Hugh Grant On Playing Oompa Loompa In Wonka: 'I Couldn’t Have Hated It More'

Timothee Chalamet and Hugh Grant’s Wonka have finally hit the theatres this Friday. With an ensemble cast, foot-tapping musicals and an adventure comedy plot, the film is making all the right noises. Be it Timothee’s enigmatic role of Willy Wonka or Hugh Grant’s classic character of Oompa Loompa, Wonka has impressed fans and critics alike. Now, just a day ahead of the release of his film, Hugh Grant has revealed that he didn’t have a good time playing his part. In case you don’t know, the actor plays a tiny elf-like creature that uses Hugh’s face but with motion capture for his body. In a conversation with Metro.co.uk, he revealed that he hated filming with motion capture technology. This is not all. Calling the process “a crown of thorns,” Hugh Grant claimed that it left him confused about whether to act with his body or not. The Hollywood star was quoted, as saying, “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.”

Claiming the setup “drivel”, Hugh Grant added that he was unsure of whether he should “act with my body or not, and I never received a satisfactory answer.” He added, “And frankly, what I did with my body was terrible, and it’s all been replaced with an animator. It’s very confusing, with CGI now, you can’t tell what’s going on.” When questioned about whether the climax of the film justified the means, Hugh Grant candidly while shrugging said, “Not really.” Wonka is directed by Paul King and marks Hugh Grant’s second collaboration with the director after Paddington 2. While clarifying that he didn’t have an issue while working with Paul King, Hugh Grant added, “I slightly hate [making films] but I have lots of children and need money.”

Wonka hit the theatres on December 8. If you don’t know, Wonka is the prequel to the 2005 film Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, which is based on the 1964 children’s novel by the same name. The novel revolves around the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. In the 2005 film, directed by Tim Burton, Johnny Depp essayed the character of Willy Wonka who is now played by Timothee Chalamet in Wonka. Apart from Hugh Grant and Timothee Chalamet, Wonka features Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, and Olivia Colman among others in supporting roles.