RIP Gene Wilder
Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:15 am
Willy Wonka star Gene Wilder dead at 83
I'm guessing Mel Brooks' films are the ones that most people remember him most fondly in, but for me, it's always been Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Apart from the fact I read the original book many times as a kid, the film was one of the go-to rainy day/end of year films when I was at primary school, since the school had it on VHS (yes, VHS; it was the 90s). As a result, I ended up seeing it many, many times.
A shame to hear that he'd been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. Rest in peace.
GENE Wilder has died at the age of 83.
The family of the beloved actor confirmed the news in a statement, saying he died Monday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.
His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said he died of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
Wilder, most famous for his role in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1999.
In an emotional statement to Variety, Mr Walker-Pearlman revealed that his uncle was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
I'm guessing Mel Brooks' films are the ones that most people remember him most fondly in, but for me, it's always been Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Apart from the fact I read the original book many times as a kid, the film was one of the go-to rainy day/end of year films when I was at primary school, since the school had it on VHS (yes, VHS; it was the 90s). As a result, I ended up seeing it many, many times.
A shame to hear that he'd been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years. Rest in peace.