Peter Gardner Ostrum (/ˈpiːtər ˈoʊstrəm/;) (born November 1957) is an American former child actor whose only film role was as Charlie Bucket in the 1971 motion picture Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He currently works as a veterinarian in Lowville, New York, where he has taken part in Pfizer's video series Veterinarians on Call.A native of Cleveland, Ostrum was 12 years old when selected by talent agents for Willy Wonka.