Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory star Diana Sowle has died at the age of 88.
The American actor passed away early on Friday October 19 surrounded by family.
She was best known for playing Charlie Bucket’s mother, Helen, in the 1971 musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
A statement released by her family reads that Sowle passed away “with family by her side.”
“She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, and will be dearly missed,” it said.
Sowle was one of the last surviving adult cast members of the iconic film following Gene Wilder’s death from Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.
Wilder, who played Willy Wonka, apparently lunched with Sowle regularly while they were working together on the film.
In an interview following his death, Sowle said that Wilder was always very friendly.
She said:
“We’d be working on a scene and having a lunch break and he would be coming in to film another scene, and he would join us on a lunch break and we’d have lunch.
“He was so nice, he never acted like, ‘Oh I’m a bigger star than the rest of you’, he was always friendly and courteous and funny and told nice stories.”
Sowle’s other roles included Mrs Schubert in Shear Madness. She also starred in films Clear And Present Danger, and Guarding Tess.
