Interview with IGN (2005)

"He's incapable of lying or telling a lie, he's just so pure," Johnny Depp tells IGN FilmForce of his thirteen-year-old Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory co-star Freddie Highmore. "You get to work with him see what his abilities are and he's super talented. He's had great success as a young actor, but it doesn't remotely interest him. He wants to play football, go on vacations with his family and play with his friends."

Recently in the Bahamas (where Johnny Depp is filming the sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean), Highmore spoke with journalists about the making of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. IGNFF's Steve Head participated in this press conference-style interview.

Q: How was it that you were able to land the coveted role of Charlie? I know Johnny Depp really wanted you for the part, so that's really a plus, but did you have to go through the standard audition process?

FREDDIE HIGHMORE: I went to an interview, you know, like all of the other children.

Q: How or when were you given the good news that you got the part?

HIGHMORE: I got the part when I was in the Grand Canyon on holiday. The call came through, so it was a great way to find out. It was just amazing. I was thinking, Yes, I'm going to get to work with Johnny again.

Q: Prior to beginning work on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, had you see the original movie and read the book?

HIGHMORE: I'd read the book, but I hadn't seen the original movie before doing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I thought it was better to wait until afterwards because I thought I ought to create my Charlie on my own. I think the original film is good, but I think it's better now because Charlie is kept more pure. He doesn't drink a bubbly solution and fly off into the roof. (Laughs) I'd read the book before I did the film. Tim Burton managed to bring out Roald Dahl's imagination. It's an amazing book and an amazing film.

Q: The movie looks terrific. Do you have particular scene that's a favorite? And with those cool sets, do you perhaps have a particular set that was your favorite to work on?

HIGHMORE: The chocolate room was good. There was a fifty-foot waterfall and a boat going down the river. It was really a bit overwhelming the first time I saw it. The first thing that struck me was just the size of it.

Q: Did you try to eat anything?

HIGHMORE: There were quite a few edible things around. There was a marshmallow plant that was quite nice. It had a sort of cream dome and I sort of dipped into the marshmallow and ate it. That was a good one.

Q: Do you think there are any similarities between you and Charlie?

HIGHMORE: I think we are similar in some ways. At the end of Finding Neverland I was quite upset and I'd wished to see Johnny again. Charlie has a wish to go to the factory. And both of our wishes came true, so we're both similar in that way. Also, I'm just a normal kid and Charlie's just a normal kid. So, yeah.

Q: Do you like chocolate very much?

HIGHMORE: I like all sorts of chocolate. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, anything.

Q: Between doing Finding Neverland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny, were there any differences in working with him on these two pictures?

HIGHMORE: Johnny's fantastic! He's a really special person and he treats everyone as an equal and I think that's a really good thing. Obviously, when we got together on the first day we'd already knew each other so it was easy to get comfortable working together. It all went good.

Q: How was it seeing him in his Wonka costume?

HIGHMORE: It's really good. I really like the way he plays Wonka. You're not sure if Wonka's nice or not nice. I mean, he seems nice because he invites kids to the factory and he gives them chocolates, but four of them do meet sticky ends, so maybe he's to blame.

Q: Do you think some parts of Charlie might be scary for some kids? Do you think the scene with Veruca and the squirrels is a little freaky?

HIGHMORE: (Laughs) No, I don't think it's too scary for anyone. I think it's really good and I love the way Charlie is really innocent and children can see themselves in Charlie. They can think, "I can be Charlie." Charlie isn't that special and he doesn't wave a magic wand, so he's just a normal person.

Q: What's your secret for drama? You can really get the emotion going when it's called for. Do you have a knack for it?

HIGHMORE: Not really. I just sort of get inside the character. And, you know, working with fantastic actors like Johnny and a director like Tim I think makes it easier.

Q: How was it working with Tim as a director for you?

IHIGHMORE: It was a very relaxed atmosphere on set with Tim and I'm really lucky to have been able to work with him. He has tons of energy and his imagination is amazing. The way he sort of creates his own dullness outside of the town and then the inside of the factory which all the vibrancy of the colors. It's pretty cool.

Q: Have you seen Tim's previous work?

HIGHMORE: Yes, I'd seen a few of his films with Johnny, like Edward Scissorhands, they all show his creative side.

Q: If you could choose another character besides Charlie or Willy Wonka, who would you say is your favorite?

HIGHMORE: I'm not sure. I think it might have been quite fun to have an unfortunate end like some of the other kids. Although I'm not sure of it being that good to be attacked by squirrels because when the stunt double did it a few went up her skirt. (Laughs) But I'm not really sure. I'm not like all of the kids, I'm not fat like Augustus and I don't have sort of a cut-throat personality like Violet. So, I'm not sure I'm too like others. Really, I'm more like Charlie. (Laughs)

Q: Do you want to stay with acting? Do you think this is going to be the direction you want to go with your life right now? Do you want to focus on school more?

HIGHMORE: I'm not really sure what I want to be when I'm older. I think it might be quite nice to travel and see the rain forests, but I'm not sure if I'll stay in acting or not.

Q: Do you have another movie coming up?

HIGHMORE: In September I'll be doing something called The Awful End which is directed by Francis Lawrence. And a few days ago I finished a film called Arthur and the Minimoys by Luc Besson.

Q: Can you talk to us further about those movies?

HIGHMORE: Well, The Awful End I don't want to say too much about, but Arthur and the Minimoys is basically about this boy and he's got to save is Grandmother's house.

Q: Is this your first time in the Caribbean?

HIGHMORE: This is my first time being in the Caribbean. It's a great place. It's just a bit big. I think you need a great glass elevator to get around. (Laughs) I like hot weather. I think it might be a bit better if England was a bit hotter. (Laughs)

Q: Have you been on the Pirates of the Caribbean 2 set with Johnny?

HIGHMORE: I haven't seen it. Haven't seen Johnny working on it yet.

Q: Is it hard to stay a normal thirteen-year-old kid when you have the kind of career that you do?

HIGHMORE: Sometimes, but I've got a really supportive family and my friends at school don't treat me any differently because I've done a few films.

Q: What kind of movies to you like to watch?

HIGHMORE: All sorts. I think Charlie is a great film and I think everyone will enjoy it. Every movie Johnny does is great and Tim's movies are great, too. I haven't seen Batman Begins yet. I don't actually watch many movies. You know, it's funny. People think, "You're an actor so you watch a few films" but I don't actually watch very many. Mostly I play soccer a lot and obviously you know I do school. (Laughs)

Q: How was it that you got so interested in acting?

HIGHMORE: Well, I'm not really sure. I just sort of started off doing small parts on TV and then in my first film I was playing Helena Bonham Carter's son – I'm playing her son again in Charlie obviously so some things never change. You know, after that the parts just got sort of bigger and then it just sort of exploded. (Laughs)

Q: Did you and the other kids on the film hang out together?

HIGHMORE: Yeah, we did hang out quite a bit. We still keep in contact by email and stuff. It was good to have other kids around because you kind of start to feel a bit lonely if you're just on your own.

Q: What do you think the message of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is?

HIGHMORE: I think it's just to be nice to people and you will get along well; because, Charlie, he's just nice to people and he wins the factory, just by being nice and sticking with his family.

## External Links

* Interview: Freddie Highmore, the young star of *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. — IGN.com, July 16, 2005. Steve Head.