Yahoo Movies Willow star criticises Hugh Grant's Wonka casting
Willow actor George Coppen has spoken out against the decision to cast Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa in the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel Wonka.
Grant appeared as the character in the trailer for the upcoming musical, which sees Timothée Chalamet play a young Willy Wonka. However, Coppen believes the role should've gone to an actor with dwarfism.
Speaking to the BBC, the actor explained how he felt Grant's casting took away an opportunity for someone with the condition.
"A lot of actors [with dwarfism] feel like we are being pushed out of the industry we love," he said. "A lot of people, myself included, argue that dwarfs should be offered everyday roles in dramas and soaps, but we aren't getting offered those roles."
Related: Wonka's first trailer reveals Timothée Chalamet's take on classic character
He continued: "One door is being closed but they have forgotten to open the next one."
The controversial characters first appeared in Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with their description being later revised after the original Oompa Loompas were depicted as a racist caricature.
In the 1971 film, the characters were all their given distinct green and orange skin and were played by actors with dwarfism.
In Tim Burton's 2005 version, all of the Oompa Loompas were portrayed by Star Trek's Deep Roy and didn't feature orange skin or green hair.
Related: Olivia Colman confirmed as one of the villains of Wonka
Director Paul King previously revealed he'd thought about casting Grant while developing his version of the character for the new film.
"It was just going back to the books again," he said at CinemaCon.
"They [the Oompa Loompas] are incredibly sarcastic and judgmental and cruel and very Roald Dahl-y about these kids. They really don't hold back. So it was really thinking about that character who could be a real shit and I went, 'Ah Hugh'."
Wonka is released in cinemas on December 15.
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