Keegan-Michael Key on Wife’s Reaction to His Wonka Transformation: ‘Do Not Come Home Looking Like That’ (Exclusive)

Keegan-Michael Key’s Great Transformation for Wonka he got a big reaction from his wife Ella.

In the new musical origin story, the actor’s police chief undergoes a gradual physical evolution as he indulges his love of chocolate — and becomes embroiled in a dubious corruption case against Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet).

Key, 52, tells PEOPLE that his character “100%” eats the most candy on screen than anyone else, which didn’t get old because they had a chocolate shop on set making candy. “It was amazing,” he says.

While the police chief gets a lot of weight due to his comical over-indulgence, the creative team used makeup and wardrobe tricks to finesse Key’s look.

“Eventually,” he says, “when I did my first application where we put in braces, I remember getting into the trailer, and I had a mustache, and I FaceTimed my wife in the States. She said, ‘Don’t come back home. looking like that.’ ”

He adds: “I remember it being so effective. The hair and make-up team, absolutely brilliant. They were so brilliant at putting the look together.”

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Warner Bros.

Key says he was given “fake arms” for the “biggest look” of the character.

“Literally, they were gloved hands, and I put my hands in my hands, and that made the joints bigger and wider and thicker,” he says. – It’s incredible that they can do anything.

The star was also “dressed up in suspenders”. So, he says, “I ended up with this really big suit and a really big belly. I have suspenders; it gave me these legs, these big wide legs that I could use. I put in my legs and then I put these suspenders on me, and it gave me a belly and legs… as opposed to padding or stuffing.”

It was all “a little physically heavy” to carry on set, Key says, adding that it was about 20 to 25 lbs.

But, “it wasn’t so bad” because there was a hidden advantage to the gear: “There would be some mornings when we would shoot and it would be cool, but I always had my nice fleece. I had extra padding.” Key also tells PEOPLE about sharing the screen with Chalamet (27) and how the actor differs from the role of Willy Wonka, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

Timothee Chalamet in “Wonka” (2023).

Jaap Buittendijk/Warner Brothers

“There was something really interesting about Timmy’s movement. I’m not sure, I feel like he must have been working with a movement coach because he moves very differently than Willy in real life,” says Key. “There’s a confident stride that Willy has, and he almost stands as straight as his cane.”

“And Timmy has a different kind of … he has a slippery, rounded feel in real life that Willy doesn’t have,” he adds. “Whatever he was doing there was really fantastic. There was a definite physical change between being in front of the camera and being off it.”

Wonka now playing in cinemas.

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Source: HIS Education