The Oompa Loompa Who Wasn’t
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
For more than 30 years, Ezzy Dame, a 4-foot-tall actor turned hairdresser, dined out on stories of his role as one of Willy Wonka’s Oompa Loompas in the 1971 screen version of Roald Dahl’s children’s classic.
In his hometown of Reno, Nev., Mr. Dame would host screenings of the film, starring Gene Wilder, and take part in question-and-answer sessions.
So it was no surprise that when Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was released last month, Mr. Dame, 57, was called upon to cast an Oompa Loompa eye over the two versions.
His comments in a local paper were spotted by a British actor, Rusty Goffe, who did play an Oompa Loompa in the Mel Stuart film. Mr. Goffe wrote to the paper that ran the article pointing out that there were only 10 original Oompa Loompas – and Mr. Dame was not one of them.
Exposed, Mr. Dame confessed all. In the early 1970s, he had falsely added the role to his list of previous parts after his Los Angeles agent advised him it would enhance his job prospects.
