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Diana Mae Sowle (née Laumer; June 19, 1930 – October 19, 2018) was an American actress. She was best known for her role as Charlie Bucket's mother in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

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Diana Sowle
in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Born	Diana Mae Laumer (1930-06-19)June 19, 1930 Chico, California, U.S.
Died	October 19, 2018(2018-10-19) (aged 88) Laurel, Maryland, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1971–2013
Spouse(s)	Robert K. Gibson ​ ​ (m. 1956; div. 1961)​ William David Sowle (m. 19??; died 2013)
Children	2

Early life

Born as Diana Mae Laumer in Chico, California, she was one of five siblings. She attended Chico High School, and appeared in school plays, where she became interested in drama. She graduated in 1949, and attended the University of Denver, after which she appeared in the play "The Drunkard". She did voice-over for American plays and appeared in theater in Germany.[1]

Career

Film roles

Diana is best known for playing Mrs. Bucket, Charlie Bucket's mother, in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and her performance of "Cheer Up Charlie" in that film, although her singing voice was dubbed by Diana Lee.[2] Sowle joined the cast in Germany, where it was filmed.[1] Apart from Chocolate Factory, her only other screen roles were cameos in Clear and Present Danger and Guarding Tess, both in 1994.[3]

Video game

Sowle also gave voice to "Agatha" and other characters in the 2008 video game Fallout 3.[4]

Theatre

She frequently performed in the long-running play Shear Madness at the Kennedy Center, portraying socialite Eleanor Shubert.[5] Her last-known appearance was in May–June 2013. In mid-2012, she appeared in a production of Love Letters, opposite actor Larry Storch in Farmville, Virginia, to benefit the Tom Mix Rangers.

Personal life

Sowle lived in Germany for about 20 years starting in 1960 and had other homes, including one in Maryland (in the Washington, D.C., area). She was a mother of two and grandmother of four. Her husband Bill Sowle worked for the CIA and died in 2013.[6] She ran a free tutoring program for underprivileged children in Washington D.C. for almost a quarter-century.[7][8]

Death

Sowle died of natural causes on October 19, 2018. She was 88 years old.[7][9][4]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1971	Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory	Mrs. Bucket
1994	Guarding Tess	Hairdresser
	Clear and Present Danger	Cartel Maid	Final film role

Television

Year	Title	Notes
2003	After They Were Famous	1 episode, Archive footage

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Fallout 3	Old Lady Palmer / Agatha / Margaret Primrose / Manya Vargas / Bloomseer Poplar / Tiffany Cheng / Leaf Mother Laurel / Old Lady Dithers / Mother Maya	Voice

References

External links

• Diana Sowle at IMDb
• Arlington National Cemetery

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