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Gene Wilder, the iconic actor, comedian, and Broadway star, passed away yesterday at his Stamford, CT at age 83. This was following a battle with first non-Hodgkins lymphoma and later Alzheimer’s disease.
Wilder’s nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman, released a statement that said in part, “The decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasn’t vanity, but more so that the countless young children that would smile or call out to him ‘there’s Willy Wonka,’ would not have to be then exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment or confusion. He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
Wilder, who is known and beloved for roles in Young Frankenstein, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Blazing Saddles, The Producers, and many others, is survived by his wife, Karen Boyer, and nephew. He was previously married to famed comedienne Gilda Radner who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1989.
Check out the video below to see clips of some of Wilder’s most iconic moments of all time.
Click here to find out where you can stream his best-loved performances.
