Timothée Chalamet's high school rapping videos helped him outshine other actors vying for the "Wonka" lead role.
Warner Bros. moved the "Wonka" release date from March 17 to Dec. 15, but it hyped the fans already with the trailer it unveiled before the premiere. The movie, which is a prequel to the hit "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," tapped Chalamet after seeing his high school rap videos, the director confirmed.
How Timothée Chalamet's Rapping Videos Helped Him Secure Willy Wonka's Role
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, "Wonka" director Paul King said Chalamet's rap videos taken when he was in high school helped him confirm that the "Dune" actor was the perfect one for the role.
"So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well," he said after seeing Chalamet's videos having thousands of views on YouTube. "And I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn't know how good he was. When I spoke to him he was quite keen."
King also took note of the actor's tap dancing when he was in high school, saying Chalamet wants people to see he can do it.
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Before King approved Chalamet to portray the titular role, the stars of the 1971 "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" also gave their thumbs up to see the young actor play the character in a prequel.
In a previous interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Peter Ostrum, Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), Nuchaek Bolner (Augustus Gloop), and Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) said Chalamet has the same vibes as Gene Wilder, who played the role in the movie adaptation of the 1964 book before Johnny Depp's version was released.
According to the cast members, Chalamet can follow Wilder's character, who is famous for singing and dancing in the film.
Timothée Chalamet Can Also Sing
Aside from "Wonka," Chalamet has also been selected to play Bob Dylan's role in the musician's upcoming biopic.
The biopic's director James Mangold revealed in an interview with Collider that the actor would not be lip-syncing in the movie. The flick will focus on Dylan's life as a 19-year-old aspiring singer who comes to New York with a few dollars in his pocket and becomes an international singing sensation within three years.
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