of Willy Wonka for his musical fantasy by the same name is just one in a line of very iconic Wonkas.
Culminating Johnny Depp’s Wonka and Gene Wilder’s Wonka into one character isn’t easy. Chalamet has to balance just the right amount of whimsy, mischief, and slight creepiness into the character’s musical origin story. It’s not necessarily that Chalamet’s the wrong choice, he just may take himself a touch too seriously.
While Chalamet does seem up for the part, here are seven actors who may have been able to do it just as well. Or maybe even better.
Tom Holland
The biggest challenge when it comes to starring in a musical film is the ability to dance. Auto-tune can fix singing, but nothing can fix a bad dancer. Tom Holland has a history in ballet training and clearly has stage presence, as seen in his fabulous lip-synch performance to Rhianna’s “Umbrella.” He has the perfect amount of whimsy and humor about him and he doesn’t take himself too seriously, which is key when it comes to playing a role like Wonka. On top of that, he can do a spot-on American accent, so no concerns there.
Donald Glover
Donald Glover has been pretty committed to his music since he left the sitcom Community in Season 5. However, his character Troy is an excellent representation of his acting chops and understanding of what whimsy and weird look like, in the very best way, of course. Glover has musical talent and rhythm, so picture Troy singing and dancing through a candy shop. Not a bad sight, is it?
Jordan Fisher
Jordan Fisher has proven himself over and over as a star on film, stage, and screen. Not only did he win Dancing with the Stars in 2017, he has since graced the stage in Broadway’s Hadestown, and danced and sang alongside Sabrina Carpenter on Netflix’s Work It. Needless to say, he is certainly up to the task. His charm and humor would just carry him along with ease and it’s very easy to imagine him in the mystical world of Willy Wonka.
Darren Criss
If starring in the TV show Glee can’t groom you to play the king of candy himself, who knows what can? Not only does Darren Criss have the perfect hair to grace the purple top hat, but he has been acting, singing, and dancing for well over a decade. He demonstrated his ability not to take himself too seriously during his time playing Blaine, at the same time showing a crazy amount of range that surely covers Willy Wonka.
Eddie Redmayne
The first word that comes to your mind when you think of Eddie Redmayne is probably not “singer,” which is a fair assessment, however, don’t forget that he did star in the 2012 film Les Misérables. Whether or not that was top-tier singing isn’t really pertinent considering Timothée Chalamet’s singing abilities. If you put together the whimsy of his role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and his ability to rock a colorful trench coat, then you have yourself the perfect addition to the cast of Willy Wonka.
Marcello Hernandez
The up-and-coming SNL star may not be able to sing or dance (or maybe he can — that has yet to be discovered), but he has a humor about himself and that twinkle in his eye that says he would be a truly hilarious and iconic Willy Wonka. A very important component of being a good Wonka is the ability to rock a purple top hat, which Hernandez seems more than capable of doing. The humor with which he carries himself is ideal.
Simu Liu
Starring in a movie like Barbie is proof in and of itself that Liu is capable of a little bit of whimsy and won’t take himself too seriously. He can also dance and sing and possesses the perfect amount of comedic timing required to pull this off. This may be a little more of an illogical choice, but if you put all of the factors together it really might work.
Age or looks really aren’t the key components when it comes to picking a Wonka. Singing and dancing abilities are a plus but it comes down to a certain amount of charm, whimsy, and having a little twinkle in their eye. Plus looking good in a purple top hat. That’s important.