Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, director and writer best known for comic film roles in collaborations with Mel Brooks and for playing Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, director and writer best known for his comic film roles in collaborations with Mel Brooks and for playing Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Born Jerome Silberman, he was active in entertainment from the early 1960s until his death in 2016. Wilder had a broad North American cultural impact through classic Hollywood comedy films that were widely shown and referenced in Canada.

Early life and stage work

Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1933. He began his career acting on stage before moving into film and television, with his early professional theatre work occurring in the early 1960s.

Film career

He first appeared on screen in a 1961 television episode and made his film debut in Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His breakout years came with major comedy films in the 1970s, especially his collaborations with Mel Brooks, including The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. He also played the title role in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971).

Writing and directing

Wilder expanded into directing and screenwriting, including the film The Woman in Red (1984). Later in life, he also wrote memoirs and fiction.

Personal life and death

Wilder was married to actor and comedian Gilda Radner from 1984 until her death in 1989. He died in Stamford, Connecticut, in 2016 at age 83.