Keegan-Michael Key on Wife's Reaction to His “Wonka” Transformation: 'Do Not Come Home Looking Like That' (Exclusive)

"The hair and makeup team, absolutely brilliant. They were so brilliant at putting together the look," the actor says

Keegan-Michael Key's major transformation for Wonka got a big reaction from his wife Elle.

The actor's Chief of Police in the new musical origin story undergoes a gradual body evolution as he indulges in his love of chocolates — and gets sucked into shady corruption against Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet).

Key, 52, tells PEOPLE his character "100%" consumes the most candy onscreen of anybody, which didn't get old since they had a chocolatier on set making the sweets. "It was amazing," he says.

As the Chief of Police gains exaggerated weight from his comical over-indulgence, the creative team used makeup and wardrobe tricks to pull off Key's look.

"Ultimately," he says, "when I did my first application where we put the prosthetics on, I remember going into a trailer, and I had the mustache on and I FaceTimed my wife back in the States. She was like, 'Do not come home looking like that.' "

He adds, "I remember it being so effective. The hair and makeup team, absolutely brilliant. They were so brilliant at putting together the look."

Related: Hugh Grant Says Wonka Director Sent Him Naked Oompa Loompa Image: 'My Children Were a Little Alarmed' (Exclusive)

Key says they gave him "fake hands" for the character's "biggest look."

"Literally, they were glove hands, and I put my hands into the hands, and that made the knuckles bigger and wider and thicker," he says. "It's amazing what they can do."

The star was also "fitted in suspenders." That, he says, is "how I ended up with that really large suit and the really large belly. I have the suspenders; it gave me these legs, these big wide legs that I could use. I fit into the legs and then put these suspenders on, and it gave me the stomach and the legs ... as opposed to padding or stuffing."

It was all "a little physically heavy" to wear on set, says Key, adding that it was about 20 to 25 lbs.

But, "it wasn't that bad" because there was a hidden perk to the outfitting: "There'd be some mornings where we'd be shooting and it'd be cool, but I always had my nice wool. I had extra padding."

Key also tells PEOPLE about sharing the screen with Chalamet, 27, and how the actor differs from the Willy Wonka role, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

"There was something really interesting about Timmy's movement. I'm not sure, I feel like he must have worked with a movement coach because he moves very differently in real life than Willy does," says Key. "There's this confident stride that Willy has, and he almost stands up as straight as his cane is."

"And Timmy's got a different kind of ... he has a slithery, curvy feel in real life that Willy doesn't have," he adds. "Whatever he did there, it was really fantastic. There was a definite physical change between being on camera and being off camera."

Wonka is now playing in theaters.

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