You can tell Brooks is legitimately broken up about it, saying how, even though he knew his friend would be going soon, it’s still weird that he can’t call him on the phone. “I expected it; I expected he would go”.
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“He was such a dear friend”, Brooks told Jimmy Fallon.
People are mostly familiar with Gene Wilder’s acting career, like his portrayal of Willy Wonka in the 1971 classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but it turns out that he was living out one of the sweetest love stories we have ever heard. “He cried, and I hugged him”. Everyone has been paying tribute for Wilder over the past couple of days, including one of his closest colleagues in Mel Brooks. “He was such a wonderful part of my life”, he continued.
Wilder, who worked with Brooks on Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and earned a best supporting actor nomination for his role in 1967’s The Producers, died Sunday (Aug. 28) at his home in Stamford, Conn., due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease, his family announced Monday. The very first time he met Gene was when Mel’s late wife, Anne Bancroft, was in the play Mother Courage and Gene was playing a chaplain. The chaplain is a great part – it’s sad and funny, it’s touching, and it can be amusing.
Brooks went on to recall his first film collaboration with Wilder, 1967 The Producers, a project Gene was convinced would never get funded. “He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship”, he tweeted after learning about the death. Yeah, you’re gonna get the money.’ Miracle of miracles, I did get the money.
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After telling Gene he would star as Leo Bloom, the frizzy-haired actor sarcastically responded, “You’re doing a play about two Jews who are producing a flop instead of a hit, knowing they can make more money”.
