The Megyn Kelly Show - The Stars of "Willy Wonka," on Childhood, Wilder, and Hollywood | Ep. 41

Episode Date: December 23, 2020

Megyn Kelly is joined by two of the stars of her favorite childhood movie, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," Peter Ostrum (who plays Charlie Bucket) and Julie Dawn Cole (who plays Veruca Salt), to talk about the making of the movie and how important it was to Megyn growing up, Hollywood, working with Gene Wilder and more.Follow The Megyn Kelly Show on all social platforms:Twitter: http://Twitter.com/MegynKellyShowInstagram: http://Instagram.com/MegynKellyShowFacebook: http://Facebook.com/MegynKellyShowFind out more information at:https://www.devilmaycaremedia.com/megynkellyshow

Welcome to the Megyn Kelly show your home for open, honest and provocative conversations. Hey, everyone, I'm Megyn Kelly. Welcome to the Megyn Kelly show. OMG, you're just not going to believe what we have for you today. Like I've been looking forward to this my whole life, my whole life. We have got Peter Ostrom and Julie Dawn Cole, better known as Charlie Bucket and Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Now, let me tell you, months ago, I was sitting down with my team and they were saying, what's your dream list? Like, who are your dream guests?

You know, and for a long time, it was Bashar al-Assad. It's a weird turn because I really think I would do a good interview of him. But on a lighter note, it was these two. I idolized them. I grew up breathing this movie. There is no movie that compares to this one when it comes to importance in my own life. And I threw it out there. You know, I don't know. It's like, is that going to work on a podcast? Will people listen to that? I think they will. I think it's a cult hit and people will feel my love for it and understand why I think it has a larger cultural significance. But I don't know. Then a couple of weeks later, my executive producer, Steve Krakauer, sends me the update on the guest bookings. And it's like, okay, on this date, we have this person on that date.

We have another person on this date. We have Peter and Julie Donkel. I'm like, what? What? He just threw it out there. Like it wasn't even a thing because we don't know each other well enough yet for him to understand how life-changing that would be for me. Um, and I've been looking forward to it every day. My kids and I talk about it every day. My husband, Doug, and I talk about it, have talked about it every day up until this day of taping this show. So just a word on this movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, why it means so much to me. There are many reasons, and I'm going to get into some of them with my guests. But first, we know where the virus came from, but do you know where your mask came from? You should.

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for a 20% discount on your order. Again, follow with me. DontShutDownMaskUp.com. That's a follow with me. Don't shut down maskup.com. That's a good one. Don't shut down maskup.com slash MK. I grew up watching this movie religiously every time I could. This is before the day of like on demand where you could just watch it whenever you wanted. You had to work for it back in the 80s, and I did. And my connection to the film now is almost religious. It's truly important to me. I will not watch this if I'm channel surfing and it's on. It feels sacrilegious to me.

That's not the way this film ought to be treated for me, given my history with it. I want to preserve its specialness, its rarity. Its magical journey. That's how it feels to me. And it's life lessons, which are what I believe has made it such an enduring hit that even those down on their luck could see their whole lives change with just one turn of good fortune, if they're kind, if they're loving, and if they don't give up on this beautiful world. And so now to quote Mr. Willy Wonka, some of my dreams become realities and some of my realities become dreams. Without further ado, Peter Ostrom and Julie Dawn Cole. Oh my God. Hello, Megan. Oh my God. I'm literally crying. I'm crying. I have been looking forward

to this my whole life. Don't cry. Don't cry, Megan. I know. I just turned 50, and you still have this effect on me. It's so crazy. I'm sure you get this all the time because the movie is so important to people like me. I know I'm not alone. I know there are huge fan clubs. And I wonder what it's like to be on the receiving end of that kind of admiration. I'll start with you, Peter. I guess as time goes on, I realized that the film did have an impact. People will relate the very first time they were in a movie theater, they saw Willy Wonka. And it usually has to do with a significant other like their brother or their

parents, but it has a special spot in their memory. And I'm amazed at the impact that the film has made on people's childhoods. That being said, I think Julie and I are both humbled by the response that people still give us. And it's a great feeling. We sort of call it the Wonka effect. And, you know, you meet people and you're doing stuff and you may be talking to somebody and they're having a rotten day and maybe they're a little bit grumpy and grouchy. And then you happen to sort of, you know, Wonka comes up in the topic of conversation and you just see something happen in people's eyes. And they're like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. And so, yeah, we call it the Wonka effect. It's very nice. You know, first of all, I'm so excited. I'm slightly nervous. I am absolutely thrilled

that you said yes to coming on. I was terrified that you wouldn't like me and wouldn't want to talk to me. And it was going to be so heartbreaking. I'm a huge fan of yours. You're nervous, Megan. I'm nervous. Stop it. That's too much for me. I'm so honored to be having this conversation. It's just to be talking to two people who did such an amazing job and who have brought me and my family so many hours of enjoyment over the course of my life. It really does mean something to me.

And I, you know, now I didn't know all the facts about the film. I'm not in the cult, I guess. Maybe I'm in the cult, but I'm not in the official fan club. I don't know. In preparing for this, I found out you guys have done like a retrospective

or the cast watched the movie while commentating on it. There have been books. I looked at my assistant, Abby. I'm like, it's as if you don't love me at all. How did I not know? But it wasn't a huge, huge hit when it first was released on June 30th, 1971 by Paramount Pictures, right? I wouldn't call it a dud, but it was open to lukewarm reviews at best. And then, you know, kind of quickly vanished and really wasn't picked up again until it was released on video on VHS. And then people kind of slowly kind of rediscovered it. So when was that, the 80s? Yeah, it would be the 80s. We had a slightly later release in the UK. It was December here. It was a Christmas film release here. And it kind of came and went and disappeared within, you know, three or four weeks. If you remember back then,

you know, movie theaters didn't have the multiplexes that we do now. And, you know, movies came and, you know, if they were successful, you know, they would sit in the movie theater for two or three months. And I think we were there for like three weeks and it disappeared. And, you know, that was it. Okay. Well, not so. The reviews in the UK, I remember one said, it's fun, but setting the alarm. She would sleep over. We would set the alarm for five in the morning when it just happened, whenever it was playing on TV. But no matter how early, how late we would set our alarms, we would sit with our popcorn and watch it together. And today it reminds me of that. It reminds me of my snowy winters in upstate New York with my family, with my best friend, and a little bit of magic around every corner. You know, it's like unexpected pleasures and visual delights and, you know, as you guys might say, a hefty dose of pure imagination. And how extraordinary that you did not know

that Charlie Bucket was a near neighbor of yours also in upstate New York. I know. Oh my God. I feel a kinship. When I learned, Peter, that you were living just outside of Syracuse, New York, just north of Syracuse by Watertown, I was like, it was meant to be, we were meant to be close. He's in my head. That's true. But that's the clip of the movie. Like the one that, Wonka doesn't really always make me cry. Although pretty much every time I cry in one spot or another, but the spot that gets me every time is when you guys walk into the chocolate room and, and the beginnings of the song. Your imagination, take a look, and you'll see into your imagination. And as you're playing that, everybody is visualizing the green and the candy canes

and the lollipops and the river and the purple jacket and skipping down those steps. Everybody can see it. That's right. What was it like to see it in person? I mean, I realize it's not the experience we had watching it, but do you remember as kids walking into that chocolate room? The true story is that all of us walked into that set for the very first time when we took that very first take, because Mel Stewart wanted it to be a surprise. All of us except one person had not seen the Great Chocolate Room. That person being Julie, and I'll let her finish the story,

but somehow she snuck in. And so her expression wasn't quite as original as Paris and Denise's and Michael's and myself's. No, mine was not quite so authentic. Yeah. In my defense, you know, I'd gone out earlier as Pete did as well. We were recording our songs so we were on location before some of the others and hanging around for costume fittings and what have you and i believe it was um uh harper goff who was the set designer said oh yeah come in and have a look around as they were constructing the set you know do you want to see it well of course i did so you know how exciting seeing this and that and then our director, Mel Stewart, said he didn't want any of the kids to see the set before.

It was a closed set. And that was that because he wanted our original reaction. I was scared and rather obedient. So I just kept quiet. So I picture you looking at the other guy saying, I want to go in first and don't you dare stop me. Yes. Veruca always goes first. No one was going to mention that first and don't you dare stop me. Yes. Ruka always goes first. No one was going to mention that anything.

No one's going to mess with her. So, okay. I know you've been asked these questions, but I've got to ask for myself. Could you eat anything in there? No. So the short answer is no. So everything that we did eat that we actually put in our mouths was edible, but not, you know, obviously,

there was lots of material that was not edible. How about those mushrooms you were eating, Julie? What was that cream on top? Well, I had the watermelon that I had to smash open on the rock, which I absolutely hated. As a child, I didn't like chocolate and it was, you know, chocolate flavoured things and I hated it. And it was a sort of cold, wet, slimy, it was disgusting. So, you know, smashing it. And I think they wanted me to smear it all over my face. And, you know, A, I thought that was not very ladylike. And B, I thought this is going to make a hell of a mess with my hair and everything else. So I was just sort of gently licking at it, but he kept saying, look like you're enjoying it. And I was going, I'm not, I'm not. But you know, the, the other things like Denise Violet had the gummy bear that came down from

the tree and they replaced the, the gummy bear's ear, which was the piece that she bit and ate that. Whereas the rest of the gummy bear was not edible. I mean, that would be a few pounds in that if it was a real one. So Peter, do you remember since it was your first time walking in there and seeing it and what your reaction was? I do. And not only that set, but every set that they produced, you know, it was just fascinating. And of course, I had never made a film before. That was my first experience.

But as quickly as it went up, it came down and you moved on to the next scene. I enjoyed that as much as of making the film, just the whole, you know, the process, the experience of watching everybody involved in production do their job you know for you know and you know Megan for every two people in front of the camera you've got 50 people behind the camera that that if they don't do their job you know nothing happens they're they're they're as important as the people in front of the camera so I enjoyed the whole process, you know, and just, you know, listening to pure imagination that, uh, that was just almost 50 years. Well, it was, it was 50 years ago this fall. You know, I was still, Julie was probably, well, no, we were probably both still there. I think I got done December 12th, December 13th. I think I had just finished and I was heading back to the UK at this point.

Let's go back to when you were children and you were auditioning for this film. You were living in Cleveland, right, Peter? Correct. And I had worked at the Cleveland Playhouse. And that was one of the theaters that the casting agency, Marion Doherty, out of New York City, decided to contact because they had a good reputation for having good children's theater. Joel Grey, Margaret Hamilton, they got their start at the Cleveland Playhouse. Margaret Hamilton being Wicked Witch of the West and Wizard of Oz, and then Joel Grey. At any rate, they contacted the Playhouse, and I just, I was in

the right place at the right time. You know, they gave me, or the casting agency asked if they had anybody that they might recommend, and my name was given to them. And, and, uh, at that point, uh, we had no scripts. They, uh, sent a representative, um, from New York out to Cleveland. And so this was like May of 1970, I was just completing sixth grade. And we, I just read from the book into the tape recorder and she took a few, took a few Polaroid pictures and basically said, you know, don't call us. We'll call you if we're interested. We'll take that back to Mel Stewart, our director and Stan Margulies, our producer and David Wolper. And, and, you And, you know, we'll contact you if this goes any further.

And they did contact me probably in July. And they had kind of given me, well, no, I guess I did in July. I went to New York for an actual screen test and had to, I am not a singer at all. But I did have to sing. I think I sang My Country Tis of Thee or something like that. And they just kind of shook their heads and said, don't worry. We're not going to use your voice anyway. Which in the end they did, which was kind of fun. fun, but they kept my, my, uh, they, uh, my singing part was, uh, kept getting smaller and

smaller and smaller as, as time went on, Jack Albertson carried the day or carried this song that he and I did. So please tell me that when they told you, you got the role, they did it with a golden ticket. No, so after that, I went to summer camp and they basically said, you know, you're still we're still interested in you. But Charlie is really skinny. You've got to lose some weight. And I wasn't I wasn't I wasn't you know, I'm still skinny. But so I went to summer camp, you know, riding horses and hiking and climbing and doing all the things you do at summer camp. You know, trying not to eat because I wanted to lose more weight. That's amazing.

I came back after camp. Actually, I went to Chautauqua, New York, because that's where the Cleveland Playhouse had their summer theater. I think I did Ah! um, for them in August. And then it was shortly thereafter, probably around August 10th that they actually called and said, you know, you're Charlie and you've got to be in Munich in 10 days. It was a short period of time and, uh, off we went. Meanwhile, Michael, who plays Augustus Gloop, was given exactly the opposite instruction. Eat as much as humanly possible. Exactly. Back to Peter and Julie

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Pete and I are a week's age difference. I'm a week older, I'm sad to say. So yeah, the same age. And I'd gone to theatre school in the previous September. I'd been at school for a while, a drama school in London. And when you're at theatre school, you have lots of auditions. If you're lucky, you get some of them. So I had been in a production of Peter Pan in London over the Christmas period. My very first ever job, first ever audition and stepped on the stage and, you know, got that role, which was lovely. It was a tiny little part. It was Liza the Maid in Peter Pan, but it was a production with Hayley Mills, who was my absolute idol as a child, watching her in all those movies. I was just like, oh my goodness, I'm on stage with Hayley Mills. I used to have pictures of Hayley Mills on my bedroom wall and there I was, my very first job working with her.

So that was extraordinary. And there'd been a few other auditions for things, but I wasn't getting close with any of them. Every time you would go for an audition, they would say, you know, what have you been in? And I'd say nothing, you know, I'm a beginner, and they would say, thank you, goodbye. So along came the auditions for Willy Wonka, and at this point I didn't even know what it was.

You know, it was just all the girls of the school were lined up in the hall, you know, you, you, not you, real capital call stuff, too tall, too small, too fat, too thin, too dark, too short, all of that. And then got shortlisted. We had a different casting director in the UK. I had Mary Selway. And so then I was shortlisted and come back, come back. And then I began to find out what this movie was about and they sent me out with the school bus driver to get a copy of the book and I read the book overnight and thought wow this is just amazing and I do I still have that copy of the book which I had all the cast sign at the time so I've still got that um and read it and thinking my goodness

this is just amazing this chocolate room room and the illustrations, which everybody hopefully will remember Quentin Blake's illustrations, which are so wonderful. And so when I went to audition the next day for the final penultimate, I think it was, test with Mel Stewart, the director and producer, Stan Margulies, I thought, right, you've got to get smart this time. So when they asked me what movies I'd been in, I lied. And they made up a bunch of stuff. Good for you. Yeah, well, I'm sorry, Veruca, isn't that really? But I think I said I'd been in Oliver, which I hadn't,

but I knew some of my school friends had, and a couple of other movies. I just made things up. And I thought, well, they'll never find out. And we didn't have the internet. Yeah, you were being method, right? Don't they call that method? That's method. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So that's, I mean, obviously, Veruca is the most fun part in the movie. And like, I don't know. I was going to ask you, Peter. Can I call you Pete? Is Pete a thing? Yeah, that's fine. That's dying, dying.

Okay. So obviously, everybody would like to play the Veruca part at one point in their life. I want to ask you how fun it was before or after I tee up just a little sample of Veruca for the audience. Listen. They've been shelling flaming chocolate bars from dawn to dusk. Make them white knights. Come along, come along you girls. Put a jerk in it or you'll be out in your ears every one of you

but listen to this the first girl that finds a golden ticket gets a one pound bonus in her payback what do you think of that they're not even trying they don't want to find it they're jealous of me how fun was that well it was it was a lot of fun and it was just like just when you think you're being as mean and and spoilt and bratty as you know it's like no take it up a notch and another notch and another notch so yeah i love that yeah make them wet nuts just so disgusting is that what they were telling you to? So you did it and it wasn't nasty enough? So you had to find your deepest, inner, nastiest person?

Yeah, I had to channel my inner demons or whoever, my archetype or something. But yeah, you know, just, you know, I'm a nicely, I would hope my mother would say, you know, I was well brought up and well behaved. And so, you know, being bratty like that, just, you know, it was a bit of a stretch. You know, I would have been slapped if I behaved like that. So, of course. Well, that what I love about it is it does show. I mean, the whole film is about showing examples of bad behavior and where they will get you in life if life works out as it should.

You know, but Ruruka is a perfect example of that because they really don't show her as a very sympathetic character in any single scene of the movie. She's portrayed as just truly awful the whole time. I don't think it's a single. She's charmless. She's rude. She's nasty. She's pushy. You're quite right, actually.

I've not even thought about that, Megan. There's not a single scene where she's got a redeeming feature at all no i mean you know from outside the factory everything yeah even outside the factory you know i want to go in first and she's just hideous hideous and she wants everything she she wants a boat and she wants apa Loompa and she wants to lick the wallpaper and have a snarlsbury. So let's talk about the scene where she gets done in, where you go down the educated educator. What happened there? Did you really go down something? What was underneath that little trap door? It depends how old you are if you ask that question, because that's the question that

lots of the kids ask me. Where did you go to when you went down the chute? So I get asked that a lot. So if you're a child, I will say, well, luckily, the furnace wasn't lit. It's every other day. and they broke my fall with that and stopped me bouncing back up. There is a little anecdote to that, which I do tell, that we had an assistant director, his name was Jack Rowe, and his son's one was Pete Stand-In, isn't that right, Pete? Right, Bobby Rowe. Yeah, Bobby was just Stand-In. And the oldest son was an assistant on the movie, and he was probably about 16, I think assistant on the movie. And he was probably about 16, I think at the time, but he was rather cute. And he was one of the guys who was there to break

my fall and stop me bouncing back up. Well, I was more worried about Bill looking up and getting a glance of my underwear as I fell down the chute. So next time you watch it, you might notice that my hands are kind of clamped to my side, trying to hold my skirt down. Well, that's what you think about when you're 13, don't you? Of course. Wait, I'm confused. I read that you and Denise, who played Veruca, both had crushes on Peter. Well, we did. We did. But he's blushing now. I know he's blushing and he's pretending he can't hear any of this. Pete, go and talk about something else for five minutes. Yes, we did. Both Denise and I had a little crush on Pete. He didn't know any of this at the time.

So he was very innocent, as it was anyway. You know, when we talk about a crush, it was like whose turn was it to stand next to him? And that was it, really, the extent of it but uh we were all staying in the same hotel the three of us were um so i think we were particularly kind of gang that hung out um we were staying at the schloss hotel um which pete's father found for us just outside munich it was a beautiful bavarian style hotel and it had a river that ran down you know nearby and the only thing, of course, that we were allowed to do, I don't suppose we'd be allowed to do it now. We used to go down to

the river every night and skip stones. So Pete is the master at, you know, bouncing stones on the river. And Denise and I would go down there and say, Oh, Pete, show me how to do it. And we had many a lesson, but we learned nothing. Meanwhile, they were both experts. They didn't need you at all. They just wanted to spend extra time with you. I want to talk about that scene because I heard that you had a birthday celebration on the set, Julie, and that they gave you one of those golden eggs. They did. They did. It was interesting bringing that back through the airplane on the way home. Have you got anything to declare? Yes, a golden egg. But yes, it was my 13th birthday, you know, shot over a week, but the very last day I believe was my birthday. And, you know, so singing, you know, happy birthday and then, you know,

shoved me down the chute. So yes, it was a memorable 13th birthday. So yeah, I remember very well, October the 26th. Now, Pete, since your birthday was a week later or earlier, did you, no, yeah, later, did you, did you get an egg? What'd you get? I don't think so. What I do remember, I think for my birthday, um, was going to Oktoberfest. Yes. Um, and, and that was, that was great fun and drinking beer.

Yeah, that was, that was, yeah, 12 turning 13 at Oktoberfest, drinking beer with... Fizzy lifting drinks. No fizzy lifting, no. No fizzy, right, exactly. Drinking beer with Frawley Becker, our dialogue coach from the film. So, you know, again, I go back to the film was great.

But as a 12 year old kid, you know, moving to Munich, Germany from Ohio, that was like icing on the cake that that probably was the cake. That was just a remarkable experience. at that point, they were right in the middle of building all over the city, getting ready for the 72 Olympics, which was really, you know, coming out, you know, for Germany and Munich. And it was just an exciting time to be there. And, you know, to look back at that experience, it was like being like a foreign exchange AFS student, you know, when you're 12 years old. It was the perfect setting, which just shoot because it did have an amorphous kind of look, you weren't exactly sure what you were looking at the even the cars seemed relatively nondescript. You could tell it wasn't America, but you didn't know exactly where it might be.

There was that all Mel Stewart, because that was a great that was so well done just to keep it unclear where you were. Well, yeah, I think it was. They had just finished Wolper and and Mel Stewart. If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium just several months prior to that. So kind of their crew was in Europe. And I think that that probably had something to do with making the film there. Also, we were always told, I have no idea how much of it is true, but if we had gone to California, there would have been more child labor laws and we couldn't have worked as hard. I have no idea, but that makes a great, great story. Good old Hollywood.

Exactly. How about, I mean, every actor gets asked this question, but when you've starred in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, you really, this is a serious one. Did you steal anything from the set? You go first. Did I? No. No, I didn't. Seriously, I didn't. I was given

the clapstick at our very last scene, Mel Stewart. I asked him because I liked, you know, memorabilia, stuff like that, and I thought it would be a great thing to have. And he gave it to me. I had no idea that it wasn't the only clapstick that they had used but it was one it it was used you know quite often i i should have known charlie bucket doesn't steal

this is like the whole point of the movie charlie is honest veruca. Veruca on the other hand. Veruca on the other hand. Well, yes. In the clip that you first played, you know, there were a stack of Wonka bars and all sorts of things. And, you know, they were just burning them afterwards. And I didn't have any family on set with me in Germany. So I wanted to take souvenirs home. And I'm, you know, saying, oh, can I take a couple? Sure, help yourself um I think I asked politely and please and the British accent does help sometimes and um so you know yeah I had a few bits and pieces but um I somehow ended up with an everlasting gobstopper and I don't know how that happened really do you still have it? No, I don't. What happened? Julie, tell the rest of the story because you're forgiven for this.

Which bit are you meaning, Pete? That the proceeds of that everlasting gobstop went to your daughter. Yes, it did. Oh, so you sold it. I did. Was it to a man named Slugworth? Yeah, it might have been. Yeah, and paid for her wedding dress.

So there we go. Yeah, so it was a fair exchange, I think. How big was it? Did it fit like in the palm of your hand? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you wouldn't want, I mean, it was just a piece of rubbish. I mean, yeah, it was cardboard. It was like the lid that you make coffee cups out of, you know, that kind of molded plastic stuff.

You know, and I'd had it in the bottom of a trunk for years. I've even stood on it at one point and broke it and had it mended and that kind of thing. I think both you and I, Pete, didn't we both have scrumdiddlyumptious bars? Because we also did trick-or-treating. And we were there for trick-or-treat, which we did around the studio lots, all the different sets. And, you know, having this great big bag full of candy, of gummy bears and all sorts of things, and including some Wonka bars in there. They would chuck those in as well. I ate most of them, but I, yeah. I can't believe that. I can't believe you're just throwing out there that you went trick or

treating on the set of Willy Wonka when you were 12. You peaked too early. What in life can compare? That's amazing. The one problem with the Everlasting God Starver was it didn't really look like it was going to fit in your mouth well. No, it wouldn't. You know, all those sharp edges, it would be terrible. It would be terrible. It just wouldn't work.

Now, I know that you get asked this, but I want to ask you about the remake. To me, it was sacrilegious. It just wouldn't work. and while the the real willy wonka had like an element of creep to it just like a little little bit to freak you out here and there it wasn't creepy in the way the tim burton remake was so what did you see the movie i'll ask you pete did you see the movie the remake and what you think i did and it but it's a totally different film you know it's tim burton and and there were parts of it you know that i enjoyed but it's you know you really can't compare the two um but just from a selfish point of view it kind of really helped us because people you know kids saw that film but their parents said no no no you've got to see the original and And so it kind of, they brought, they dusted us off again,

brought us off the shelf. And now we are introduced to a whole, you know, the next generation, you know, or the third generation. So in a strange way, it kind of helped us. So it's, but I enjoyed it, but it's so different from the original. What do you think, Julie? Well, I agree because, you know, it was, I think we were around about the 30th anniversary or something when that version came out.

And, you know, I remember thinking, oh, that's sad, you know, but hey, we've had 30 years where we've been, you know, at the top of the tree with this, as it were. And, you know, time, hand over the baton to somebody else. But that didn't happen. And people got very partisan and they got quite cross and you know whereas i think we're a bit more philosophic about it you know the fans uh and people like you are quite upset how dare they how dare they it's like messing with your childhood memories don't do it um totally it's funny it's interesting we're um we're actually every Christmas, my family over like the holiday will dress up as something, you know,

whether it's, I could be anything. And when the year we did the incredibles, stuff like that. And I will disclose that this year I'm, I'm breaking the surprise. Cause, but when my kids hear this,

they'll already know we're, we're going as the cast from Willy Wonka. And I know, well, I'm either going to be grandpa Joe. I, we're going as the cast from Willy Wonka. And I know it, who are you? Well, I'm either going to be grandpa Joe. I, my daughter has to be Veruca,

Julie. She has to like, she'll never forgive me if she's not. So I either have to be Denise or I have to be grandpa Joe. Right. So I either going to be Violet Beauregard or grandpa Joe. We'll figure it out. But my,

you know, as, as we're getting ready for it, I'm getting my assistant to help me find costumes that look like the original and not super cheap costumes. And she keeps forwarding me damn things from the remake. I'm like, all right, Abby. First, I didn't know about the cast doing the voiceover of the film

and I didn't get any of the book. And now you send me an Augustus Gloop with a red and white horizontal stripe. What? what is going on? No, I love it. I love the fact that the dress that I wore, the red dress is iconic. Um, and you know, it's been rocked by a few celebrities year before last Dolly Parton did it for Halloween. Uh, this year it was Sharon Osbourne. I got sent pictures of Sharon Osbourne rocking it. And I love the fact that other, are doing it. And it's kind of gone timeless. One time, I've got a copy of the dress that I had made for something, not because I want to wear it, I hasten to add, but it was made for a joke thing that I was doing. And I was walking along the street and I had it over my arm and

somebody just pointed at the dress and went, oh, Veruca Salt. It's such an iconic dress. It's really extraordinary. What did they say when they found out it was actually Veruca Salt they were talking to? Yeah, then they looked rather shaken and shocked. And, you know, yeah, yeah. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. You know, for five minutes. So can I ask you about that to you? Obviously, we're not on camera. I've seen other interviews that you've done. I wouldn't say you guys are instantly recognizable as the children you were in that movie. Do people, do you have to tell people it's me? I think I'm a little bit luckier because with makeup on a following wind, you know,

sometimes you can get away with it. Guys, Pete, you do look, you do not look like a 12 year old boy anymore. Do you? Peter, do you give him the big reveal? Like, Pete, you do not look like a 12-year-old boy anymore, do you? Peter, do you give him the big reveal like, hey, did you ever see Willy Wonka? No, no, I don't reveal. I don't reveal. No, it doesn't come up. I'm a shy guy.

It just doesn't come up. And my kids aren't impressed anymore either. One time, I think it was round about when you're talking about the audio commentary that we did and we had been doing a convention in new jersey uh chiller for for halloween and pete had gone into greenwich village to see the parade and what have you and didn didn't you, you got on the subway peak, didn't you? With four guys dressed as Oompa Loompas. And he had a photo taken with them, you know, a selfie and they had no idea who he was. Oh my, you didn't tell them? They were good. No. I don't understand this lack of vanity. But, but it's something you've lived because I, I know after that movie, you were a hot ticket and you peaced out of Hollywood when you were probably the biggest

child star going at the moment, or at least one of them. Why? It wasn't, uh, it, I enjoyed doing it, but it just, it didn't seem like it was something that I was chosen to do for the rest of my life. And just, you know, other doors open for me and I kind of follow those paths. But I look back, you know, with, you know, just fond memories of this film. And again, so thankful, you know, of the happiness that it brings to people like yourself and, you know, other folks out there that, you know, still love seeing this film. More with Peter and Julie in just one second. But first, I got a crash course into home title theft and you better pray this thing never happens to you because it can ruin you financially. Here's how the crime happens.

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That's code radio at HomeTitleLock.com. Now we want to quickly bring to you a feature we call Asked and Answered here on The Megyn Kelly Show, where we try to answer some listener questions that have been sent in. And our executive producer, Steve Krakauer, has got the first half of the equation. What's going on, Steve? Yes, Megyn, great questions coming in at questions at devilmaycaremedia.com. Those have been good. We've read some of those in part of the show, but we are also gathering listener questions at our social media accounts, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Megan Kelly Show. Follow us there,

ask questions. We look at those as well. This one came to us from Jessica Ray on Instagram, and she wants to know, when did you know that Doug was the one? That's a good question. You know, it wasn't like the lightning bolt, like, you know, exactly. I know exactly this is the one, but there were several moments when we were dating where it was like, oh, wow. Right. I think that's what you're looking for. The oh, wow. And I think probably the yes, I'm going to get married to this person is, I don't know, maybe more fictional than not, although there was kind of a moment. So I'll tell you about it. I think I've told this story in the show before, but maybe you didn't hear it when Doug and I were

dating a good long while into the relationship when he spent his first night at my townhouse that i had just recently bought it was the first and only place i ever owned all by myself and um he was sitting there he had on jeans and a white t-shirt and his hair was all messed up and he looked over at me and he said by the way if you don't want kids, you should tell me soon. Oh, it's like I I mean, that was a very dreamy moment for for the two of us there, because, you know, it's like most guys are like, you know, they don't want to be pressured on the kid front. And the women are typically like running after the men. I realize we're not all like this, but I have enough friends who are sort of like looking

at their biological clocks, wondering and enough guy friends who are like, ah, I don't want to marry somebody who's under that kind of a pressure cooker situation that I get the dynamic. And when Doug and I were first dating, uh, I don't know, I was 35 and he was 35 or four. I can't remember. Anyway. Um, the point is I was getting a little lung in the tooth, so somebody might have that concern about me, but it was actually kind of exactly the opposite. I went into the relationship thinking, I'm not sure if I want kids. It's a whole longer story, but I just wasn't sure. But he looked at me, he said that. And I actually told my stepsister that night, I think I met the man I'm going to marry. And I was right. And then, you know, it's been so many moments thereafter, little, little things, you know, big things and little things, the birth of our

children. You look over at him and you see that face and you think, yes. Um, I don't know moments when he's like incredibly great with our kids. Those, those just reinforce your love so much moments where he challenges me, where I try to get away with some intellectual sleight of hand and he won't allow it. One thing he's very good at that I recommend to all you guys is if I'm feeling mad and I don't want to tell him what I'm mad about, you know how we women are. He does not allow that. He comes right over and he's like, what's going on? And I'm like, nothing. And nine out of 10 men I know are like, okay, good. Bye. If you let him off the hook, they're like, thank you. Meanwhile, the woman just keeps steaming, like screw him until she calms down.

This is my own history anyway. So he will come over and he'll say, no, something's wrong. Let's talk about it. And he's very quick to say, like, this is what I'm feeling, you know, and I'm getting that from you. Right. So we get into it and we don't, it doesn't always turn into an argument, but it's, we communicate.

And just knowing that he actually does want to know will sort of diffuse the situation right from the start. Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but he definitely is the one. And it has been made clear to me in a series of moments over what now is, I mean, we're going on our 15th year together. And man, it's everything. So thank you for asking. And I hope you have the same in your life. Okay, don't forget, it's everything. So thank you for asking. And I hope you have the same in your life.

Okay, don't forget, it's questions at devilmaycaremedia.com. And now back to Peter and Julie. I just love the fact that it plays a special part in so many people's lives, that it's got them through tough times, you know, and, you know, people have told me stories of post 9-1-1, you know, this movie got me through some dark times. And I'm sure probably just in the recent months, it's happened again. So it's, it's sort of the chicken soup of movies. Oh, that's so right. Oh, I like that. I like the way you put that. I feel the

same. I, it's one of those things where whatever I'm feeling, if I, if I put it on, I always feel better. And it's to the point now where I just, I will never watch it haphazardly. I won't, you know, like we have three young kids, so we've got the movies in the car. That's not one of them. They know they're not allowed one of them. They know they're not allowed to watch that. They know that's a special movie that we only watch on special occasions. And now we watch it on my birthday every year. And my sweet daughter, she's nine. She just said to me, because I just had my birthday in November. She just said to me, mama, she was like, when I'm a grownup, I'm going to watch this every year on your birthday and think of you.

Oh, invite us next year, Megan. Invite us next year. When is your birthday? When is your birthday? November 18th. Oh, my daughter is the 15th. I'll come to you. Yes.

I'll make you dinner and you can watch it here and Pete and I will sing along. But what's great is, you know, there's countless stories like that, that it just, it's amazing. You know, you asked me if people recognize me and they don't. Although probably a year and a half ago, two years ago, I was at the Syracuse airport and I was working on my laptop doing work. And this guy was sitting down probably three seats from me. And he just came over to me and he goes, I just want to thank you for the film. And I just smiled and he smiled. He went back to his seat. Just like, well, thanks. You know, that's the kind of stuff that, you know, like, man, you know, looking back, it was obviously well worth it. Yeah, you did something that mattered.

And it just doesn't cure cancer, doesn't help sick animals like I know you do now, Pete, you're a veterinarian. But it did help a lot of people in small and profound ways. And I'm sure as an actor, you just never know, because I know, Julie, you went on to have a career as an actress. You just never know whether you're working on a project that's going to turn into that. I'm sure you weren't thinking that. Absolutely not. No, we were, you know, you were happy to be working and cast in something that was fun. So, you know, when you're 12, you're't thinking that. Absolutely not. No, we were, you know, you were happy to be working and cast in something that was fun. So, you know, when you're 12, you're not thinking about the next 50 years, are you? And, you know, to be fair, you know, even 25 years ago, I'm thinking, well, you know, that's interesting. Five years more, maybe. And here we are 50 years, you know,

am I going to be wheeled out on my Zimmer frame? Yeah. Well, you're both 63 now, right? Is that both 63? Yeah, correct. Yep. Okay. And so you've gone on, as I said, P2, you're a large animal veterinarian. Right. Our clinic, it's a mixed animal practice, but I primarily do large animals. So cattle and, and horses, mainly dairy cattle. In a small town, I mean, it's not, you certainly eschewed the fame and stardom of Hollywood,

even though I know you were offered a three-picture deal at the end of Wonka. So it's extraordinary to me that you knew at that young age at 13, when, let's face it, most of us are looking for social affirmation. You just didn't want to do it. You know, you just didn't, you must've known yourself extraordinarily well, even back then. I guess that's correct. And I had good, I had support from my parents, you know, and I tried to kind of carry that on with my children from the standpoint, um, is I kind of like to think of it as a banquet or a smorgasbord. You present as many opportunities for your kids as possible,

and they're going to pick and choose what turns them on, you know, what really excites them. And I just knew that, you know, the theater was probably not where I belonged. And, and again, I had other, other opportunities, but as a parent, what's really hard is I'm sure my father was disappointed because he always wanted to be an actor. And that's what, after he retired as a lawyer, that's what he did. And, and in New York and it was fun to watch him perform. Um, but I'm sure he was disappointed. You know, I was, I said, I just don't think that this is my cup of tea. This is where I need to be.

So that's, I mean, speaking of what turns you on, were you a total chick magnet after this film came out? No, not at all. What? No, no. If I was, I didn't know it and I didn't appreciate it. Julie, that's what you loved about him, right? He's humble.

He had no idea. He had no idea. How about you? How did it change your life, Julie, at the time? At the time, not at all. I went back to school. It came, it went, it died down. I played some other parts at school while I was still at theatre school. A couple more brats I played. And then at 17, 18, when everybody was going off to college, university, I got a role in a TV soap, a BBC soap opera called Angels, which was a series about six student nurses. So I didn't go to university at that point. I went

into a long running series, which I was in for two years. But it was very much a career of two halves. And at that point, Willy Wonka was not something I talked about. And in fact, it might have even closed doors sometimes because it was a kid's movie and not a very successful one. So it didn't open any doors. So it was later in the 80s when it began to be cool and led to lots of other opportunities. So I carried on acting. I did a lot of theater work did voiceover work I had my children um and then um I don't think I mean I kind of parts of it I liked I don't think I was ever what they call a lovey enough that I was not in love with the industry enough to want to stay in it was always it was a job and I enjoyed it but I didn't somebody another actor not my words said

about show business I like this show but I don't like the business and I think that. But I didn't, somebody, another actor, not my words, said about show business, I like the show, but I don't like the business. And I think that's the bit that I didn't like. I didn't like the business and some of the darker side of the business. I really didn't care for that. And I began to think, I don't want to be doing this when I'm 60. And so a good 12 years ago, I made plans to get out. And I went to university then and did my degree in psychotherapy and became a therapist 12 years ago and work with cancer patients currently. Wow. So while Pete's helping animals, you're helping people and you're both healing. You're both healing in your own way. When you said you didn't really love the business part of show business, it reminded me of Gene Wilder, who said something similar, you know, how he liked acting, but he didn't like Hollywood.

He didn't like show business. He was a private man. He liked to hang out in his beautiful country home with Gilda when she was still with him. And we have to talk about him. Can we spend some time on Gene Wilder and whether anyone else could have brought Willy Wonka to life as he did? Now when you say it and you hear the bing, bing, bing of pure imagination, you just see Jean and you see those sparkling blue eyes. And for me, there could never be anybody else. And the moment in the movie that gets me every time when he hugs Charlie at the end, when they're in the elevator, that's, you know, yeah, I that you know for me the the the mystery the mischievousness the the enigma the you know the the maverick that he was so you know I I didn't think when I first met him that

he looked like Willy Wonka I remember writing back to my mother and saying he's not at all as I imagined him to be um you know I'd seen the illustrations in the book but he had that uh just that weird offbeat you know sense of humor um they um roald dahl wanted spike milligan for the part which would have been very different um and you know i think that was some of the the um conflict that he had with mel stewart because they disagreed about the casting gene Wilder at the time was not a huge movie star in the UK. So, you know, Roald Dahl had quite strong feelings on that. But I can't imagine anybody else doing it. He had, you know, such a warmth. And yet when he had those moments of being kind of slightly sinister, they were quite scary. Right. He was. He was warm. He was quirky, funny,

little sinister, mysterious. I love the inside jokes throughout the movie, his little comments and his little asides to the, the brats all around him and just kind of just to the audience, right? That's how it feels. So what he, he was not as big a star as he would become, but he was a, he was a well-known actor. What, what was he like on set? Was he, was there any sense that he was the star? Not at all. He was both. He and Jack Albertson were as warm and as honest and as helpful to everybody, not just to me, you know, on that set.

So there was, you know, he had just both of those guys were a joy to work with. And for me, you know, I mean, they kind of took me under their wing a little bit, you know, especially Jack. Because, you know, we were a pair, you know, we were partners in crime, so to speak. But Gene, again, nothing but, you know, good memories, fond memories of working with him. I read, Peter, that you actually ate chocolate with him during the lunch hour. Is that true? We did. We did. Yeah, we would. I still like chocolate. And so did Gene. And so we would share a bar, you know, going back to work in the afternoon. So, yeah, that was fun. But that's the type of guy that he was, you know, he liked to, you know, hang out, you know, and it was probably, he probably knew what he was doing, you know, just to build up that relationship between Charlie and Willy Wonka, you know, but he was genuine, you know, he was just, you know, he was good, good person.

I know he told the story on Larry King and again at the 92nd street, why years later that he was the one who insisted that Willy Wonka come out with the cane and then he, he would fall into the somersault and stand and people would cheer. And then that was another surprise for for you all because he wanted to keep people guessing he knew it would keep people guessing about who he was and what his motivations were and what would come next um did you julie did you have any experiences with him on the set where he was kidding around with you or he was playful or he was surprising he He was. He was very kind. You know, my 13th birthday, which was the Goose Room,

you know, back in the day, you would have a stills photographer that would come around, but they were always black and white then. But because it was my birthday, Jean booked for a photographer to come in and take a set of color stills for my birthday. And that was my gift from him, which, you know, is lovely that I've got this wonderful set of color stills for my birthday. And that was my gift from him, which, you know, is lovely that I've got this wonderful set of color photos, which is so unusual for the time. And such, you know, kind things like that. Apparently, he told Rusty Goff, who's, you know, our friend and Oompa Loompa friend, when Jean found out, you know, a couple of weeks into shooting that I was the only kid on the set

that didn't have any family with me. I was out in Germany with just a chaperone that I only met at the airport. And then we were away for three months, you know, with this total stranger. And he was rather aghast at that and quite shocked that I didn't have anybody kind of looking out for me. So apparently he said to Roy and to Rusty, you know, guys, boys, I think he said, boys, we got to take care of this one. Keep your eyes open and look after her. So that was the kind of guy he was.

I read that about Rusty that he was described as quote, the head Oompa Loompa, which I must confess in all my times of watching it, I did not know there was a head Oompa Loompa. But he talks about how he had that one scene of them with Mike TV when Mike TV is done off. He had to do the dancing and the somersault or the cartwheel, which was just dreadful. But there was a reason for that. Well, the choreographer, Howard Jeffrey, was an amazing dancer and had done choreography for trained dancers. And he didn't realize that he'd got this bunch of Oompa Loompas that were cast from all over Europe,

none of whom had any dance background at all. And their limbs don't move in the same way. So when you're doing a pirouette and a jeté and you're full height, it doesn't quite work the same when you're a little bit shorter. So Gene Wilder, he died in 2016 at 83. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's, which they had not disclosed, right? And the family put out a statement that I have to ask you about. They wrote, the decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasn't vanity, but more so that the countless young children that would smile or call out to him,

there's Willy Wonka, would not have to be then exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment, or confusion. He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world. Oh, was that the man you knew? Yes, it is. And what's a little bit interesting is Gene, for what he'll be remembered for, Willy Wonka is at the top of all of his credits and initially he probably would not have wanted that or would be disappointed to think that you know with all his roles you know with mel brooks you know and you know all the different things

that he he did you, that he would be remembered mostly for Willy Wonka. I think he grew into that and accepted that, that, hey, it wasn't such a bad film after all. And just the quote that you read, you know, kind of, you know, points to that, that he did recognize, you know, the importance of that role and that people, you know, think of him as Willy Wonka. There were also some other things that led me to believe, you know, you never know why actors want to talk about a role or don't want to talk about a role. But there were some of the things that he said that led me to believe that he didn't really want to over discuss Willy Wonka because he didn't want to break the magic yes honestly that was one of my concerns in doing

this interview but it hasn't hasn't broken at all so now i should be really mean and just stab my feet well i did i did wonder i'll confess, after we lost Gene Wilder, Peter, whether you were thinking, oh, my God, I'm finally going to get to move in. I'm like, it's finally time for me. The factory's finally mine. I'm ready. It's finally yours. Enough already. Move out.

Come on. You mentioned that final scene, i i agree with you that's that is the one that tugs most on the heartstrings and i read that the those last few minutes uh had to be rewritten or were rewritten at mel stewart's direction before before we talk about it let's just listen to what we're talking about. This is the last, last part of the movie when they're flying above town in the great glass Wonka Vader. So the factory's yours, Charlie. You can move in immediately.

And me? Absolutely. What happens to the rest of the family? I want you to bring them all. But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted what happened he lived happily ever after that's it that's it that's that's it well, there is the story that they didn't have a final line, or they didn't like what they had. And so Mel Stewart rang David Seltzer, who was, I think, in a cabin or something somewhere, you know, like in the woods or what have you, and they had to kind of track him down. And he demanded that he, you know, got this final line while David Seltzer was practically hanging on the other end of the phone.

Isn't that right, Pete? That's correct. He was on vacation. Yeah. He had left Germany. Yes. So is it one of those things where they came to you and said, instead of this line, you guys are going to have this exchange? And then Gene Wilder dropped that one? I don't think, no. By the time that we did the scene, David had written what you heard. So I don't think there was any disagreement, at least not to me. Maybe Gene, you know,

it's possible Gene, you know, looked at the script and said, I don't know, you know, he didn't like what they had written, but by the time it came to me, it was, it was set. So I've still got it in my script. I still have a copy of my script and it is as went out, but I think the ink was fairly wet when it was. You got a lot of things from that set. The list keeps growing. Of course, I'm a group of folks. But the script, you know, Roald Dahl, you know, he's, he's listed on the credits as writing, you know, the screenplay.

He did not. David Seltzer did. You know, Roald Dahl, you know, was, you know, had such disagreements with Mel Stewart and Stan that he pretty much quickly divorced himself from the project. And so he's there in name only. David Seltzer really wrote the screenplay. Poor David. And by the way, the perfect line ever to end that movie with. I mean, brilliant. Yeah, yeah.

If you read the book alongside it, which I have done recently, I read it during lockdown, you'll see that lots of the script is lifted from the book. So you can see the kind of Roald Dahl bit. But then I would imagine that some of these, the jokes and things were the David Seltzer part. So yeah. Well, what do you make of it? Because I heard that initially, there was a thought by Mel Stewart, the director of wanting to reveal that Willy Wonka had strategically placed those golden tickets in order to give you, Peter, aka Charlie,

the factory, that this was all pre-planned and that he knew exactly who the five children were going to be. What's your theory on it? I know nothing about that. No, seriously. I, this is the first time I've heard about that, but, uh, I read that. I read that Mel Stewart wanted that and then that they, they dropped the idea because, but then they, they left the hints because how else would Slugworth, I mean, who was really Mr. Wilkinson have known he was always, he was very creepy. He was, he was a lurker. Yeah. And I, you know, I'd like to complain to the management anyway, because Veruca Salt was Wilkinson have known he was always, he was very creepy. He was a lurker. Yeah. And I, you know, I'd like to complain to the management anyway, because Veruca Salt was the only one that didn't have a film crew there when her ticket was found. That's a good point. It's very unlike Veruca.

It's very unlike Veruca. So now that you are in your sixties and maybe have grandkids as well as kids possibly? I've got, I have one, just coming up to one. My granddaughter Amber will be one in December. And you both, you both have kids. No grandchildren from myself. Not yet. Well, let's go back to when you did first get to show it to them. And you see that movie through your own children's eyes for the first time. What was that like? I've got a very strong, I mean, I can't remember the first time. They sort of grow up and I remember showing it to them and I think my daughter fell asleep the first time and, you know, wasn't hugely impressed. I think she was a little young. But then they kind of grew

up and it was always just part of the family folklore, kind of like, oh yeah, mum was in that and I'm guessing it was the same for Pete. I don't know. But we did a convention in Florida. And Pete's son, Leaf, and my son, Barney, they were similar ages. And they sat eating chocolate and watching it on a loop for a whole day, I believe. Do you remember that, Pete? I do. And they never wanted to see it again after. Impossible. I mean, they kind of grew up with it, you know, and it's again, it's, you know, looking back, it's kind of, you know, as my parents said, they took, you know, home movies, you know, and it's just kind of in the attic, the history of our family. It's a great trivia question, whatever happened to Charlie Bucket?

It's like any fan of the movie has Googled that a million times and looked at your picture and compared it to when you were a boy. I've made my children do that. Oh, by the way, I have to ask you, because I asked my kids. They were almost as excited for this interview as I am. I said, what, what would you want to ask them if you could ask them any question? And they wanted to know if you could play another role in the movie, whose would you have chosen? I wouldn't want anybody else's. I really wasn't. I'm happy with what I got. I, you know, I got a song and I got to smash things up and I got to be mean and nasty. And I had all the fun parts. I would not want to be in that styrofoam ball

being rolled around and turned blue and all of that. No, that wouldn't be fun. And being sent through TV, nah, I really didn't fancy that. The fizzy lifting, I wouldn't have mind to go at. That would have been quite fun, although it was quite uncomfortable, wasn't it, Pete? It was. They just had you suspended by ropes or what was that? Well, piano wires, very small wires. So it was easier for me than Jack. Is there somebody, if you had to switch a role? I got to say Gene. You know, I was being groomed for willie wonka

it couldn't be anybody else i love that and i love how in the movie he's without knowing he's gonna have this special bond with willie wonka is defensive of him in scenes and you can just you can feel it coming you know you know it's eventually going to come i love that he kept surprising you guys that he not only did he do the somersault but i guess his creepiness on the boat was unexpected oh completely completely i mean it was scripted you know the the lines but uh not the way he delivered it so great to keep you guessing and i I also read, Pete, there was something about the that end scene in the office that was unexpected for you. Is that true? Correct. You know, similar to the boat scene. I mean, Gene did not let on, you know, the veracity, how, you know, the screaming, the yelling, you know, the high intensity, you know, that the scene would be. And, and again, he wanted, you know, my, my, you know, primary reaction, you know.

So rehearsal was, was probably kept to a minimum. And I don't recall, we didn't do very many takes, you know, of that scene. One, it was towards the end, well, it was at the very end of the film and we were both like, okay, let's get this done. You know, time to wrap this up. Plane was taxiing down the runway at that point. Exactly. But again, very little rehearsal, you know.

So, and Gene wanted it that way and he little rehearsal, you know, so, and Gene wanted it that way. And he hit it, you know, you know, first or second time. And my reaction was my reaction. It was perfection. And even the script, you know, for you not to say anything in response for you just to place the gobstopper down with the simple Mr. Wonka. So good. So perfect. The line, so shines a good deed in a weary world. Right. Oh my gosh, that's right. So beautiful. There are so many lines that sometimes you hear now and they've kind of become almost, I don't know, like sort of little folklore, little expressions that people use. And I think, yeah, I know where that came from. You know, oh, he's got the golden ticket. Yep. Know where that came from. And people will say that. So shines a good deed in a weary world. It gets quoted. So I love the fact that those things happen. That stuff's nice. But I tell you, as you know,

I mean, if you're a true fan of the movie movie you're very annoying to watch the movie with because you know every line i mean it's like the little lines that always delighted me and kelly mcginnis the one i watched it with everything like rachmaninoff you know like whatever you know he's in the room he's getting smaller no it's not he's getting bigger random stupid lines that really didn't amount to anything that you just will say over and over because every line of yours, Julie. So but let me ask you now, because I'm, I, I, you've been so generous with your time, but I have to ask you, why has the movie endured? There have been many wonderful films over time, including films directed at children that have not had this kind of enduring legacy. So what do people love about this film? I'll do Peter and then Julie. You can, and you've mentioned this, Megan, you can watch it with your family and your kids come

away with a little bit different take on it than what you do. The humor is kind of targeted at various levels. So people of all ages can watch this and take something different from it. The fact that if you do well, you're an honest person, you know, things are going to probably turn out okay for you. And that's not a bad message to have, you know, going forward. The other thing that I think that really makes the film kind of fun is all the different, you know, smaller scenes when they're looking for the golden ticket. You know, one of my favorite scenes is the Dan Rather scene when all the golden tickets have been found and found and and you know he's lamenting that there aren't any more tickets out there and says you know but there's many more important things

many more important things you know important to us and offhand i can't think of what they are you know i mean just those i love those differences so and the other little guy who says uh the guy who says uh i am now telling the computer exactly what it can do with a lifetime supply of chocolate exactly the wonderful woman whose husband has been kidnapped and she says how long have i got to think it over i just love it love it they're all wonderful they're all stunning those things so what do you think julie? Why? Why has it endured? I agree with Pete because it is a moral tale, isn't it? And we want to believe and hope that good things happen to good people and the bad people are going to get it. And we like to believe

that that's kind of karma taking care of itself. And so it is the ultimate dream that, you know, yeah, if you're a nice person, then things will come right in the end. And yeah, we all need a little bit more of that right now. Right. That's sin, you know, gluttony, greed, rudeness, idleness is not rewarded. It's not rewarded. It's punished. And that the kid who does what he thinks is right is kind, can be rewarded with a lifetime of goodness. Parents will love it because it's a slightly moral tale. You see kids, I told you, don't speak with your mouth full and don't be rude like that because you'll go down the garbage chute or be shrunk or blow up or whatever it is. So, you know, it's a moral tale for parents.

Kids quite like seeing other kids get their comeuppance. They do quite like that. You know, we've all had the bullies at school and we go, yeah, good. So, you know, we like to see that. And then, you know, I'll be still my beating heart, but there is Charlie. It's true.

And who doesn't like chocolate? Exactly right. Listen, to quote the man in the airport who put it so succinctly. Thank you. Thank you so emotional. That really meant so much to me. I don't totally have it figured out why, but I don't know. You know, it's like, I don't get overwhelmed by celebrity. That's for sure. I don't really care about celebrities at all. If anything, I have a negative association with most of them. Um, but for them, it's about like something more, you know, it's like when that movie came out, as they mentioned on DVD or back then it then it was VHS, I had lost my dad recently. And my best friend Kelly and I used to sit there and watch it. And it really was an escape.

You know, it's an escape in so many ways into something magical and wonderful and visually delightful and just away from whatever you're trying to escape. And back then we didn't have the iPhones or the iPads or devices. And so it's very rare you can find a collection of people with whom you have nothing but a positive association. Like an actor, for example, who you just look at and have nothing but great thoughts about. Especially in today's day and age, where they're political, and they're trying to lecture us about this, that are the other.

And that these guys didn't do that. And I think it's almost, it's more important that Peter never went on to play another role. Like maybe that's helped preserve my love for him in the film. And I never saw Julie in another role, although she did have a successful career in acting across the pond, but it's almost sort of helped preserve the legacy. And I certainly never looked at Gene Wilde.

I mean, I know he did Blazing Saddles and he did Silver Streak and he did all these wonderful movies. But like in Young Frankenstein, for me, he will always be the one role. Like there could never be another. So I didn't expect to be this emotional. I think you probably can relate to something, to this in some way. Maybe you have a film or a song, right? Or some memory like that that just brings back a different time.

You know, the passage of time, it always brings tears if you really think about it. But these are bittersweet ones, right? It was like those two actors and Gene Wilder, all of them have brought me a lot of joy over the course of my life. So thank you for indulging me and spending this hour with me, which was my Christmas present to myself. And I hope to some extent to all of you too. Today's episode was brought to you in part by Home Title Lock. Put a barrier around your home to protect yourself from home title theft. Go to hometitlelock.com now to learn more.

I want to tell you before I let you go that, you know, been a lot of crying on this show and there could be reason for even more coming up on our next show. Actually, I didn't cry, but I did laugh hard and had some really funny reactions. In fact, my senior producer, Debbie Murphy, who's been with me for 12 years, she's a hardened news person. She really has no heart. She actually told me this was her favorite interview of mine, this next one coming up. Canadian Debbie. We actually got her excited. And you know who it is? It's Father Jonathan Morris, who is father no longer. He left the

church. My priest left the church, leaving the status of my now-baptized children in jeopardy. It's hanging. Does it count or doesn't it? No, it's really not about my kids, but it is about his story, how he became a priest, which is actually very funny in and of itself, the way it happened, and how he just recently decided to leave the priesthood and the woman behind the story, or at least who came into the picture. So we have them both in an interview you will love. Trust me, I don't care what your faith is or whether you don't or aren't a person of faith, you're going to love this exchange. I don't think you're going to be able to turn it off. So that's on Friday. That's Christmas. So tune in when you have your downtime after you're like you're punch drunk from all the presents and the coffee and all that stuff. You got nothing to do and there's some football on.

And I don't know. You're looking for like a little way to escape for an hour from all the toy trains going off and the new loud presents that the rude uncle gave your kids that never shut up. Come away for an hour with me on Friday. Looking forward to it. And before we get there, Merry Christmas. Thanks for listening to The Megyn Kelly Show. No BS, no agenda, and no fear. The Megyn Kelly Show is a Devil May Care media production in collaboration with Red Seat Ventures.