Hugh Grant Reveals Official Naked Oompa Loompa Picture Exists
Fans of Willy Wonka and Hugh Grant, prepare yourselves: an official image of the actor as a naked Oompa Loompa in the upcoming Wonka film exists (via People). Grant disclosed intel on the image during a recent interview. In it, the actor detailed his experience working on the film—particularly his collaboration with its director, Paul King.
Unexpected Photo
To hear Grant tell it, one fine day, he received an unexpected photo in his inbox. This infamous picture depicted a fully unclothed Oompa Loompa.
Grant portrays the famous character, to much fanfare, in Wonka, itself slated for a December 15 premiere.
For those unschooled in Roald Dahl’s novel and the subsequent adaptations, an Oompa Loompa is an 18-inch tall figure sporting distinct green hair and orange skin.
Children Were Shocked
Fans around the world, of course, know and love Grant for his diverse body of work and memorable roles, as well as his comic timing.
The actor clarified that Wonka’s director, Paul King—of all culprits—was the source of the unique character visual.
The filmmaker sent the jaw-dropping photo to his star actor as a light-hearted joke. A father of five, Hugh Grant humorously shared that his children were shocked by the presumably disconcerting visual.
Oompa Loompa Creation
King and Grant have an impressive history of collaboration—previously teaming up for 2017’s Paddington 2.
For his part, King explained the actual reason behind the naked Loompa leak.
See, in the early stages of animation and character development, the designers behind Wonka drafted various aspects of the animated Oompa Loompa.
These include, as one would expect, skin color and hair texture rough drafts, designed at a stage when, technically, the Oompa Loompa was yet to be clothed.
All of which led to the unique, naked Oompa Loopa image.
Nothing Inappropriate
King even described the photo of Hugh Grant as one of the most disturbing he’s laid eyes upon, humorously underscoring the gravity of the image by theorizing that, were it to reach a wider audience, it could traumatize a generation of children.
The director did take measures to reassure fans that the notorious Oompa Loompa in question was pixelated tastefully—i.e., there is nothing inappropriate, anatomically speaking, about it.
Hugh Grant’s Career
The anecdote forms part of a more extensive discussion surrounding Grant’s role in the film and his career’s direction. The actor has described the ongoing phase of his career, characterized by opting for more unconventional roles and unexpected characters, as his “freak phase.”
Having teamed up for two Paddington films and the upcoming Wonka, Hugh Grant and Paul King created some definitively quirky, creative visions.
Wonka Coming Soon
The forthcoming film, Wonka, should be sufficiently offbeat, promising an intriguing addition to the lore of the world-famous fictional chocolatier, Willy Wonka.
Grant’s Oompa Loompa will be joined by Timothée Chalamet as Wonka, paving the way for a fresh, imaginative take on the beloved story.
Hopefully, without traumatizing any young fans, the naked Oompa Loompa image will go down as a humorous behind-the-scenes tidbit, adding to the project’s intrigue and highlighting the fun-loving collaborative spirit of its creators.
