WikiMini

Michael Böllner

Michael Böllner
Böllner in 2011
Born (1958-09-14) 14 September 1958 (age 66)[1]
Munich, West Germany
Occupation(s)Actor, tax accountant
Known forAugustus Gloop in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Michael Böllner (born 14 September 1958) is a German tax accountant and former child actor known for playing Augustus Gloop in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Life and career

[edit]

Born and raised in Munich, West Germany, Böllner was cast for the role of Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with much of the film being shot in his hometown.[2][3] Being the only German among the five main child actors, he spoke little English during the film's production.[2][4] Following the completion of Willy Wonka, Böllner had a few minor roles on German television, but his father prioritized education over his acting career.[5][6] Consequently, Böllner gave up acting and became a tax accountant in Munich.[5][7] By 2005, he had married and divorced.[8]

Böllner (far left) in 2011 with the Willy Wonka child cast

Due to Willy Wonka being infrequently screened in Germany, Böllner was largely unaware of its cultural impact until the 1990s, when fellow cast members reconnected with him via a German newspaper advertisement reading "Augustus, Show a Sign".[9] Since then, he has regularly appeared with other cast members at fan conventions.[10] Following the death of Gene Wilder in 2016, Böllner expressed regret about not talking more with him after improving his English skills.[4]

To date, Böllner 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

[edit]
  1. ^ "Michael Böllner: Movies, TV, and Bio". Amazon.com. 13 February 2024. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "The stars of 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' look back as the film turns 50". WBAL (Associated Press). 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  3. ^ Mangan, Lucy (13 May 2016). "In search of the perfect Willy Wonka". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b Evans, Patrick (30 August 2016). "Wonka kids pay tribute to Gene Wilder". BBC News. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Stuart, Mel; Young, Josh (2001). Pure Imagination. St. Martin's Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-5-559-10649-6. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  6. ^ Bland, Simon; Arnold, Ben (7 December 2023). "What happened to the kids from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory?". Yahoo Movies. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  7. ^ Torgovnick, Kate (13 January 2010). "What happened to the 'Willy Wonka' kids?". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Sweet Memories – Vol. 64 No. 5". People. 1 August 2005. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  9. ^ Juneau, Jen (29 June 2021). "Original Willy Wonka Cast Reunites After 50 Years: We 'Kept a Couple of Golden Tickets!'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  10. ^ Reed, Ryan (11 November 2015). "Watch 'Willy Wonka' Cast Reunite for Film's 44th Anniversary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  11. ^ Bianco, Julia (14 August 2017). "What The Willy Wonka Kids Look Like Today". Looper. Archived from the original on 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  12. ^ "Michael Böllner". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  13. ^ Revoir, Paul; Hyde, Rob (21 February 2023). "Roald Dahl controversy: Augustus Gloop actor Michael Bollner defends author's story amid censorship row". PerthNow. Retrieved 15 February 2024.