Julie Dawn Cole

Julie Dawn Cole (born 26 October 1957) is an English actress and psychotherapist. She began her career as a child performer in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, playing Veruca Salt. Other roles include Arabella in ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–73), Jo Longhurst in Angels (1975–76), Rowella in Poldark, Lucy Deane in The Mill on the Floss (1978).

Career Cole was raised in Guildford, Surrey. Cole was 12 when she was cast as Veruca Salt,

Following the filming of the movie, Cole kept the Golden Ticket prop, along with the accompanying bar prop. She later gave it to her friend Linda Carr. On 17 July 2019, both props were sold at auction for upwards of £15,000. The auction itself is shown in BBC One's Bargain Hunt series 54, Ardingly 19.

After Willy Wonka

Immediately after returning from filming, Cole was cast in a recurring role on the ITV sitcom...And Mother Makes Three, in which she played Arabella, a stuck-up and snobbish teenaged girl.

From 1971 to 1974, she acted in several TV series, and was often cast as a "bad girl"; in an episode of ITV series Saturday Night Theatre, she played a delinquent who broke into a house, and a juvenile offender in an episode of prison drama series Within These Walls. Occasionally, she was cast in other moulds: on an episode of the Orson Welles' Great Mysteries series, she played a murder victim.

She made her next theatrical appearance in British-German comedy film That Lucky Touch,

In 1975, Cole got her break-out role being cast as one of the leading characters in BBC medical drama Angels. as Jill on 25 December 1981 broadcast of Mother Goose, and as Alice in the 27 December 1982 broadcast of Dick Whittington.

Career change, memoirs, and Willy Wonka After qualifying in 1998 as a fitness instructor, she worked in the 2000s on various projects, including the 2005 ITV series Fat Families as fitness advisor to one of the title families. Additionally, Cole trained as a psychotherapist and started practicing in 2007.

Returning to Willy Wonka, in 2004, Cole guest-starred in a Melbourne Comedy Festival show, Willy Wonka Explained (The Search for Veruca Salt). This led to Cole co-starring in the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe show, Willy Wonka Revisited: The Veruca Salt Sessions, where she plays a semifictional version of herself discussing Veruca, life, and obsessive fans with her unseen therapist, while her co-star plays an Australian fan describing his obsession with Veruca to his unseen therapist.

In 2024, she returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with a role in Willy’s Candy Spectacular, a musical based on the infamous Willy’s Chocolate Experience.

In 2025, Cole promoted a multisensory Willy Wonka presentation at Cosm Los Angeles by reenacting the Golden Goose scene by testing herself on the Eggdicator at Cosm.

Personal life Cole met actor Nick Wilton in 1988, at the revival of the Whitehall farce Dry Rot. They married in 1991 and have two children together. They divorced in 2002. She has since remarried.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Veruca Salt 1971–1972 ...And Mother Makes Three Arabella 5 episodes 1973 Paganini Strikes Again Nichola ITV Sunday Night Theatre Helen Episode: "The Intruders" Orson Welles Great Mysteries Vera May Barton Episode: "In the Confessional" 1974 My Old Man Judy 1 episode CBS Children's Film Festival Nicola Episode: "Paganini Strikes Again" Living at Thamesmead Sally Glock Short film 1975 That Lucky Touch Tina Steedman Within These Walls Gillian Parr Episode: "My Dad Was Called Charlie" 1975–1976 Angels Jo Longhurst 28 episodes 1977 Poldark Rowella Solway 6 episodes 1977–1978 The Many Wives of Patrick Madeline Woodford 4 episodes 1978 People Like Us Hilda Gittens TV Mini-seriesEpisode: "The First Lessons in Love" 1978, 2006 Emmerdale Pip Coulter (1978), Barbara Hope (2006) Two roles; 14 episodes 1979 The Mill on the Floss Lucy Deane 5 episodes Dick Turpin Phylida Episode: "The Hero" 1980 Bernie 1 episode Company and Co Tina Clegg Episode: "Watch the Birdie" The Jim Davidson Show Guest 2 episodes Rings on Their Fingers Pauline Episode: "Ladies Man" Grundy Sharon 6 episodes 1982 Tales of the Unexpected Emma Episode: "The Skeleton Key" Kelly Monteith Guest 1 episode 1984 Camille Julie 1985 Up the Elephant and Round the Castle Sue Brent Episode: "Wakey Wakey" Terry and June Lola Episode: "Unfaithfully Yours" 1985–1986 Galloping Galaxies! Robot 35 2 episodes 1987 Tandoori Nights Sandra Episode: "The Captains and the Kings Depart" 1987–2013 Casualty Audrey Leavers, Lucy Roland, Jenny, Annie 4 episodes 1989 Bergerac Reporter Episode: "The Other Woman" 1991 EastEnders Geraldine 2 episodes 1992 Moon and Son Young Housewife Episode: "The Chinese Medicine Man" Mr. Wakefield's Crusade Marion (voice) 1 episode WYSIWYG Maz 5 episodes The Upper Hand Lyn 2 episodes 1995 The Politician's Wife Angie TV Mini-series2 episodes 1996 How to Be a Little Sod Mother's Friend Episode: "Don't Forget the Kitchen Sink" Married for Life Judy Hollingsworth 6 episodes 1998 Animal Ark Sylvia Greenaway Episode: "Donkey on the Doorstep" Noah's Ark Pam Fisher Episode: "Killing Time" 2001 Doctors Stella Jordan Episode: "Mum's the Word" 2003 Down to Earth Jean Episode: "All Together Now" Fortysomething Stella 1 episode 2004 The Second Quest Mrs. Biggs Television film 2006 Angel Cake Judith 2009 Still Living at Thamesmead Sally Glock Short film2009 Olivia British dub 2012–2013 Holby City Pam Feeny 2 episodes