Where Are They Now- Charlie Bucket From Willie Wonka

Aged just 12 years old in 1971, actor Peter Ostrum was plucked from the obscurity of the Cleveland Playhouse children's theatre to play the role of Charile Bucket in the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's classic Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

Casting agents singled out Ostrum after a nationwide search to find the perfect Charlie and invited him to New York for a screen test. A month after the screen test, Ostrum, fearing the worst, was shocked to receive a call telling him to pack his bags, he'd got the role and was off to Germany in ten days to begin filming.

"It was like being an exchange student for five months," said Ostrum.

When the film wrapped, Ostrum was offered a golden ticket to fame (a five-picture deal) by producers but turned it down, as, he explains, "I was anxious to become just another kid again."

To date, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory remains Ostrum's only film appearance. He is currently a vet. Shortly after filming ended in Germany, Ostrum returned to the family home in Ohio and was soon fixated with the new family pet - a horse.

"I can remember the vet coming out and taking care of the horse, and it made a huge impression on me. This person really enjoyed what he did for a living."

An article on Ostrum in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that Ostrum's love for animals grew as he got older and in 1984 he received his DVM degree from Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.

He currently lives in rural New York state as a vet to large farm animals and has two children, Helenka and Leif.

In his spare time, Dr Ostrum visits schools in his community to talk about his experiences as an actor and a vet and how one's life changes with the decision one makes. Ostrum is also a keen runner and finished in first place (in his age group) at the 2001 Lake Placid Half Marathon