Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory's Leonard Stone Dies at 87

Leonard Stone

Character actor Leonard Stone, who is best known for portraying Violet Beauregarde's dad in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, has died, according to TMZ. He was 87.

The actor, who died one day shy of his 88th birthday, had been battling cancer.

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Stone's character in Willy Wonka famously uttered the line, "Violet, you're turning violet!" after his gum-smacking daughter ballooned into a human blueberry because she broke one of Wonka's rules.

Stone earned a Tony nomination in  1959 for his role in Redhead. His TV credits include L.A. Law, Gunsmoke, M*A*S*H, General Hospital, Hill  Street Blues and Mission: Impossible.

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