Balancing calm and crazy made Gene Wilder a brilliant comic actor : nypost

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Balancing calm and crazy made Gene Wilder a brilliant comic actor

Balancing calm and crazy made Gene Wilder a brilliant comic actor

In the mid-1970s, my favorite actor, and probably the country's leading comic performer, was Gene Wilder.In 1974, both "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein" were huge hits, setting up Wilder for an improbable run of pictures built around his odd blend of talents.His face should have doomed him to be a character actor, but his attention-capturing facility became too great to shunt off to a side part.


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Gene Wilder Dead: 'Young Frankenstein' Star Was 83

Gene Wilder Dead: 'Young Frankenstein' Star Was 83

Gene Wilder, who regularly stole the show in such comedic gems as "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein," "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "Stir Crazy," died Monday at his home in Stamford, Conn. His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said he died of complications from Alzheimer's disease.His nephew said in a statement, "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.


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What Made Gene Wilder Unforgettable

What Made Gene Wilder Unforgettable

ZANY ANGELIndelible from the first moment he appeared on a movie screen, the late comic actor lit up not only the films in which he appeared but the hearts of his audiences as well.I remember precisely when I first saw Gene Wilder.I can't say that about very many performers.