Willy Wonka - Peter Ostrum
Peter Ostrum had probably the shortest film career of
any successful child star. Although he had acted in a
local children's theater before being selected
to play Charlie in "Willy Wonka & the
Chocolate Factory," Ostrum chose to leave
acting after the movie was completed. He was offered
a contract to make additional films, but Ostrum just
wanted to go back to being a regular kid again.
Ostrum, who was 14 when he made "Willy
Wonka," completed high school and then attended
Cornell University's medical school to study
animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. Today he is
a successful veterinarian, working with large farm
animals.