Original Willy Wonka Actor ‘Shed a Tear’ After Hearing Gene Wilder’s AI Voice in Netflix Show
The reality competition features 12 pairs of contestants and uses an AI-generated Gene Wilder voice with permission from his estate.
- On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Netflix premiered 'Wonka's the Golden Ticket,' a reality competition series inspired by the 1971 film 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.'
- Twelve pairs of contestants compete in Wonka-themed challenges for a 'lifetime supply of money,' valued at approximately $3 million over 30 years.
- Original Oompa Loompa actor Rusty Goffe, 77, reprised his role alongside his son, Ben Goffe, marking his final career performance.
- Producers utilized an AI-generated Gene Wilder to host the series, with reviews calling the practice 'ghoulish' and 'blatantly cruel.'
- Although Netflix obtained consent from the estate and widow Karen B Wilder, the AI narrator's presence continues to spark debate among viewers.
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MandatoryOriginal Willy Wonka Actor ‘Shed a Tear’ After Hearing Gene Wilder’s AI Voice in Netflix Show
An actor who starred alongside Gene Wilder in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory revealed he got emotional on the set of Netflix’s Wonka’s The Golden Ticket. The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-inspired reality competition series digitally recreated Wilder’s voice using artificial intelligence. Rusty Goffe, who played one of the iconic Oompa Loompas in […] The post Original Willy Wonka Actor ‘Shed a Tear’ After Hearing Gene Wilder’s AI…
Original ‘Willy Wonka’ Oompa-Loompa Rusty Goffe ‘Shed a Tear’ at Gene Wilder’s Voice Recreated by AI: ‘It Was Lovely Hearing It Again’
“Have a scrumdiddlyumptious day!” is how Rusty Goffe, who played an Oompa-Loompa in the 1971 adaptation of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” opposite Gene Wilder, signs off our Zoom call after we speak earlier this month. With such Wonka-isms rolling off his tongue with ease, it’s no surprise that when Netflix, which acquired the […]
Is That Really Gene Wilder's Voice in 'Wonka's The Golden Ticket'? How AI Was Used to Bring Him Back
Is that really Gene Wilder‘s voice you’re hearing on Wonka’s The Golden Ticket? The late actor, who famously played Willy […] The post Is That Really Gene Wilder’s Voice in ‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’? How AI Was Used to Bring Him Back appeared first on Just Jared - Celebrity News, Entertainment News & Photos.
Critics Are Not Impressed by Netflix's AI Gene Wilder
Netflix's latest reality contest leans on Roald Dahl and AI in a way Variety ' s Alison Herman find more "ghoulish" than sweet. Wonka's Golden Ticket drops adult contestants into a glossy chocolate-factory playground to compete for $3 million, but the real headline is its host: an AI-generated voice meant...
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