Child Star From Famous Roald Dahl Movie Earns Royalty Peanuts?

A famous movie from 1971 was based on a story by Roald Dahl, but a child star might as as well earn a handful of peanuts for his efforts now. Read on to find out who it is, and what happened to them.

Who Was The Kid?

The child star, a young teen when the movie premiered, played the role of Charlie in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was immensely popular and still is. To this day, it’s a family favorite during the holiday season. But it seems that Peter Ostrum isn’t profiting off it five decades later.

On Instagram this week, @thebusinessmagnets reminded movie fans that Peter Ostrum earns in the region of $10 to $11 each month in royalties. Actually, that’s a bit higher than some articles reported in the past.

In their caption, they claimed:

Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), left acting after this one iconic role. Inspired by a vet who helped his family’s horse, he became a veterinarian and worked with large animals for decades. Even now, he still receives small royalty payments from the film every few months—a nice bonus from a childhood classic that continues to captivate audiences.

Is The Claim True?

The claim that the child star went on to become a veterinarian is correct. Screenrant reported on it two years ago. The outlet noted that the lead star, Gene Wilder, nurtured the boy after talent agents had scouted him out. Although Ostrum was offered more contracts, he “never acted again.”

As for the pittance that the now veterinarian receives, that also seems to be true, according to The Daily Mail. Three days ago, the outlet reported, “Peter said he makes around $8 to $9 in royalties every three months from the film being shown on TV.” However, they also noted that Ostrum earned a lot of money as a child star: in the region of “$4 million.”

Movie Fans Respond To The News

Some fans slammed the agents for the peanuts that get paid out now. And others wondered why the royalties are so small for such a popular movie. However, others felt happy that Charlie grew up to do a job that he loves.

One fan said they met him, noting, “he really is a veterinarian he’s come on my family farm multiple times to do checkups on our cows.”

Here are a few other responses from the comments:

• That’s gotta be a joke. 10 measely dollars for such an iconic film? No way I can’t believe it.
• Am I mathing wrong? 2025-1971 is 54 years, that is 216-three-months-period, so say $10 for each period = $2,160 so far in royalties?
• Ironically, not enough to buy a chocolate bar in the UK!!

What are your thoughts? Shout out in the comments below, and come back here often for all your celebrity news and updates.