Gene Wilder, the star of classic comedies like âWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factoryâ and several of Mel Brooksâ films, has died, his family told The Associated Press on Monday. He was 83.
His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said Wilder died late Sunday of complications from Alzheimerâs disease at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.
A statement from Wilderâs nephew said that the actor hadnât disclosed his diagnosis to avoid upsetting his fans.
âThe decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasnât vanity, but more so that the countless young children that would smile or call out to him âthereâs Willy Wonka,â would not have to be then exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment or confusion,â Walker-Perlmanâs statement read. âHe simply couldnât bear the idea of one less smile in the world.â
Wilder broke into professional acting on the stage, appearing in an off-Broadway production of âRootsâ in 1961, according to Variety. A part in a 1963 production of Brechtâs play âMother Courageâ introduced him to Brooks, whose future wife Anne Bancroft was starring in the show, Variety said.
Brooks praised Wilder on Twitter following news of the actorâs death Monday.
Wilderâs TV acting career also began in the 1960s, but he became better known for prominent roles in Brooksâ screwball comedies like âThe Producers,â âBlazing Saddlesâ and âYoung Frankenstein.â
He punctuated his performances with a combination of nervous energy, bug-eyed facial expressions and a gentle demeanor.
Wilder scored an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in 1969 for âThe Producers.â Brooks and Wilder were nominated for an Oscar for best adapted screenplay in 1975 for âYoung Frankenstein.â
âI started writing about what I would like to see [Frankenstein stories] become,â Wilder said in 2013 about penning âYoung Frankenstein,â according to Entertainment Weekly. âI wanted to make it a happy ending.â
A later teaming with comedian Richard Pryor paid off with a string of films like 1989âs âSee No Evil, Hear No Evil.â
Many viewers were introduced to Wilder as children, and will remember him best as the reclusive, eccentric chocolatier in the title role of 1971âs âWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.â
His career tapered off in the late 1990s. He had guest appearances on TVâs âWill & Graceâ in 2002-2003. He won an Emmy for his guest role on the show in 2003.
Wilder was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee on June 11, 1933, The New York Times reported.
His first two marriages, to Mary Mercier and Mary Joan Schutz, ended in divorce.
Wilderâs third marriage was to âSaturday Night Liveâ star Gilda Radner in 1984. The couple were married until Radner died from ovarian cancer in 1989. Devastated by Radnerâs death, Wilder co-founded Gildaâs Club as a network to support cancer patients and their families.
Wilder is survived by his fourth wife, Karen Boyer, whom he married in 1991; his estranged daughter, Katherine, from his second marriage; and his nephew, The Associated Press reported.