Timothée Chalamet had people raising their eyebrows when he was cast as Willy Wonka on "Wonka." Many thought that Jeremy Allen White, who is the spitting image of Gene Wilder, deserved the role more.
However, people were actually gagged when they saw Chalamet's portrayal of the erratic chocolatier on screen with his outstanding performance, including his vocal chops that people initially doubted.
Critics are one in their sentiments - Chalamet crushed the role!
Timothée Chalamet, 'Wonka' Reviews
According to Rotten Tomatoes, "Wonka" received generally positive reviews, 84% of 241 critics' reviews are positive, which translates to a 7.3 out of 10 rating.
According to The Guardian, the film was an "absolute Christmas treat," describing it as " spectacular, imaginative, sweet-natured and funny." For Chalameet's performance, the publication even admitted that they had enjoyed his portrayal more compared to Wilder and Johnny Depp's performances.
"At this point it is hard to call Timothée Chalamet a revelation as he keeps turning in one wildly different performance after another, and now he proves you can add singing and dancing to the list. But he does both with unmistakable charm and seeming ease," Deadline said in their rave review.
Unbeknownst to many, Chalamet has a theatre background, along with musical classes. "Wonka" director Paul King revealed to Rolling Stone that he offered the role to Chalamet only because he watched his high school musical performances on YouTube. Chalamet graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City where the likes of Nicki Minaj, Ansel Elgort, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and more graduated.
Chalamet has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards.
READ ALSO: Golden Globe Awards Nominations 2024: All Musicians, Singers That Are Nominated
Although Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B grade, they couldn't help but gush on Chalamet's performance.
"Chalamet carries the thrust of the film (and Wilder's legacy) admirably on his slight shoulders. He's a warm and winning Wonka, infusing the character with a fanciful sense of humour and a guileless enthusiasm. Every so often, he dips into madness, a wink toward Wilder's more unpredictable chocolatier, but he also makes the character wholly his own," the publication wrote.
Speaking to People Magazine, vocal coach Eric Vetro revealed that Chalamet was "naturally musical" in his role in "Wonka."
"The thing about him is that he's very, very naturally musical. He has a lot of music in him," Vetro gushed about the Oscar-nominated actor. "But what's really special about him, he's such a brilliant actor that he brings that side of his talent into the singing. So, he's really singing as a character and bringing those songs alive."
READ MORE: Timothée Chalamet 'Naturally Musical' In 'Wonka' Role: Vocal Coach
