Calah Lane has earned a Critics Choice nomination for her breakout role as Noodle in Wonka. Lane grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, showing an interesting in performance at a very young age when her mother filmed a then 2-year-old Lane singing one of Michael Jackson’s hit songs. A few years later, Lane received a supporting part in a production of Annie at 4 years old. Over the years she has now appeared on Kidding, Hollywood, This Is Us, and Family Reunion. She also provided background vocals on a pair of episodes for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lane admitted to having been unaware of what role she was auditioning for: “I got an audition, and I had no idea it was even for Wonka…My name was Nutmeg. It said ‘Untitled Project,’ and I think Willy Wonka’s name was like Jimmy or something. I found out that it was for Wonka when I went to England for a screen test.”
Lane spoke highly of Chalamet stating that he made her feel at ease: “Sometimes it’s hard for me to get into character. When I watched him on set, I was like, ‘Wow, he can do this really, really, really good.’ And I kind of learned from that. But he’s very fun on set.”
Lane also discussed her future career path, stating that she’d be interested in trying for an action role or a high school project similar to that of Mean Girls. She would also be great at doing another role that requires singing and dancing, considering she taught Chalamet some moves during breaks. The actress mentioned, “I taught him the ‘Thriller’ dance…I’m the No. 1 fan of Michael Jackson. I know everything.”
If you want to check out Lane’s performance, Wonka is still out in theaters!