Wonka: Keegan-Michael Key Explains His "Fake Hands"

Wonka hit theaters this weekend, and the new prequel film features a star-studded cast that includes Timothée Chalamet as the titular character and Hugh Grant as an Oompa-Loompa in addition to Olivia Colman, Rowan Atkinson, Sally Hawkins, and Keegan-Michael Key. In the film, Key plays the Chief of Police, and his role required some interesting additions from the makeup department. The actor recently spoke with People and revealed that he wore "fake hands" on set and that his wife wasn't too fond of his transformation. 

"It was amazing," Key said of making the film, revealing his character "100%" eats the most candy onscreen. "Ultimately," he added, "when I did my first application where we put the prosthetics on, I remember going into a trailer, and I had the mustache on and I FaceTimed my wife back in the States. She was like, 'Do not come home looking like that.'"

"I remember it being so effective," he continued. "The hair and makeup team, absolutely brilliant. They were so brilliant at putting together the look."

"Literally, they were glove hands, and I put my hands into the hands, and that made the knuckles bigger and wider and thicker," Key added. "It's amazing what they can do."

In addition to talking about his "fake hands," the actor also addressed his "fitted-in suspenders."

"[That's] how I ended up with that really large suit and the really large belly. I have the suspenders; it gave me these legs, these big wide legs that I could use. I fit into the legs and then put these suspenders on, and it gave me the stomach and the legs ... as opposed to padding or stuffing."

Key went on to reveal he was wearing an added 20 to 25 pounds, calling it "a little physically heavy" to wear on set. "[But] it wasn't that bad," he explained. "There'd be some mornings where we'd be shooting and it'd be cool, but I always had my nice wool. I had extra padding."

Hugh Grant Hated Making Wonka:

While Key seemed to have a blast making Wonka, Grant had a much different experience. The actor recently spoke at a media event for the movie (via Metro), and revealed that he hated filming with motion capture technology.

"It was like a crown of thorns, very uncomfortable," Grant said. He called the setup "drivel," saying it left him confused about whether he should "act with my body or not, and I never received a satisfactory answer." He also revealed that the dancing and his other moments in the movie "should be fun," but the final result ended up being done by animators. "I made a big fuss about it," he continued. "I couldn't have hated the whole thing more." When asked if the ends justified the means, Grant replied, "Not really."

"I slightly hate [making films] but I have lots of children and need money," Grant added, making it clear that he has no issues with King, who he also worked with on Paddington 2. 

Wonka is now playing in theaters.