# Michael Böllner
**Michael Böllner** (born 1958) is a German certified tax accountant and auditor, best known as a former child actor who played Augustus Gloop in *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory* (1971).[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) • [8](https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film/willy-wonka-augustus-gloop-actor-971903-20230711) Born and raised in Munich, he spoke little English during the film's production and learned his lines phonetically with help from crew members.[1](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) After his father prioritized his education, he left acting and built a career in his hometown, where he runs his own tax accounting and auditing practice.[1](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html) In 2023, he publicly defended the original [Roald Dahl](https://www.edgepedia.org/roald-dahl) text after publishers removed the word "fat" describing Augustus Gloop, calling the change unnecessary.[9](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-11773221/Ex-child-actor-played-Augustus-Gloop-original-Willy-Wonka-movie-blasts-publishing-censors.html)
Born and raised in Munich, he was cast in the film as a child, left acting after his father prioritized his education, and later built a career as a certified tax accountant and auditor in his hometown.[1](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958, Munich, Bavaria, West Germany[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) |
| Known for | Augustus Gloop in *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory* (1971)[8](https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film/willy-wonka-augustus-gloop-actor-971903-20230711) |
| Language | Spoke little English during production; German was his only language, and crew members coached his lines[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) |
| Later career | Tax accountant (Steuerberater) and auditor (Wirtschaftsprüfer); runs his own practice at Schwanthalerstr. 3, Munich[1](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html) |
| Other screen work | A few minor German television roles after *Willy Wonka*; appeared as himself in *Bizarre Transmissions from the Bermuda Triangle* (2015)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) |
| Public stance | In 2023 publicly defended the original Roald Dahl text after publishers removed the word "fat" describing Augustus Gloop, calling the change unnecessary[9](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-11773221/Ex-child-actor-played-Augustus-Gloop-original-Willy-Wonka-movie-blasts-publishing-censors.html) |
## Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Böllner was cast as Augustus Gloop, the gluttonous first golden-ticket winner who falls into the chocolate river, in the 1971 adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1964 novel *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. He spoke little English at the time, so he learned his lines phonetically with help from crew members.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) He did not have a dressing room at the studio; he changed at his nearby home and walked to the set.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/) The chocolate river he fell into was not actually chocolate, as he later told an interviewer.[3](https://www.avclub.com/the-chocolate-river-in-willy-wonka-was-a-stinky-gross-1847202629?rev=1625069098583)
The film's title role was played by [Gene Wilder](https://www.edgepedia.org/gene-wilder). After Wilder's death in 2016, Böllner said he regretted not talking more with him once his own English had improved, recalling Wilder as a "great guy" who was "very funny" and made many jokes on set.[4](https://huongnghiepcdm.edu.vn/willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factory-cast-where-are-they-now/)
## Life after acting
After completing *Willy Wonka*, Böllner took a few minor roles on German television, but his father prioritized education over an acting career, and Böllner gave up acting to become a tax accountant in Munich.[10](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13638923/where-cast-willy-wonka-chocolate-factory-now.html) He now runs his own practice, Dipl.-Kfm. Michael Böllner Steuerberater und Wirtschaftsprüfer, a sole proprietorship on Schwanthalerstraße in Munich offering tax advice, audits, and related services.[1](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html) • [5](https://gb.kompass.com/c/michael-bollner-steuerberater-und-wirtschaftsprufer/de045827/) In the professional sphere he has also served as a seminar speaker for wp.net, taking over the "FDI-Update" seminar series for certified auditors and adding a foundational seminar.[6](https://archiv.wp-net.com/Journal2015/2015-01/wp.net-Journal-01-2015_Chronik.pdf)
Because *Willy Wonka* was infrequently screened in Germany, Böllner was largely unaware of the film's cultural impact until the 1990s, when fellow cast members reconnected with him through a German newspaper advertisement reading "Augustus, Show a Sign". Since then he has regularly appeared with other cast members at fan conventions.[8](https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film/willy-wonka-augustus-gloop-actor-971903-20230711) He joined cast reunions around the film's 50th anniversary in 2021, where he joked that he still drinks chocolate milk, "and quite a lot".[7](https://6abc.com/post/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-interview-original-cast-charlie-bucket/10842234/)
## The 2023 Dahl revision debate
In 2023, publishers of Roald Dahl's books made sensitivity-related revisions, including removing the term "fat" from descriptions of Augustus Gloop in *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory*. Böllner publicly defended the original text and called the change unnecessary.[9](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-11773221/Ex-child-actor-played-Augustus-Gloop-original-Willy-Wonka-movie-blasts-publishing-censors.html)
## References
1. [Böllner Michael Dipl.-Kfm. Wirtschaftsprüfer Steuerberater, München, Cylex business directory](https://web2.cylex.de/firma-home/boellner-michael-dipl--kfm--wirtschaftspruefer-steuerberater-1109724.html)
2. [Michael Bollner Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093183/bio/)
3. [The chocolate river in Willy Wonka was a stinky, gross cesspool, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/the-chocolate-river-in-willy-wonka-was-a-stinky-gross-1847202629?rev=1625069098583)
4. ['Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory' Cast: Where Are They Now?](https://huongnghiepcdm.edu.vn/willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factory-cast-where-are-they-now/)
5. [Michael Böllner Steuerberater und Wirtschaftsprüfer, Kompass business directory](https://gb.kompass.com/c/michael-bollner-steuerberater-und-wirtschaftsprufer/de045827/)
6. [wp.net Journal 01/2015, chronicle section](https://archiv.wp-net.com/Journal2015/2015-01/wp.net-Journal-01-2015_Chronik.pdf)
7. ['Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' stars reflect on iconic film, 6abc Philadelphia](https://6abc.com/post/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-interview-original-cast-charlie-bucket/10842234/)
8. [Augustus Gloop actor from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is completely unrecognisable now, ladbible.com](https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/film/willy-wonka-augustus-gloop-actor-971903-20230711)
9. [EXCLUSIVE 'I definitely don't think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has to be rewritten at all': Ex-child actor who played Augustus Gloop in original Willy Wonka movie blasts publishing censors changing Roald Dahl's books to please snowflakes, Dail](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-11773221/Ex-child-actor-played-Augustus-Gloop-original-Willy-Wonka-movie-blasts-publishing-censors.html)
10. [Where are the cast of Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory now? As actors who played Veruca Salt and Mike Teavee perform in Edinburgh Fringe musical, how stars of the 1971 hit film followed very different career paths | Daily Mail Online, dailymail.com](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13638923/where-cast-willy-wonka-chocolate-factory-now.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Child and youth screen performers › Child performers born before 1986*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license