Most people see a golden egg and immediately think of a screaming girl in a red dress. Honestly, it’s hard not to. Julie Dawn Cole basically defined the "spoiled brat" archetype for an entire generation when she played Veruca Salt in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. But if you think her career ended when she fell down that garbage chute, you’ve missed about forty years of British television history.
She didn't just disappear. While most of the other Wonka kids walked away from acting, Cole leaned in. Hard.
The Wonka Shadow and Breaking Out
You have to realize how massive Willy Wonka was. It was her first film. She was twelve. Imagine having your first job be a global phenomenon where you have to scream "I want it now!" at the top of your lungs for weeks. It sticks to you.
Cole has mentioned in interviews—and in her memoir I Want It Now!—that she was actually quite close with Roy Kinnear, who played her father, Mr. Salt. He was a veteran of British comedy, and she learned the ropes from him while filming in Munich. That education paid off quickly. Instead of being a one-hit-wonder, she transitioned into the British TV circuit almost immediately after the film’s release.
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She landed a role in the sitcom ...And Mother Makes Three (1971–73). She played Arabella, a recurring character who was a far cry from the diamond-obsessed Veruca. It was the start of a very long, very busy career on the small screen.
Julie Dawn Cole Movies and TV Shows: The Dramatic Shift
By the mid-70s, the "child star" label was starting to peel off. In 1975, she took a massive swing by joining the BBC medical drama Angels. She played Jo Longhurst, a student nurse. This was a "nice girl" role—a deliberate pivot from the bad-girl image she’d cultivated. The show was gritty for its time, dealing with the actual stresses of nursing rather than just hospital romance.
She stayed for 28 episodes. It proved she had range.
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But the "bad girl" itch came back. In 1977, she joined the original Poldark series as Rowella Solway. If you think modern Poldark is spicy, the 70s version had its moments too. Rowella was a master manipulator who seduced her sister’s husband, a vicar. It was a scandalous role that firmly established her as an adult actress capable of playing complex, often unlikeable, characters.
Notable Television Credits (1970s - 2000s)
- The Mill on the Floss (1978): She played Lucy Deane in this BBC miniseries based on the George Eliot novel.
- Tales of the Unexpected (1982): In the episode "The Skeleton Key," she appeared in the kind of twisty, dark storytelling Roald Dahl was famous for—ironic, considering her start.
- Camille (1984): A TV movie where she shared the screen with a young Colin Firth.
- EastEnders (1991): She had a brief stint as Geraldine, proving she could handle the frantic pace of British soaps.
- The Politician’s Wife (1995): A highly-regarded miniseries where she played Angie.
The Pivot to Psychotherapy
Acting isn't forever for everyone. Around the mid-2000s, Cole began to pull back. Her last few credits include appearances in Emmerdale (where she actually played two different characters years apart, Pip Coulter and Barbara Hope) and Holby City.
She didn't just "quit" though; she evolved.
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In 2007, she officially began working as a psychotherapist. It’s a fascinating career move. Think about it: she spent her childhood and young adulthood inhabiting different personas and analyzing scripts. Transitioning into analyzing the human psyche isn't that much of a stretch. She has worked for cancer charities and in private practice, effectively retiring from the screen around 2013, though she still makes appearances at fan conventions.
Why Her Career Actually Matters
Most child actors from that era faced a "Wonka curse." Peter Ostrum (Charlie) became a veterinarian. Denise Nickerson (Violet) left acting in 1978. Cole was the outlier. She was the one who kept the engine running for three decades.
She didn't need the Golden Ticket to survive. She had the craft.
If you're looking to revisit her work beyond the chocolate factory, start with Angels or the original Poldark. You’ll see an actress who was much more than just a scream and a red dress. She was a staple of the BBC and ITV for years, a face that meant "quality British drama" to millions of viewers.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of 70s and 80s British television, look for the DVD sets of Angels or Poldark. Watching her transition from the bratty Veruca Salt to the nuanced Jo Longhurst is a masterclass in how a child actor can successfully navigate the transition into adult roles without losing their way. For a deeper look into the behind-the-scenes madness of her early career, her book I Want It Now! provides a candid, non-Hollywood perspective on what it was like to work with Gene Wilder.