Gene Wilder

Ten films that are way more disturbing than anything that would show up in the horror section of a store or streaming site.

It’s difficult, maybe impossible, to say which of Gene Wilder’s many performances is his best. He had the fastest hands in the West as Jim, aka the Waco Kid, in Blazing Saddles, he invited us into a world of pure imagination as the titular candyman from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and he accidentally created a not-so-politically-correct Broadway hit in The Producers.

How to eulogize Gene Wilder? I keep sitting here trying to find words worthy of the man who gave us Willy Wonka and Dr. Frederick Frankenstein and the Waco Kid. None do him justice. The most fitting tribute to Wilder came from Wilder himself, in a classic song from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: When traveling in the world of his creation, what we saw defied explanation...

Gene Wilder, best known for his comedic roles in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Producers, and Young Frankenstein has died at the age of 83.

In 2008, Gene Wilder basically announced his retirement — at that point, he hadn’t acted since a 2003 guest appearance on Will and Grace, and his last film role was in NBC’s Alice in Wonderland TV movie back in 1999. Since then, Wilder has written some books, but has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. That may change if Steven Spielberg has his way, as the director is reportedly seeking to get Wilder out of retirement for an upcoming film project.