Peter Ostrum American veterinarian, actor Date of Birth: 01.11.1957 Country: USA

1. Peter Ostrum: American Veterinarian and Actor
2. Early Career
3. Life After Acting
4. Transition to Veterinary Medicine
5. Current Work

Peter Ostrum: American Veterinarian and Actor

Peter Ostrum is an American veterinarian and actor, best known for his role as Charlie Bucket in "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory." Born in Cleveland, Ostrum now lives and works in Lowville, New York. He is considered the most famous resident of his hometown, with the local video store claiming to have worn out multiple copies of the film.

Early Career

Ostrum caught the attention of talent agents while he was still in sixth grade. He was actively involved in the local theater group and had some experience performing. The agents took several photos of Peter and recorded his voice as he read a passage from Roald Dahl's original work. The photos and recording were approved in New York, and within two months, Ostrum was invited for an audition. He impressed during the auditions and was called for filming just a month later.

During the five months of filming, Ostrum had the opportunity to observe the construction of the Olympiapark in Munich and work with Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson. However, he quickly realized that the acting path was not as glamorous as he had imagined. When offered a contract for three more films, Ostrum declined the offer.

Life After Acting

After attempts to return to acting in high school, Ostrum distanced himself from his fame. He sometimes even claimed that his brother had portrayed Charlie Bucket. Moving to Lowville, Ostrum kept his cinematic experience a secret, and it was only right before his future wife met his mother that he revealed the truth.

In 1990, Ostrum was invited to speak at Lowville Academy, and he has been sharing his experiences in the film and veterinary industry every year since then. The students are particularly interested in the film, often asking about the special effects used.

Transition to Veterinary Medicine

In 2005, Ostrum briefly returned to the spotlight when the "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" remake was released. However, he eventually stopped answering calls from persistent journalists. Ostrum found his true calling shortly after filming the movie when his family acquired a horse. He spent a lot of time with the animal and became interested in horse care.

Between school and college, Ostrum worked at the Delaware Equine Center in Pennsylvania, taking care of horses. Completely relinquishing his acting career, Peter focused on studying veterinary medicine. In 1984, he received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Current Work

As of January 2012, Dr. Ostrum was practicing at a veterinary clinic in Lowville, New York. His work was featured in videos from the "Veterinarians on Call" series multiple times.