Gene Wilder fortune, death, wife, personal life, career and biography

Gene Wilder was an American screenwriter, actor, director, and author best known for playing Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He also played iconic roles in movies like ‘Blazing Saddles’, ‘Young Frankenstein’, ‘ See No Evil, Hear No Evil’, and ‘Another You’, etc.

Gene Wilder in his last life worked as an author. Wilder died in 2016 due to Alzheimer’s disease. Learn about Wilder’s personal life, career and more.

GENE WILDER: EARLY CHILDHOOD, EDUCATION AND NATIONALITY

Gene Wilder was born as Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, making his nationality an American. He was born to Jeanne and William J. Silberman who were manufacturers and sellers of novelty goods. Wilder had an interest in playing from an early age. As his sister studied acting and performing, it inspired him and he even asked his teacher if he could be her student. At age 13, Wilder studied acting with his sister’s teacher and adopted the name Gene Wilder. Likewise, he was sent to Black-Foxe, a military acting school in Hollywood to fully pursue acting, but he was bullied and assaulted while in school as he was the only student jewish boy. He came back from the

Gene went to Bristol Old Vic Theater School in Bristol England where he became the first all school fencing champion. Wilder went to the United States with his sister and her family to New York where he was enrolled in HB studio. Later, Gene was also drafted into the Army in 1956, when he was a paramedic with the Pennsylvania Department of Psychiatry and Neurology.

GENE WILDER: CAREER

Wilder first pursued his professional career playing a minor role in Herbert Berghof’s production of Twelfth Night. After three years of study at the HB studio, Wilder entered the acting studio and therefore began to pursue Broadway. In 1963, he obtained a title role in the play entitled Mother Courage and Her Children with Anne Bancroft. Anne introduced Wilder to her husband Mel Brooks who was writing a script for a new movie.

For three years, Wilder did not hear from Brooks as he continued to play with acting and minor film roles. Finally, in 1968, he got his first starring role in the movie ‘ The Producers’ which didn’t do well commercially, but became a major hit, also becoming a cult classic. He received the biggest fame after playing Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1971. After that, Gene played many iconic roles in some of Hollywood’s classics, including some small screen hits.

GENE WILDER: WIFE AND PERSONAL LIFE

Gene Wilder had an interesting personal life. The actor has been married four times in his life. He met his first wife Mary Mercier while working at HB studios, after which he dated and married Mary Joan Schutz, who already had a daughter from his previous marriage named Katherine. Gene also adopted his daughter after the wedding. The marriage lasted seven years, but they divorced after his wife suspected an affair from her husband. Later in 1981, Wilder met Saturday Night Live actress Gilda Radner on August 13, 1981. The couple eventually wanted to have children but Radner began having miscarriages and similar health issues.

Upon diagnosis, she was found to have ovarian cancer. Since then, Wilder began receiving several therapies, after which she improved. However, by 1989 the cancer had returned and Wilder had lost his life to cancer. After his wife’s death, Wilder found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Center in Los Angeles. Finally, in 1991, he married Karen Webb who was a clinical supervisor at the New York League for the Deaf.

GENE WILDER: FORTUNE AND DEATH

Gene Wilder later retired and began working as an author. He has published several books, including some about his late wife, Gilda Radner and her battle with cancer. Wilder had a total net worth estimate of $20 million until his death.

Gene had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for three years while keeping it private. He passed away on August 29, 2016 at his home in Connecticut and passed away peacefully.