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Veruca Salt Reveals Proudest 'Willy Wonka' Memory: Her Budding Breasts

The unruly Veruca Salt may have been more than a handful for her overly permissive parents in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," but the actress who played her, Julie Dawn Cole, could not control an unexpected real-life development during filming as she, well, developed.

When NextMovie chatted with the cast over dinner at Rue 57 in New York City to celebrate the film's 40th anniversary, Cole revealed a never-told story, especially since director Mel Stuart was sitting right across from her.

"When we were filming I was 12, almost 13, and different things happen physically to a young girl at that age," explained Cole. "So I started as a very flat-chested 12-year-old, but I was quite proud, as any 12-year-old would be, about what was happening up top. Of course they filmed out of sequence, so we did the factory gates first of all, then something else. We finally did my finding of the golden ticket six weeks into the filming, by which time I had become a proud 32 AA."

Also Check Out: The "Willy Wonka" Club: Meeting the Cast 40 Years Later

"You probably don't remember this, Mel, but I remember because I'm scarred by this for life, and you owe me many sessions of therapy," she teased, "but you and [producer] Stan Margulies stood around discussing whether I needed to wear binders because you could see my bumps. I was immensely proud of them, and you were going, 'No, you can't see them.' And Stan Margulies was going, 'Yes, you can.' 'No, you can't.' I'm going [speaks excitedly], 'Yes, you can! Yes, you can!' Anyway, I figured you inhibited my development, and I never became a DD. That's never been told before."

Stuart then chimed in, "I want to tell a story about this lovely young lady. My favorite moment in the film, that I like to see over and over again, is when she does the song 'I Want It Now.' The song is fantastic. She started rehearsing with choreographer Howard Jeffrey, and I didn't know what they were doing. They were working out the whole thing, and when we came on the set, everything was so delicious and good. I want everyone to look at that song again and see her timing and see when she hit the man in the stomach on the beat. It is personally my most favorite moment, seeing that song."

Upon hearing this, Cole was visibly moved and teared up. "Now you're making me cry," she said. "It's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"

Also Check Out: "Willy Wonka" Is an Everlasting Masterpiece on 40th Anniversary Blu-ray

"Tell them what happened when you jump and go down the chute," added Stuart. "She had to jump down the chute, and she was worried that the guys down there would see her knickers as she came down."

"He was worried about my falling down," she admitted, "and I was worried that the people there were going to see my underwear. Now you've heard it all."

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