Gene Wilder

Jerome Silberman, professionally known as Gene Wilder was an actor, director, producer, singer - song writer and author. Gene Wilder started his career in acting through theatre and made his on-screen debut in The Play of The Week on 1961, a TV series. His first film role was in the movie Bonnie and Clyde in the year 1967 where he played the role of a hostage. His first major role was in the film The Producers (1968) as Leopold Bloom. Gene Wider played Willy Wonka's role in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1971 and is renowned for it.

He had collaborated with writer/ director Mel Brooks Melvin Kaminsky is an American actor was born on 2 >> Read More... for movies like The Producers in 1968, Blazing Saddles in 1974 and Young Frankenstein, which was co-written by Gene Wilder which resulted in the pair getting nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay. He also collaborated with Richard Pryor for movies like Silver Streak in 1976, See No Evil, Hear No Evil in the year 1989, Stir Crazy in 1980, Another You in 1991. Wilder had written and directed several of his own movies too, including The Woman in Red in 1984. Wilder was born as Jerome Silberman on 11 June 1933 to Jeanne (Baer) and William J Silberman, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father was a salesman and manufacturer of novelty items. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants.

Wilder took up acting lessons at the age of 13. He studied at Washington High School, Milwaukee in 1951. He graduated in Theatre Arts and Communication from the University of Iowa,and was the member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He adopted Gene Wilder as his professional/stage name at the age of 26. Gene Wilder was married four times - Mary Mercier from 1961 to 1965, Mary Joan Schutz from 1967 to 1974, Gilda Radner from 1984; to her death- 1989, Karen Boyer from 1991; to his death- 2016. His third wife, Gilda Radner was an actress and had starred with him in three films. She died due to Ovarian Cancer in 1989 which led to his active participation in creating awareness about ovarian cancer and also promoting it's treatment by founding Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Centre in Los Angeles and also co-founding Gilda's Club.

Wilder's last contribution to acting was in 2003, where he did a guest role on Will & Grace. After retiring from acting, Wilder focused his attention on writing. He produced a memoir in 2005, What is This Thing Called Love in the year 2010. He died on 29th August 2016 at the age of 83 years in Stamford, Connecticut, due to complications in Alzheimer's disease.