Timothée Chalamet's “Wonka” Vocal Coach Says He's 'Naturally Musical' and 'Mesmerizing' in the Role (Exclusive)

"You forget it's Timothée Chalamet, and you just start going along with him as the character," vocal coach Eric Vetro tells PEOPLE

Timothée Chalamet took on quite the challenge following in Gene Wilder's footsteps as the latest actor performing iconic songs like "Pure Imagination" as Willy Wonka, but according to his vocal coach, he nailed it.

Eric Vetro, who's worked with superstars from Ariana Grande to the cast of La La Land, coached Chalamet for his titular role in Wonka, which hit theaters Friday, and admired his vocal talents throughout the process.

"The thing about him is that he's very, very naturally musical. He has a lot of music in him," Vetro, 67, tells PEOPLE. "But what's really special about him, he's such a brilliant actor that he brings that side of his talent into the singing. So, he's really singing as a character and bringing those songs alive."

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Viewers have gotten to know Chalamet, 27, through his roles in popular films like Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird, Little Women and Dune, but he also starred in musicals like Cabaret and Sweet Charity while attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City.

"Someone can sound really good singing. Someone can also act a song really well. But he puts it together really, really well," says Vetro of the actor's performance in Wonka. "It almost becomes mesmerizing, because you forget it's Timothée Chalamet, and you just start going along with him as the character. I think that's what people are going to be really, really impressed by."

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, director Paul King said he decided to cast Chalamet as the iconic character, who originated in author Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, without an audition after watching online videos of his high school musical performances.

Related: Timothée Chalamet Got Offered 'Wonka' Role After Director Saw His High School Musical Videos Online

"It was a straight offer because he’s great and he was the only person in my mind who could do it," King said. "But because he’s Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views."

"So I knew from stanning for Timmy Chalamet that he could sing and dance really well," the Paddington director added. "And I knew that was in his arsenal, but I didn’t know how good he was. When I spoke to him he was quite keen. He’d done tap dancing in high school and he was like, ‘I’d quite like to show people I can do that.’”

Vetro recalls working with Chalamet on Wonka as an "awesome experience" — so great that they've continued working together for the actor's role as Bob Dylan in the upcoming biopic A Complete Unknown.

Related: Timothée Chalamet Will Do His Own Singing in Upcoming Bob Dylan Biopic, Says Film's Director

"It's kind of astonishing because going from the Wonka character to Bob Dylan, it's a completely different character, completely different voice, everything — and he does it," details the vocal coach. "He could turn on a dime. He's so talented that he is able to just switch into one role or the other really quickly."

At the time A Complete Unknown was first announced in 2020, it was reported that the movie would center around Dylan's controversial transition to the electric guitar in the '60s and his road to becoming a folk music legend. Earlier this year, director James Mangold revealed to Collider that Chalamet would do all his own singing as Dylan.

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"When that movie finally comes out, people are going to be shocked because you're going to think you're hearing Bob Dylan sing," says Vetro. "Once again, he just has this uncanny ability to not impersonate, but really breathe life into it. He's embodying Bob Dylan and what he was like at that age."

"It's like what Renée Zellweger did with Judy Garland," teases the musical professional, who worked with Zellweger on 2019's Judy and received a shoutout during her speech after she won the 2020 Oscar for Best Actress for the role.

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