Fan Casting Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie Bucket is a title character and the protagonist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and the film adaptations of these books. He is depicted as a kind-hearted, nice, selfless, sweet and brave boy that lives with his mother, father and his four grandparents. In 1971, he has a newspaper route after school. He and his family follow the progress of the hunt for the Golden Tickets in newspapers, in films, and on television. Unlike the first four finalists, Charlie is honest and generous; he is actually worried if the other nasty children such as Augustus and Veruca will actually be alive after their ordeals. In the 1971 film, Charlie was portrayed by Peter Ostrum, in his only film appearance. His nationality is never explicitly stated, but in the 1971 film, he speaks with an American accent, and in the 2005 film, he speaks with an English accent. The filmmakers have stated that it was their intention that Charlie's hometown be kept ambiguous. In the novel, at the end of the tour, Wonka declares Charlie heir to the factory for his refusal of vice, and Charlie's family are permitted to move into the factory. In the 1971 film, Charlie wins the factory when he returns an Everlasting Gobstopper given to him by Wonka, thereby passing Wonka's moral test. In the 2005 film, Wonka initially refuses to allow Charlie's family to join them in the factory, and Charlie rejects Wonka's offer. When Charlie helps Wonka reconcile with his father, the family move into the factory, and Charlie and Wonka both became partners.