(CHARLIE: It's beautiful) What? Oh yeah, It's very beautiful.
- Willy Wonka about Chocolate Room
Willy Wonka is owner of the titular Chocolate Factory and the deurataterist of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 and 1971.)
Biography
In an earlier time, Willy recruited the Oompa-Loompas from Loompa-Land, convincing them to live and work in his Factory with their beloved cocoa beans.
He left the five Golden Tickets in his Wonka bars to be taken by the five children and their parents who will have a tour of his Factory, who were: Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt, Mike Teavee, and Charlie Bucket.
All of them, except Charlie, were ejected in painful or comical ways: Augustus Gloop fell into the chocolate river and was sucked up a tube, Violet Beauregarde swelled but was restored with purple skin and hair, Veruca Salt (and her father) were covered in garbage, and Mike Teavee ended up having a very stretched body. As for Charlie, Willy congratulated him as the "winner" of the factory. He reveals his age and his purpose for sending the five golden tickets, so as to make Charlie his successor. He, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe ride the Glass Elevator, and bring Charlie's family to the Factory.
Appearance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In the 2005 film, more details about Willy's backstory is shown. He fired his workforce and closed off his Chocolate Factory due to his rivals sending spies to steal his candy-making methods.
His purpose behind his sending five Golden Tickets was caused by him noticing his greying hair while having his hair cut, so he needed an heir as he does not have a family. It was later shown to be a lie, as Willy already had a family, from which he ran away.
During the tour, flashbacks reveal Willy’s troubled past. His dentist father, Dr. Wilbur Wonka was overbearing in his attempts to protect his son's teeth, forbidding him from eating candy of any kind. This caused Willy to run away from his home to be a chocolatier, only to miss his train and find that his house is gone. His resulting dislike for his father has affected him to the extent of him suffering flashbacks of his childhood, stuttering and panicking whenever he has to even say the first syllable of the word "parents", and his views of having a family to be a hindrance to a chocolatier's creative freedom.
With these troubled events influencing his views, Willy offers Charlie ownership of the Factory, under the condition that he must leave his family behind. He breaks down into an emotional depression after Charlie refuses his offer, and turns to Charlie for advice. Charlie causes Willy to reunite and reconcile with his father, and Willy lets Charlie and his family to live in his Chocolate Room forever.