Willy Wonka actor sweet treat on Jeopardy
Mike Teevee (or Teavee for all you Roald Dahl purists out there) is a legend — it’s undeniable.
He was not only the fourth winner of the Golden Ticket to enter Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but he spent his entire childhood watching television, growing violence- obsessed with more than a slight anger management problem. Of course, he managed to annoy Wonka, eventually finding himself expelled from the tour of the factory, and thus leaving Charlie Bucket to be the chosen one. So, really, he did us all a favour.
In the iconic 1971 film adaptation of Dahl’s novel, Teevee was played by young actor Paris Themmen.
Themmen didn’t go on to do much of any acting, only making his television debut this week — almost five decades later, appearing as a contestant on Jeopardy. On the show, Themmen managed to keep his chocolatey history a secret, being introduced as an “entrepreneur” and “avid backpacker” who has trav- elled to over 60 countries.
Fortunately, viewers began to pick up on the secret, as one tweeted, “Why wouldn’t Paris Themmen mention the most amazing fact he had about himself?”
Themmen came in second place on the episode, winning an adorable US$6,800.
While the majority of the Wonka cast did not con- tinue acting, they do reunite regularly at fan conventions. Themmen last joined his former co- stars in 2015 on the Today show to discuss the legacy of the film and novel.
“We think of ourselves as a family, maybe a bit of a dysfunctional family, but a family really,” Themmen said at the time.