Kirsty Paterson, the Scottish actress known worldwide as the 'sad Oompa Loompa' after a disastrous Willy Wonka event in Glasgow, has landed a new role promoting Netflix's Wonka's The Golden Ticket in Australia. The 31-year-old has relocated to Melbourne and is now regularly booked for work following her viral moment.
From viral meme to new opportunities
Paterson became an internet meme after being photographed looking miserable in a basic Oompa Loompa costume at the notorious Glasgow event. The experience, which was set in a bleak, largely undecorated site, left families bewildered as Oompa Loompas handed out a jelly bean and a quarter of a cup of lemonade to each youngster.
Despite the embarrassing moment, the incident appeared to work in her favour. Following her move to Australia, which she described as the "best decision ever", Paterson revealed on Instagram: "My life has changed so much from this one bad event. You will be seeing me in action very soon. Been busy girl."
New life on the Gold Coast
Last week, Paterson shared footage of herself enjoying the sunshine Down Under, flaunting her curves from her balcony overlooking the Gold Coast in a Scotland flag bra and a Netflix baseball cap. She was all smiles as she offered her followers a glimpse into her new life.
"Hello everyone, I am here in the Gold Coast," she said. "Doing some exciting stuff with you-know-who on my hat. So I cannot wait for this and I'm really excited for everyone to see what I've been up to. I don't think I could hit any higher than working with Netflix!"
Paterson has recently been seen promoting Netflix's Wonka's The Golden Ticket, a competition show based around the classic 1971 film starring Gene Wilder.
Fan reactions and career highlights
Commenting on her lifestyle change, one follower called it a "heartwarming glow up", while a second added: "The Oompa Loompa to Gold Coast baddie pipeline is crazy." A third Instagram user dubbed her the "happiest person in Glasgow", while a fourth observed: "A rare happy ending on the internet." A fifth exclaimed: "I love this so much. Glad something good came out of that."
Last year, Broadway producer Richard Kraft took the disastrous Willy Wonka event and turned it into a musical at the Edinburgh Fringe, which Paterson starred in. There have since been discussions about upgrading the musical, titled Willy's Candy Spectacular, into a West End or Broadway show.
"What a year it has been," Paterson declared afterwards. "I hit America, I starred in a musical, and now I am about to release a documentary."
Paterson previously admitted that the only reason she signed up to be an Oompa Loompa was because she needed the money and was told she would receive £500. However, she recently claimed that she still has not been paid. Opening up on Fubar Radio, she said: "We were supposed to get paid £500 for the two days. For a side gig and extra money, it's actually quite a good rate. I've not been fully paid. I was given £200 out of the £500 pay check. After this happened I had the Good Morning interview. I've done quite well getting jobs off of the back of it with various cameos."
