Peter Ostrum

Biography

Peter Gardner Ostrum was a child actor best known for his starring role as Charlie Bucket in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, when he was just 12 years old. After choosing not to pursue a career in acting, he turned to veterinary medicine and received his Doctorate from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. Ostrum retired by late 2023 as an active veterinarian, living in Glenfield, New York with his wife and two children.