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Gene Wilder
Actor, Writer, Director, Producer
Born June 11, 1933Died August 29, 2016 (83 years)
Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, singer-songwriter, and author.
He began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in an episode of the TV series The Play of the Week in 1961. Although his first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde, Wilder's first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 film The Producers for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was the first in a series of collaborations with writer/director Mel Brooks, including 1974's Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which Wilder co-wrote, garnering the pair an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
He is known for his iconic portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991), as well as starring in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972). He directed and wrote several of his own films, including The Woman in Red (1984).
With his third wife, Gilda Radner, he starred in three films, the last two of which he also directed. Her 1989 death from ovarian cancer led to his active involvement in promoting cancer awareness and treatment, helping found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founding Gilda's Club.
After his last acting performance in 2003 – a guest role on Will & Grace for which he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – he turned his attention to writing. He produced a memoir in 2005, Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art; a collection of stories, What Is This Thing Called Love? (2010); and the novels My French Whore (2007), The Woman Who Wouldn't (2008), and Something to Remember You By (2013).
He began his career on stage, and made his screen debut in an episode of the TV series The Play of the Week in 1961. Although his first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde, Wilder's first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 film The Producers for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was the first in a series of collaborations with writer/director Mel Brooks, including 1974's Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, which Wilder co-wrote, garnering the pair an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
He is known for his iconic portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) and for his four films with Richard Pryor: Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), and Another You (1991), as well as starring in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972). He directed and wrote several of his own films, including The Woman in Red (1984).
With his third wife, Gilda Radner, he starred in three films, the last two of which he also directed. Her 1989 death from ovarian cancer led to his active involvement in promoting cancer awareness and treatment, helping found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founding Gilda's Club.
After his last acting performance in 2003 – a guest role on Will & Grace for which he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor – he turned his attention to writing. He produced a memoir in 2005, Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art; a collection of stories, What Is This Thing Called Love? (2010); and the novels My French Whore (2007), The Woman Who Wouldn't (2008), and Something to Remember You By (2013).
Known For
Featured Videos
Gene Wilder Filmography
| 2017 | The Green Fog · as Theodore Pierce |
| 2013 | Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic · as George / Skip Donahue (archive Footage) |
| 2012 | This Means War · as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein |
| 2011 | These Amazing Shadows · as Jim (clip From Blazing Saddles (1974)) |
| 2005 | Expo: Magic of the White City · as Narrator (voice) |
| 2003 | Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! · as (archive Footage) |
| 2000 | Twentieth Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years · as Dr. Frankenstein |
| 1999 | The Lady in Question · as Larry 'cash' Carter |
| 1999 | Alice in Wonderland · as Mock Turtle |
| 1999 | Murder in a Small Town · as Cash Carter |
| 1998 | Will & Grace (TV Series) · as Mr. Stein |
| 1994 | Something Wilder (TV Series) · as Gene Bergman |
| 1991 | Another You · as George / Abe Fielding |
| 1990 | Funny About Love · as Duffy Bergman |
| 1989 | See No Evil, Hear No Evil · as Dave Lyons |
| 1986 | Haunted Honeymoon · as Larry Abbot |
| 1984 | The Woman in Red · as Theodore Pierce |
| 1982 | Jouer sa vie · as Jim |
| 1982 | Hanky Panky · as Michael Jordon |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actor - 'young Frankenstein' |
| 1980 | Stir Crazy · as Skip Donahue |
| 1980 | Sunday Lovers · as Skippy (sketch 'skippy') |
| 1979 | The Frisco Kid · as Avram |
| 1977 | The World's Greatest Lover · as Rudy Valentine / Rudy Hickman |
| 1976 | Silver Streak · as George Caldwell |
| 1975 | The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother · as Sigerson Holmes |
| 1974 | Young Frankenstein · as Dr. Frankenstein |
| 1974 | The Little Prince · as The Fox |
| 1974 | Thursday's Game · as Harry Evers |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles · as Jim |
| 1974 | Rhinoceros · as Stanley |
| 1972 | Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask · as Dr. Doug Ross |
| 1972 | The Scarecrow · as Lord Ravensbane |
| 1971 | The Electric Company (TV Series) |
| 1971 | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory · as Willy Wonka |
| 1970 | Start the Revolution Without Me · as Claude / Philippe |
| 1970 | Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx · as Quackser Fortune |
| 1969 | Sesame Street (TV Series) · as Letterman |
| 1967 | The Producers · as Leo Bloom |
| 1967 | Bonnie and Clyde · as Eugene Grizzard |
| 1966 | Death of a Salesman · as Bernard |
| 1961 | The DuPont Show of the Week (TV Series) · as Muller |
| 1961 | The Defenders (TV Series) · as Waiter |
| 1959 | The Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Happy |
| 1950 | The Armstrong Circle Theatre (TV Series) · as Yussel |
| 1999 | |
| 1999 | |
| 1989 | See No Evil, Hear No Evil · as Screenplay |
| 1986 | |
| 1984 | |
| 1980 | |
| 1977 | |
| 1975 | |
| 1974 | Young Frankenstein · as Screenplay |
| 2025 | Being Eddie · as Self - Actor |
| 2023 | Remembering Gene Wilder · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2021 | |
| 2019 | I Am Richard Pryor · as Self |
| 2018 | Love, Gilda · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2018 | Mel Brooks: Unwrapped · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2017 | The 71st Annual Tony Awards · as Self - Memoriam |
| 2017 | 2017 EE British Academy Film Awards · as Self - In Memoriam |
| 2017 | The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards · as Self - In Memoriam |
| 2016 | Actors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony · as Self |
| 2016 | The 68th Primetime Emmy Awards · as Self - In Memoriam |
| 2016 | The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl · as Self |
| 2016 | The Last Laugh · as Self |
| 2013 | Mel Brooks: Make a Noise · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2012 | Blank on Blank (TV Series) · as Himself |
| 2008 | Role Model: Gene Wilder · as Self |
| 2008 | Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation · as Self |
| 2006 | Legends (TV Series) · as Self |
| 2004 | Ronnie Barker: A BAFTA Tribute · as Self |
| 2003 | A Century of Black Cinema · as Self |
| 2002 | The Making of 'the Producers' · as Self |
| 2001 | Richard & Judy (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 2001 | NewsNight with Aaron Brown (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1999 | After They Were Famous (TV Series) · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 1999 | The Mark Twain Prize: Richard Pryor · as Self |
| 1997 | The View (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | E! True Hollywood Story (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1996 | Private Screenings (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | The Frank Skinner Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1995 | 50 Years of Funny Females · as Self |
| 1994 | |
| 1994 | Inside the Actors Studio (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1993 | Late Night with Conan O'Brien (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1991 | A Party for Richard Pryor · as Self |
| 1991 | Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1988 | This Morning (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1982 | Wogan (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Baryshnikov in Hollywood · as Self - Special Appearence |
| 1982 | Na sowas! (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1982 | Cinéma cinémas (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1980 | 3-2-1 Contact (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1979 | CBS Sunday Morning With Jane Pauley (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1978 | Hollywood's Diamond Jubilee · as Self - Interviewee |
| 1976 | Lørdagshjørnet (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1976 | César Awards (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Arena (1975) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Sunday meetings (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Good Morning America (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1973 | AFI Life Achievement Award (TV Series) · as Self - Audience Member |
| 1972 | Pebble Mill at One (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Film (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Parkinson (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1969 | The 41st Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Nominee |
| 1967 | The Phil Donahue Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1962 | The Merv Griffin Show (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | The Mike Douglas Show (TV Series) · as Self - Guest |