'Willy Wonka' child star admits Gene Wilder endearingly called him 'a brat'

Today (June 30) is the 50-year anniversary of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory's release, and the five children who claimed the coveted golden tickets reunited as adults for Yahoo Entertainment to reminisce on the original film adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel.

Paris Themmen, who played Mike Teevee, confirmed that he was "naturally just sort of more high-spirited and rambunctious" while filming the 1971 fantasy classic before sharing a funny anecdote from a fundraiser screening for Gene Wilder's Silver Streak in more recent years:

"I sat at the back of the room and he gave his commentary and then I went up to the front of the room afterwards with my poster in hand. I said, ‘Hi, Gene, how you doing? I’m Paris Themmen, I was Mike Teevee in Willy Wonka.’ And he said, ‘Oh you were a brat!’ And I flashed all the way back 50 years, or 40 years at that time, and said, ‘Well, I’m 50-something now and maybe not as much of a brat.’ And he signed my poster, ‘To my favorite brat.’"

Wilder portrayed the titular character. The Oscar-nominated comedic actor died in August 2016 from "complications of Alzheimer's disease" at 83 years old.

Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket, called Wilder "down to earth" and "just a wonderful person," while Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) had similarly fond memories of their time together: "I think people kind of want us to tell you that he was like Willy Wonka off set, but he wasn't. He was such a lovely, kind man, very unassuming."

The former child co-stars also virtually reunited for WGN earlier this week: