Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory actor, dies at 83

Rest in peace Mr Willy Wonka…

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory would not have been the same, had it not been the eccentric and funny presence of Gene Wilder who played Willy Wonka. In a sad news, the actor passed away at the age of 83 on Monday, August 29. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s and is said to have died of complications arising from the disease, as reported by Variety.com. The actor died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.

Gene will forever be remembered as a remarkable actor. For times may change but his portrayal of characters in films such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Producers, Stir Crazy, Blazing Saddles will remain as a souvenir of his art and talent.

Gene Wilder had been nominated for the prestigious Oscar award twice in the span of his career. Once for The Producers, in the year 1968, and then again in the year 1974 for Young Frankenstein.  He was also nominated for Golden Globes for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in the year 1971. His last set of work includes a few episodes in the TV series Will and Grace. He won an Emmy for the portrayal of Mr Stein in the sircom.

Wilder had been married four times in his life. His most popular affair was with  comedian Gilda Radner, whom he married in 1984. Tragedy struck when Radner died of ovarian cancer at the age of 42 in 1989, around two years after their wedding.

Gene had gained massive fame for his portrayal of Willy Wonka, in the hit 1971 film. So, was the popularity of the film that it was remade in 2005 with Johnny Depp reprising the popular role. Not just that, the original Willy Wonka remains a popular meme on the world of internet today. Not often it happens that a scene from a film finds its place in a respectable manner in the world of memes. But Wilder did.

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He had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1989. Heartbreaking as it may sound but our favourite actor who brought Willy Wonka to life is no more.

Mel Brooks, teh popular screenwriter. was one of Gene’s frequent and most successful  collaborator. People loved their work on screen in the starting form the film The Producers, and then eventually repeating the success with Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. ‘One of the truly great talents of our time,’ Mel had tweeted out on Monday. ‘He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship.’

 

Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory actor, dies at 83