All About Calah Lane, Timothée Chalamet'sWonkaCostar: 'She Crushed It'

Mar. 15, 2025

Calah Lane at the premiere of Wonka.Photo:Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Calah Lane at the premiere of Wonka held at Regency Village Theatre on December 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty

Calah Lane is talented and sweet!

The 15-year-old actress earned her golden ticket to Hollywood after securing her breakout role inWonka.

Starring oppositeTimothée Chalametas the titular character, Lane plays a young girl named Noodle inthe Paul King-directed picture. The film explores the unexpected friendship between the two characters as Noodle helps Wonka on his journey to become the legendary chocolatier depicted in Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

In addition to Lane and Chalamet,Keegan-Michael Key, Rowan Atkinson andOlivia Colman,Sally Hawkinsand more round out the star-studded cast of the musical film.

Here’s everything to know about Calah Lane.

She’s from Dallas, Texas

Calah Lane and her mom.Calah Lane/Instagram

All About Calah Lane

Calah Lane/Instagram

“What a adventure with you! Thank you Mom for being there for me every step of the way. 💕 I love you so so much,” Lane wrote alongside a carousel of images of the two together in celebration of Mother’s Day.

She’s been in some award-winning projects

Calah Lane.Calah Lane/Instagram;

All About Calah Lane

Calah Lane/Instagram;

Lane is a multi-hyphenate who booked her first lead role at the age of four and has racked up several acting credits across television, film and theater.

Her first gig was in a stage production at the Dallas Summer Musical Theater, now known as Broadway Dallas. She appeared in several short films between 2016 and 2018 before going on to land roles in award-winning projects likeThis Is Us,The Day Shall Comeand the upcoming,Golden Globe-nominatedWonka.

She has received high praise from Timothée Chalamet

Timothee Chalamet and Calah Lane arrive for the US premiere of Wonka.MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty

Timothee Chalamet and Calah Lane arrive for the US premiere of Wonka

MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty

Ahead of theWonkarelease, PEOPLE spoke with Chalamet about working alongside Lane in the film. Not only did he express how “proud” he was of her, but he admired her work ethic and talent at such a young age.

“She crushed it. I’m hugely proud of her," Chalamet told PEOPLE exclusively. “That’s a big thing to take on at 12 years old,” he added, crediting Lane’s family for looking after her.

“She’s got a wonderful family and her mother is exactly the kind of parent you want to see in show business,” he said, noting that her mother is “very protective” of Lane. “She kills it. I can’t wait to see what she does with her career and her life and future projects.”

She immediately impressedWonkadirector Paul King

Calah Lane as Noodle and Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in Wonka.Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

CALAH LANE as Noodle and TIMOTHÃE CHALAMET as Willy Wonka in Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Picturesâ âWONKA,â a Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Wonkadirector Paul King also raved about Lane’s performance to PEOPLE, calling her a “phenomenally talented young woman.”

He explained that finding the “right person for the right role” was “really tough” because not many children perform at that young of an age. After a long casting process, King recalled how things immediately clicked when he saw Lane’s audition tape.

“I had a tiny little clip of her on my phone, I think I couldn’t even zoom in,” King said. “I just played it to my writing partner, Simon, and he went, ‘Oh, well, there she is,’ and we were like, ‘Thank goodness!' She was just great!'”

She’s a singer, too

Calah Lane at the premiere of Wonka on Dec. 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty