Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory child star never acted again and chose a completely different career

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is easily one of the most iconic films ever to come out of Hollywood, but did you know one of the superstars from the film never acted again?

Peter Ostrum, who played young Charlie Bucket at just 12 years-old in the 1971 classic, had a huge future ahead of him in showbiz but decided from an early age that it just wasn't for him.

Rather than pursue the three-film deal offered to him at the end of the movie, Ostrum decided to re-train as a veterinarian, building a decades-long career in upstage New York.

The story was not quite the instant Hollywood fairytale it might sound like.

Ostrum had been discovered while performing with a children's theater group in Cleveland, Ohio, and was given only 10 days to leave school and relocate to Munich, Germany, for five months of filming.

Ostrum described the death of Wilder as like 'losing a parent' when he passed away in 2016. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

The production paired him with the legendary Gene Wilder, who played the eccentric chocolatier.

Ostrum remembered Wilder to US Weekly as someone who 'treated people with respect and dignity', adding that he was a supportive presence in the studio.

When he passed in 2016 aged 86, Ostrum described the loss as something similar to 'losing a parent', despite the two having fallen out of communication in the preceding years.

Once filming ended, Ostrum spent a week in California to weigh up whether to continue a career in acting.

Ultimately, he decided that it wasn't the life he wanted to pursue.

Animals had become a major interest in his life, and it was a gift from his parents that helped him decide what would eventually become his full-time profession.

In an interview with the American Veterinary Medical Association, Ostrum explained that seeing someone enjoy their work so much made a lasting impression.

"My father was a lawyer, and I really didn't have a clue what he did all day. But I knew exactly what the veterinarian did," he said.

Peter Ostrum had become more and more interested in animals while he was growing up. (Photo by Screen Archives/Getty Images)

That experience convinced him that veterinary medicine was worth pursuing, even if that meant leaving a potential movie career behind.

After high school, Ostrum worked grooming horses in Pennsylvania before attending Cornell University.

He graduated with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 1984 and went on to work largely at Countryside Veterinary Clinic in Lowville, New York.

Despite this being Ostrum's last ever film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory eventually became a cult classic, a far cry from it's original release.

The 1971 movie initially received lukewarm reviews and made around $4 million at the box office.

Its reputation grew considerably after it appeared on home video about a decade later.

Despite an initial lukewarm reception, the film would later go on to become an all-time classic. (Photo by Arthur Sidey/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)

"We had no idea at the time that it would have any kind of success at all so it's pretty neat that it is still so loved," he told the Daily Mirror in 2018.

Ostrum has occasionally returned to the spotlight for anniversary events, film festivals and school talks, particularly when new versions of the story bring attention back to the original.

The actor has also spoken about the financial legacy of the movie, revealing at the Snowtown Film Festival that he still receives small royalty payments when it airs on television.

For Ostrum, though, the lasting value of the experience appears to have little to do with Hollywood.

Speaking to Veterinary Practice News in 2023, he said he wants children to understand that their futures aren't fixed and that changing direction is perfectly acceptable.

"It's important for kids to realize that you don't have to be locked into one particular thing. It's OK to change your mind," he said.