Paris Themmen, the former child actor who played Mike Teevee in the 1971 film "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," has reflected on the movie’s slow-building cultural impact in a new interview, 54 years after its release. Now 66, Themmen said the film was not an immediate commercial hit but later grew into a beloved staple of family viewing.
Themmen, who was 11 when he filmed the role, recalled spending nine weeks shooting in Munich, Germany, and described the experience as a continual adventure. He singled out the film’s signature Chocolate Room as the most impressive set on the production, noting it was built by Harper Goff, a designer borrowed from Disney who also worked on the Nautilus for "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
In the interview with ReMIND magazine, Themmen said the film "came and went" after its initial theatrical run and that its popularity surged only after it began appearing on cable television. "I think they made their million bucks back for the budget of the film," he said, adding that the movie became appointment television when networks began airing it annually, beginning around Thanksgiving. "Right around that time, I would say that’s probably the mid-to-late '80s, it started to become clear that it was going to have legs and continue to be popular for years."
Critically the film received positive notices and several award nominations, but it did not register as a major box office success in 1971. Over time, audiences embraced its whimsical sets, dark humor and Gene Wilder’s portrayal of the enigmatic chocolatier, and the movie has since been widely regarded as a childhood touchstone for multiple generations. The film was adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
Themmen described how some moments captured on film were genuine reactions. He said his surprised expression upon entering the Chocolate Room was real and may have been taken from a second take. He also recounted on-set memories involving his co-stars: Julie Dawn Cole, who played Veruca Salt, reportedly snuck into the set early and had a picnic by the river before cast members were allowed inside.
The actor said the child cast did sample some of the confectionery props. "I ate some of the gum that I jumped up and down for father gum tree," he recalled, adding that the three-course gum in the Inventing Room was particularly enjoyable. He said prop staff later rationed the sweets to preserve them for filming.
After "Willy Wonka," Themmen stepped away from full-time acting to experience a more ordinary adolescence, though he returned occasionally to television, commercials and stage work. In later years he has appeared at fan conventions, run a photography business and founded Access International, a travel service that arranged charter flights to Europe for backpackers. Themmen also made a surprise appearance as a contestant on "Jeopardy!" in 2018, introducing himself as an entrepreneur and avid traveler; he finished second with $6,800.
Themmen continues to make sporadic appearances in commercials and stage productions and signs autographs for fans. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nikki Grillos. The film’s transition from modest box-office performer to perennial family favorite underscores how television exposure and generational viewing habits reshaped the legacy of a picture that has become a persistent part of popular culture.