Crawley-born actor hits the big screen in Wonka

It’s a remarkable double – and next year Todd will complete the hat-trick when the film version of Wicked hits the big screen. But for the moment, it’s all eyes on Wonka, though – and Todd is predicting that Wonka will be every bit as big as Barbie: “It's a prequel and it's a beautiful imaginative Christmas family film. They've done a really beautiful job on it. It's an iconic film with Gene Wilder in the original that everybody loves but they have taken a lot of care to continue the legacy. It is escapism and it brings out the child in all of us but the main message is a lovely one about sharing and the joy that you get from sharing and from generosity and what it gives to us all. It is a film that gives you a very, very warm feeling at the end.

“I was quite surprised by just how popular Barbie was over the summer and just how massive it was. I heard from quite a number of old friends I hadn't spoken to for a while who saw me in it… ‘Oh my God, it’s Todd!’ And that was lovely. It felt very special and I was very grateful for the opportunity.”