Veruca Salt actress Julie Dawn Cole on why we love watching Wonka at Christmas and her own tradition with film’s child stars-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro

Veruca Salt actress Julie Dawn Cole has given her two cents on why Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is such a Christmas fiim (Picture: Warner Bros/Getty Images)

To many, it’s a Christmas tradition as strong as putting up the tree and eating turkey.

You might have it on in the background while wrapping presents, sing along to the tunes after a few mulled wines, or settle in with it while dozing off after the big Christmas Day lunch.

That said, it’s not actually a Christmas film.

We’re talking – not about Die Hard, the ultimate ‘not a Christmas film’, but Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 1979 absolute classic starring the legendary Gene Wilder.

It also stars one of the greatest line-up of villains of any movie, made all the sweeter (pun absolutely intended) by the fact they’re all essentially harmless, and they’re all children.

This Christmas, Metro.co.uk talked to the ultimate villain of the Wonka kids, Veruca Salt herself, to pick her brain about why the film is still so beloved, and a major part of so many people’s Christmasses.

And, as Veruca actress Julie Dawn Cole says, ‘we like to see the bad people in life get their comeuppance’ – especially at Christmas.

The beloved Roald Dahl adaption is a staple in many households around Christmas time (Picture: Warner Bros/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)

Veruca actress Julie says she notices people tagging her on social media more often in the lead-up to Christmas (Picture: FilmMagic)

Chatting to Julie over the phone in the lead-up to Christmas, she takes note of the accent straight away, and says Willy Wonka as a Christmas tradition is ‘huge, particularly in Ireland.’

‘I think the first time I realised quite what the impact of it was, Westlife was asked in an interview what they’d be doing at Christmas and they said “watching Willy Wonka,”‘ she laughed.

‘People do tag me on social media closer to Christmas. It starts with Halloween because there’s always somebody who wants to dress up as Veruca.

‘The year before last, Dolly Parton dressed up as me and by God, she rocked that red dress – she looked amazing! And I think Sharon Osbourne did it the following year. There’s always someone – so it starts around Halloween.

‘Then people keep messaging me… Wonka tree ornaments, and they’re like “You’re hanging on our tree this year!”‘

When it comes to the film itself and why we take such great comfort in watching it around the holidays, despite it not being an outright Christmas film, Julie has some theories.

‘It might give off Christmas vibes because of the feel-good factor,’ she mused.

The ‘schadenfreud’ of the kids getting their comeuppance gives it a ‘feel good factor’ for Christmas, Julie suggests (Picture: Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock)

‘We like a happy ending, we want that happy ending at Christmas. We also kind of like to see the bad people in life get their comeuppance. There’s a degree of schadenfreud at other people’s misfortune.

‘For lots of people that’s the first time, as a kid, where you’re watching it and being glad that someone is in trouble!’

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory brings back special memories of childhood for lots of people, and not just at Christmas, she added.

‘It might have been the movie you watched when you were sick or having a tough time, your parents were arguing or your sister was mean to you. Everybody has a reason for escaping to it so it takes everyone back to their own personal recollection.’

As for whether Julie herself is anything like her famously spoiled character, she laughs and admits people often ask her and the other ‘Wonka kids’ this question.

Julie is in touch with the rest of the ‘Wonka kids’ and are planning a virtual reunion soon – their own Christmas tradition (Picture: Nick Skinner)

‘Us kids, Wonka kids, we talk about the Wonka effect – if you’re having a rotten day and you let slip, or they discover you were that [character] everything changes. You can see the years lift off their face, it goes back to everybody’s childhood it’s so strange to see that. But it does take everybody to a personal place, it means something different to everybody.’

The Wonka kids – aka the actors behind Mike Teavee, Violet Beauregarde, Charlie Bucket and Augustus Gloop – have their own Christmas traditions, as they meet up virtually every year in the lead-up to the big day, though Violet actress Denise Nickerson sadly died in 2019.

‘We always try and do a joint call it the run-up to Christmas so we’re all still in touch with each other,’ she says.

‘One is in Los Angeles, another in Munich, another in New York, me over here. We all raise a glass of sloe gin and have some chocolate.’

While she is nothing like Veruca in real life, Julie is immensely proud of her role in the film and in 2011 even released a memoir, I Want It All.

And now a grandmother to two little girls, is creating new Christmas traditions with them – but they don’t involve watching her famous film just yet.

Julie cherishes her time on the film and even wrote a memoir abut it, titled I Want It Now (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)

‘We’ll be having a traditional Christmas lunch, much to my daughter’s dislike, she doesn’t like turkey but I’m arguing turkey is the tradition. I make everything. I love homemade everything. I homemaker the mince meat for the mince pies, homemade Christmas pudding, homemade cake, and more recently, homemade sloe gin.

‘I would always say we have to eat lunch and sit down and watch the Queen’s speech, but I don’t think I ever made it as I’d always have fallen asleep by then. Possibly because of the gin!’

Julie’s grandchildren, two girls aged three and one, haven’t yet watched Wonka, though she showed the older girl ‘a little clip of it wondering what she’d make of it.’

‘I’m not going to let her see the boat scene or some of the other things that happen. But the opening credits, I think she’d quite enjoy that. She’d quite enjoy the chocolate! But the rest… I think we’ll have to gauge it carefully.

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‘I have to be very careful because my daughter got quite confused when she was younger and she told her teacher that “when mummy was little, mummy was very spoiled and got everything she wants.”

‘When I went to parents’ evening that was very interesting.’

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