Yesterday I posted a tweet from Julie Dawn Cole (a.k.a. Veruca Salt) in which the Willy Wonka star expressed her sadness at the passing of former co-star Gene Wilder, who died yesterday at the age of 83 (read Drew's remembrance here). Now, Denise Nickerson, whose gum-snapping character Violet Beauregarde famously transformed into a human blueberry in the 1971 classic, has posted her own tribute, which she signed “Love, Violet”:
RIP Gene. You were so talented and kindhearted. You will be sorely missed by so many. All of us have lost OUR Willy Wonka. Love, Violet
– Denise Nickerson (@deniseviolet71) August 30, 2016
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Nickerson, who was just 14 when Willy Wonka debuted, racked up a number of roles in the wake of the film's release, including a regular stint on the '70s variety series The Electric Company and as a beauty pageant contestant in Michael Ritchie's 1975 film Smile. She retired from acting at age 21, but continues to attend fan conventions and even reunited with her Willy Wonka cast mates on an episode of The Today Show in 2015.