A nephew, the filmmaker Jordan Walker-Pearlman, confirmed his death in a statement, saying the cause was complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
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“Gene Wilder: amusing doing something and amusing doing nothing”, Wright added.
From the 1960s through 1980s, Wilder held lead roles in a list of films that include: “The Producers”, “Blazing Saddles”, and “The Woman in Red”.
In 1997, Wilder guest-starred on two episodes of NBC’s “Will and Grace”, winning an Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor on a comedy series for his role as Mr Stein, Will Truman’s boss. What made him so unbelievably amusing was that he was believable as the character no matter how outrageous.
Still, he was an unlikely star, and in the early days Hollywood probably had him pegged as a character actor or comic relief. He also became, somewhat improbably, a romantic leading man in such comedies as 1976’s “Silver Streak”.
His other Broadway credits include “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1963), alongside Kirk Douglas, and a production of “Mother Courage and Her Children” a year later, in which he co-starred with Anne Bancroft. The last film – with Wilder playing a California-born descendant of the mad scientist, insisting that his name is pronounced “Frahn-ken-SHTEEN” – was co-written by Brooks and Wilder and earned the pair an Oscar nod for adapted screenplay. Few can forget Leo’s panic attack when Max takes away his little blue blanket.
“I’m wet. I’m wet”. His partner (Mostel) tries to calm him by throwing a glass of water in his face. His rule for comedy: don’t try to make it amusing; try to make it real. It’s nearly as if Leo is assessing his condition as he is reacting to it.
“No one has Gene’s pauses and explosions”, Brooks once said about him.
In recent hours, friends, fans and comedians from around the world have spoken out on Wilder’s tragic passing.
His career didn’t take off immediately.
Gene Wilder, who delighted audiences with his comic turns in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and Mel Brooks classics including “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers”, died at age 83.
His three films with Brooks are so indelible that you would have thought they made more together. Except in a comedy in films.
The numerous actors, filmmakers and other personalities to pay tribute to Wilder also included John Cusack, Ricky Gervais, Elizabeth Banks, Albert Brooks, James Urbaniak, Larry Wilmore, Alan Tudyk and Uzo Aduba.
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As for why he stopped appearing on the big screen, Wilder said in 2013 he was turned off by the noise and foul language in modern movies. His craziest role: the therapist having an affair with a sheep in Woody Allen’s “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex”.
