Rusty Goffe, who originally played an Oompa Loompa in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, has retired from the role after appearing one last time in the Netflix series Wonka's The Golden Ticket. At 77 years old, Goffe traveled from his home in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, to Brisbane, Australia, to film the series. He called this final performance his "swan song," marking the end of his time in the Willy Wonka universe. Goffe has had a long and varied career in film, starting with the Gene Wilder movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and later appearing in Star Wars, the Harry Potter films, and Doctor Who. The 1971 film was the first adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was written in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. The original film was primarily shot in Munich, Germany, and featured 10 actors with restricted growth to play the Oompa Loompas. Netflix acquired the rights to Dahl's children's books from the author's family in 2021. The new competition series, Wonka's The Golden Ticket, features 12 pairs of contestants competing for a cash prize in a chocolate factory inspired by the original film. Johnny Depp played Willy Wonka in the 2005 version directed by Tim Burton, and Timothée Chalamet portrayed the character in the 2023 "origin" movie directed by Paul King. Goffe said returning to the world of Willy Wonka more than half a century later felt "very surreal." He noted that the production had improved significantly from the 1971 film, with handmade wigs, washable orange makeup, more comfortable shoes, and a chocolate river without discarded cigarette ends. Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the original film, "narrates" the show using an AI-generated voice, a choice that has sparked some debate. Despite this, Goffe described hearing Wilder's voice on set as "magical," saying it felt as if Wilder was "on the set behind me." Other Oompa Loompas in the Netflix series were new to the production, including performers of different genders and heights. Among them was Goffe’s son, Ben Goffe, who has performed in Shakespeare productions in London's West End and has been working on a major film project in Spain. Rusty described watching his son step onto the set in full costume as an emotional moment and expressed pride in having his son perform alongside him. Goffe insists that none of his other film roles compare to his time in the Willy Wonka universe, and he continues to attend conventions around the world to meet fans of the original film. When asked if this series was his final role, he laughed and said, "I think so, unless someone offers me a few bob to go back and do something else." Wonka's The Golden Ticket premieres on Netflix this week, with a two-part finale scheduled for 30 September.