Fans of Dwayne Johnson would’ve certainly smelled what The Rock was cooking if he had been cast as Willy Wonka in the 2005 fantasy film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The former wrestling superstar revealed he once was considered for the role in Tim Burton’s glossy remake of the children’s classic story, which ultimately went to Johnny Depp.
Johnson made the admission on Sunday on Instagram in the caption of a video a clip from the original 1971 film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” which stared Gene Wilder.
“Some cool history – back in the early 2000’s, iconic director, Tim Burton had considered me to play Willy Wonka is his remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” he began. “I remember thinking “HOLY —, IM IN.”
The chiseled-bodied box-office superstar admitted that this opportunity came when he had no “real acting experience to even pull it off.”
He said was still humbled by the idea that such a legendary director would even consider him.
Based on Roald Dahl’s bestselling book of the same name, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” centered around a young boy who wins a contest to tour a chocolate factory owned by an eccentric, bizarre recluse.
Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey were also reportedly considered for the role in the new movie that grossed $475 million at the box office.
“The role, of course went to Johnny Depp, who at that time was the biggest star in the world,” Johnson acknowledged. “The rest was history. And down the road I went.”
Johnson’s trajectory didn’t turn out too shabby.
After his leading film debut in 2002’s “The Scorpio King,” he starred in “The Rundown,” “Walking Tall” and “Be Cool” before starring in the blockbusters “Race to Witch Mountain,” “The Tooth Fairy” and the “Fast and the Furious” films.
“I’ll always raise a glass to the dreams that don’t come true, because sometimes they’re the best thing that never happened,” Johnson concluded.