Gene Wilder Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Jerome Silberman
Date of birth:
June 11. 1933
Place of birth:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Astrology Sign:
Gemini
Height:
5' 10�
Tags:
Biography
Few film actors have the same claim to fame as Gene Wilder who has more than 30 movie credits to his name.
A larger-than-life character on screen, Wilder has repeatedly thrilled audiences with his comic expertise, often seen in collaboration with writer, producer and director Mel Brooks.
His 1971 film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in which he played the title character Willie Wonka is one of his best known pieces. A tale about a poor boy who wins the oppurtunity to tour the most eccentric and wonderful candy factory of all, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was remade many years later by Tim Burton and turned into another epic film starring Johnny Depp in the lead role.
Prior to working in theatre and film, Wilder had a long military career with the US Army having served from 1956 to 1968.
Following his dream, he left behind military life for his first film with Brooks, The Producers, airing in 1968.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Wilder started working with Richard Pryor and the two often made headline history for their dynamic partnership on screen. But Wilder later admitted that he was not as close to Pryor as people chose to believe and often had to struggle to communicate with him, given Pryor's severe drug addiction problem.
By 1984, Wilder had hooked up with the equally as wild Saturday Night Live actress Gilda Radner. The two remained happily married until 1989 when Radner passed on from ovarian cancer. From that point on and to this day, Wilder was an active spokesman for cancer awareness. He co-founded Gilda's Club, a support group for the disease that can be found in many communities including his hometown of Milwaukee.
Two years after Radner's death, Wilder married speech therapist Karen Boyer and is with her to this day.
Never shy about speaking his mind, Wilder has always taken a democratic approach to wars and went on recording opposing the Vietnam War. These days he sits in opposition on George Bush's War in Iraq.
In 2006, Premier Magazine placed two of his performances on its list of the Greatest 100 performances of all time. These were his role as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the film Young Frankenstein and Willie Wonka in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
A larger-than-life character on screen, Wilder has repeatedly thrilled audiences with his comic expertise, often seen in collaboration with writer, producer and director Mel Brooks.
His 1971 film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in which he played the title character Willie Wonka is one of his best known pieces. A tale about a poor boy who wins the oppurtunity to tour the most eccentric and wonderful candy factory of all, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was remade many years later by Tim Burton and turned into another epic film starring Johnny Depp in the lead role.
Prior to working in theatre and film, Wilder had a long military career with the US Army having served from 1956 to 1968.
Following his dream, he left behind military life for his first film with Brooks, The Producers, airing in 1968.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, Wilder started working with Richard Pryor and the two often made headline history for their dynamic partnership on screen. But Wilder later admitted that he was not as close to Pryor as people chose to believe and often had to struggle to communicate with him, given Pryor's severe drug addiction problem.
By 1984, Wilder had hooked up with the equally as wild Saturday Night Live actress Gilda Radner. The two remained happily married until 1989 when Radner passed on from ovarian cancer. From that point on and to this day, Wilder was an active spokesman for cancer awareness. He co-founded Gilda's Club, a support group for the disease that can be found in many communities including his hometown of Milwaukee.
Two years after Radner's death, Wilder married speech therapist Karen Boyer and is with her to this day.
Never shy about speaking his mind, Wilder has always taken a democratic approach to wars and went on recording opposing the Vietnam War. These days he sits in opposition on George Bush's War in Iraq.
In 2006, Premier Magazine placed two of his performances on its list of the Greatest 100 performances of all time. These were his role as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in the film Young Frankenstein and Willie Wonka in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.