Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson says he was considered for Willy Wonka in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
The role ultimately went to Johnny Depp in 2005's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' a remake of the 1971 movie 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said he was once in the running to bring fans into a world of pure imagination as Willy Wonka.
The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star shared the interesting tidbit of showbiz history on Instagram on Sunday, along with a famous clip from the 1971 movie "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory."
In the caption, the 48-year-old actor said that he was in the midst of introducing his "babies" to one of his "all time [favorite] films." He joked that while the little ones loved the flick, they now expect him "to deliver a room full of chocolate and candy."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON DONATES OVER 700,000 WATER BOTTLES TO HEALTH CARE WORKERS AMID CORONAVIRUS
The film was eventually remade into "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which was released in 2005, starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and was directed by Tim Burton.
"Some cool history - back in the early 2000’s, iconic director, Tim Burton had considered me to play Willy Wonka is his remake, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,'" Johnson explained. "I remember thinking 'HOLY S--T, IM IN.'"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The star noted that at the time, he was still a relative newbie to acting with little proof of box office success.
Instead, the role was played by Depp, now 57, who Johnson noted "was the biggest star in the world" when the movie was made.
DWAYNE 'THE ROCK' JOHNSON BECOMES INSTAGRAM'S HIGHEST-PAID CELEBRITY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The rest was history. And down the road I went," he said. "The fact that Tim even considered me (albeit I’m sure he considered for all of 7 seconds:) sure meant a helluva lot to me as I was just breaking in to the business with no idea what the future had in store."
The "Baywatch" star concluded by saying he'd "always raise a glass to the dreams that don't come true.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson said he was considered for the role of Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' The role ultimately went to Johnny Depp. (Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC)
"... Sometimes they’re the best thing that never happened," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The caption was capped of with the hashtag "#BigBrownBaldTattooedWonka."
While Johnson didn't end up starring in the pic, other industry standouts like Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, AnnaSophia Robb and Missi Pyle appeared in the movie.
According to IMDb, Johnson's first acting role unassociated with either the WWE or USWA was a brief appearance in "That '70s Show" before playing small roles in "The Net" and "Star Trek: Voyager."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He made his film debut with 2001's "The Mummy Returns" and led the film "The Scorpion King" the next year.
Since then he's become one of Hollywood's most recognizable -- and bankable -- stars, having joined the "Fast and Furious" franchise, lent his voice to "Moana" and starred in the HBO series "Ballers."