Why Hugh Grant Got 'Disturbing' Oompa-Loompa Nudes From The Wonka Director
"Wonka" is shaping up to be one of the year's sweetest surprises. The new film, which stars Timothée Chalamet as a young, entrepreneurial Willy Wonka, is director Paul King's big-screen follow-up to "Paddington 2." The musical dramedy, consequently, stars a handful of actors that King worked with on his two "Paddington" films, including Sally Hawkins, Tom Davis, and Simon Farnaby. It even features "Paddington 2" scene-stealer Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa named Lofty, and the actor says that his role in "Wonka" resulted in him receiving a disturbing surprise from King.
In an interview with People, Grant revealed that King sent him a mock-up of his Oompa-Loompa with zero clothes on early in the editing process for "Wonka." The actor was understandably shocked to receive the image, though he says that King only sent him the mock-up because he wanted to "amuse" him. King, meanwhile, revealed that the image was created as he and the "Wonka" effects team were working out the physical details of Grant's character, including his orange skin color and green hair. As a result, the early animated version of Grant's Oompa-Loompa was completely nude, which King found hilarious and unnerving in equal measure.
"It was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen in my life," King admitted. "If it ever leaks out, a generation of children will be scarred." Lest anyone think otherwise, the "Wonka" director also noted that the mock-up was pixelated in certain places to ensure that it wasn't too salacious. "There was nothing untoward," he added. "It's just something once you've seen, you can't unsee."
Hugh Grant and Paul King are on the same 'wavelength'
Hugh Grant has been very upfront about how much he hated playing an Oompa-Loompa in "Wonka," which required him to wear an uncomfortable motion capture suit and try to envision how his performance would ultimately be rendered. At the same time, it's also clear that he's maintained a very positive relationship with director Paul King. The actor revealed as much in his interview with People, observing, "We seem to be on a wavelength." King, for his part, told the outlet that he didn't have to try very hard to get Grant to join "Wonka" as an Oompa-Loompa.
"I think he has a very pleasing lack of vanity. He's very happy to look as ridiculous as I ask him to — I got him in a dog suit eating dog food in 'Paddington 2.' I think once he'd done that, he'd already hit bottom," the director joked. "This was coming back up in the dignity state."
Fortunately, it seems like King and Grant's ongoing collaboration has produced another effectively sweet, memorable movie. Indeed, the early reviews for "Wonka" have been overwhelmingly positive. Contrary to what some people may have initially predicted, many have asserted that King actually does stick the landing with "Wonka." Whether or not its critical reception will boost its box office earnings remains to be seen. Either way, it doesn't seem that King and Grant are sick of each other yet, which means they may work together again in the future.
For what it's worth, it won't be the least bit surprising if they do. The two, after all, seem to share a similarly dry yet absurd sense of humor.