Wonka star dishes on Oompa Loompas-Colo Chocolate Festival

Chris Parente interviews Denise Nickerson who played Violet Beauregard in the original Willy Wonka film in this promo for the annual Colorado Chocolate Festival. The oompa loompas were heavy drinkers, it turns out... and that bluberry suit....

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• wonka
• willy
• oompa
• loompa
• colorado
• chocolate
• festival
• chris
• parente
• denise
• nickerson

[headhurtz8]

the schmuck reporter kept calling denise nickerson "violet" as if it were her real name! i'm sure denise loves to be recognized and appear at wonka reunions but she does have a non-stage identity--denise nickerson!!! i always had a crush on denise on "electric company " and in the movie "smile"(when she was 17 or 18) and she is just as cute now as then!!

[danacain7]

Actually, Chris Parente is a FABULOUS reporter, and a HUGE fan of Denise and she loves him to pieces, too. He's interviewed her more than once and she adores him! And - being called "Violet" isn't a bad as when I screwed up her name tag and it said "Dense Nickerson!" Who knew that was such an easy typo!?

[grumpypant]

I'm really with you on the original version, Chris; the remake with Johnny Depp mucho sucko---in my opinion!

[Charla1606]

@chamberl I agree!

[Tonyo1221]

@DNickersViolet Are you Violet from Willy Wonka??

[DNickersViolet]

@Tonyo1221 OMG! How wonderful to see this post! Please contact me at Denise_Nickerson@comcast.net

[chamberl]

you are right, headhurtz, but I would have called him a dork instead of a schmuck. And apparently the Johnny Depp version was truer to the story, until that idiotic part where he went and searched for his father. What the was that? And even though it may have been truer to the story, the original one (Gene Wilder) was much better.

[Tonyo1221]

what an idiot reporter!

[dtw1958]

My boss for 12 years and mentor, Marion Dougherty cast Denise in Dark Shadows, Willie Wonka, and Smile. I didn't know that about The Exorcist, but it would make sense as Marion and her Asscoiate Juliet cast The Exorcist too. There is a documentary being made about Marion and "Casting", and would love to be able to get a hold of Denise to tell her audition stories.

[DRIVEIN101]

I first knew Denise on "The Electric Company", then "Willy Wonka". She's the only one from the movie I have met thus far at an autograph show about six years ago. She still looks wonderful and is a sweetheart!

[freedomnow29]

@MVR326 Yes, Denise was originally going to be cast as Regan Mcneil but her parents pulled her out and Linda Blair was used instead.

[robbiesyohn]

@MVR326 Dana Plato (Different Strokes), Denise Nickerson,Susan Swift (Audrey Rose, Harper Valley PTA, Halloween H20) all auditioned for the part of Regan McNeil. Jane Fonda was to be cast as Chris McNeil but turned down the part. Shirley McLaine was also to be Chris mcNeil.

[oceanbreathessalty]

Green faces and orange hair? You mean green hair and orange faces? Hahaha