When Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory debuted in 1971, the candy-filled set looked like every child’s dream — especially the chocolate river. But according to cast members Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt) and Paris Themmen (Mike Teevee), who spoke on a a recent panel at the Hollywood Show, which took place in Burbank, California on September 5 and 6, 2025, the famous chocolate river was disgusting — and full of discarded cigarette butts and coffee cups.
