Films That Rock | RIP Gene Wilder - Willy Wonka Star Dead at 83 @filmsthatrock | Uploaded September 2016 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
Willy Wonka star and all-around comedy Legend Gene Wilder has passed away following complications from Alzheimer's disease. he was 83.

Of course we all know him in his career defining role as Willy Wonka, i myself have probably seen that movie literally at least 100 tunes in my life and have incorporated quotes from it into my everyday speech but Gene Wilder starred in so many classic films such as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Silver Streak, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil among many of his other great films. If you've a movie lover you owe it to yourself to spend a a day binge watching his movies. I promise you'll enjoy it.

Wilder's nephew Jordan Perlman confirmed that the icon died at his home in Connecticut on Monday August 29th and he surmised Wilder's legacy perhaps best by saying:

“We understand for all the emotional and physical challenges this situation presented we have been among the lucky ones — this illness-pirate, unlike in so many cases, never stole his ability to recognize those that were closest to him, nor took command of his central-gentle-life affirming core personality. 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.”

So to Gene Wilder - the often imitated, but never duplicated, thanks for the laughs sir. You will be missed.