Josh O’Connor Says He Would Love To Play A Dark Version Of Willy Wonka

Josh O’Connor is currently starring in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and recently revealed what character he would love to play in the future.

In a recent interview, the actor said he is open to giving like to a “dark” version of the Willy Wonka character from Roal Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

“I would love to play Willy Wonka,” O’Connor said in an interview with WSJ Magazine. “But like a dark Willy Wonka.”

O’Connor acknowledged that Timothée Chalamet starred in Wonkaan origin story to the Willy Wonka character, recently.

“But I would really like to play a story of darker version of him,” he added.

The Crown actor also noted that Gene Wilder’s version of the character from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory “is very dark.”

“It’s not dark in a sinister way. I think he’s a really angry man,” he said. “These kids win a competition to go around the chocolate factory and they all seemingly disappear. I mean, it’s sort of mad and dark. So I think they’re just playing the truth of it.”

Apart from Wilder and Chalamet giving life to Willy Wonka, Johnny Depp also took a turn as the character in Tim Burton’s 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake.

O’Connor is known for his roles in 2020’s Emma, Peaky Blindersand The Crownseries in which he won at the Golden Globes and Primetime Emmys for portraying Charles, the Prince of Wales.

In ChallengersO’Connor stars as tennis player Patrick Zweig opposite Zendaya and Mike Faist.