 Pete Ostrom and you might remember me as the original Charlie Bucket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. My earliest experience on stage as an actor was at the Cleveland Playhouse and I was exposed to theater probably when I was 10-11 years old and I thought that that looked like something that I would really like to do. And I had the opportunity to be on the stage and that gave me a way to express what I like to do and it was a great outlet. The film came along and I had the opportunity I was in the right place at the right time. You know people would say well don't even try because there's no way there's no chance that you're ever gonna be in a film. You know you have nothing to lose. You know I said sure I'll try out knowing that I probably wouldn't get the part but but as luck would have it I did. You know that was the only film I ever made. My life went in a different direction. I'm a veterinarian and that you know totally different career but it's what I like to do and again it was that was a long shot. You know even now getting into veterinary school is very difficult but unless you try unless you give it your best shot you never know. If you don't try you're guaranteed to fail. You know if you do try hey it may work out for you. I hate to say that it was worn and done my career but it really was as far as the film industry but I never I enjoyed doing it. I had a great time fond memories but it's never I didn't think that the film industry was something that I wanted to pursue my entire life and I had other opportunities other interests and I followed those paths. What I like to think about is if you could only make one film this was the film to be in because here we are 50 years later and people are still talking about it they have fond memories it's like three or four generations of people that have enjoyed watching this movie and there's not very many films that we can say that about. Wizard of Oz yes and now I think Willy Wonka can be kind of in that same category so it's almost 50 years you know next year we'll be celebrating or a night in in 2021 we'll be celebrating the 50th so it was a short career but this film is kind of made my brief career last a very long time. Countless people have said oh the the character Charlie that it made a big influence on their life and to be involved with that it's very humbling. I do believe you know why this film resonates with so many people and you know younger generations and older generations there's a little bit of everything in the film for people but you know the role of Charlie and that if you do good things you know good things are gonna happen to you you know be honest be kind be humble you know good things happen to Charlie and and and that's a good message for people to remember. Gene Wilder and Jack Alberts and you know they both both of them kind of took me under their wing they were they were pros they were professionals you know had long careers by the time Willy Wonka came out I was a rookie you know I didn't know anything but they were very patient and very kind and again it was a great experience to be involved with those guys so nothing but you know positive things positive accolades for for both of them they were great. I'm all about education for kids and public school systems and we talk about STEM you know we talk about science technology engineering math but it's not complete it should be steam so we've got to include the arts you know school systems are only as you can tell how strong a school system is how strong a school is by how strong their arts department is if they have photography if they have music if they have art if they have those incorporated into the curriculum the school is really really good if they don't have that then the school system is not as positive it's not as good you got to include art I love the Renaissance period my wife is an artist and she mainly her medium is watercolor a lot of pastel but mainly watercolor and you could put me in a room and I couldn't do that in a hundred years I don't have that talent I don't have that ability so I'm impressed by people that can look at something and then get it on paper so we all have unique talents being an artist in the physical media that's not what I do I was a little bit of an actor but people that are true artists like my wife it's it's an amazing process so I have great respect for for what people do in that area coming up on our 50th hopefully we'll have a hundredth anniversary too and when people watch this film and Peter Roaster me was never in any other film you know wonder what happened to him one people to remember you know as a 12 year old kid Charlie Bucket had a great role but then he went on to do other things in a totally different profession as a veterinarian made a great contribution in that area I have two kids who are extremely important to me I'd like them to think that I was a really great father and that at the end of the day I was a good person