Gene Wilder
Biography
Gene Wilder, born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, singer-songwriter, and author. He began his career on stage and made his screen debut in an episode of the television series The Play of the Week in 1961. His first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde. Wilder's first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 film The Producers, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This role marked the beginning of a series of collaborations with writer and director Mel Brooks, including Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein from 1974, the latter of which Wilder co-wrote. He passed away on August 29, 2016, at the age of 83.
Career overview
Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, and passed away on August 29, 2016. He was an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, singer-songwriter, and author. He began his career on stage before making his screen debut in a 1961 episode of the television series The Play of the Week. His first film role was portraying a hostage in the 1967 motion picture Bonnie and Clyde.
Wilder secured his first major role as Leopold Bloom in the 1967 film The Producers, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. This film marked the beginning of a series of collaborations with writer and director Mel Brooks. Their subsequent work together included the 1974 films Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, the latter of which Wilder co-wrote. Throughout his career, Wilder accumulated seventy-three known acting credits on the screen.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Remembering Gene Wilder (2024) as Self (archive footage)
- Mel Brooks: Unwrapped (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Love, Gilda (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- The Last Laugh (2016) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Private Screenings: Robert Osborne (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- Mel Brooks: Make a Noise (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (2013) as George / Skip Donahue (archive footage)
- Gene Wilder: Be in the Moment, Today (2010) as Himself
- Role Model: Gene Wilder (2008) as Self
- Marty Feldman: Six Degrees of Separation (2008) as Self
- Hitler: The Comedy Years (2007) as Leo Bloom (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Legends (2006) as Self
- EXPO: Magic of the White City (2005) as Narrator (voice)
- Richard Pryor: I Ain't Dead Yet, #*%$#@!! (2003) as (archive footage)
- After They Were Famous (2002) as Self (archive footage)
- The Making of 'The Producers' (2002) as Self
- Pure Imagination: The Story of 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' (2001) as Self
- Back in the Saddle (2001) as Self
- Alice in Wonderland (1999) as Mock Turtle
- Murder in a Small Town (1999) as Cash Carter
- Murder in a Small Town (1999) Writer
- The Lady in Question (1999) as Larry 'Cash' Carter
- The Lady in Question (1999) Writer
- Will & Grace (1998) as Mr. Stein
- The View (1997) as Self
- Blacks and Jews (1997) as Self
- Making Frankensense of Young Frankenstein (1996) as Self
- The Frank Skinner Show (1995) as Self
- Something Wilder (1994) as Gene Bergman
- Inside the Actors Studio (1994) as Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- Another You (1991) as George / Abe Fielding
- Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991) as Dr. Frankenstein (archive footage)
- Funny About Love (1990) as Duffy Bergman
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) as Dave Lyons
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) Screenplay
- Hello Actors Studio (1988) as Self
- Haunted Honeymoon (1986) as Larry Abbot
- Haunted Honeymoon (1986) Director
- Haunted Honeymoon (1986) Writer
- The Woman in Red (1984) as Theodore Pierce
- The Woman in Red (1984) Director
- The Woman in Red (1984) Writer
- Wogan (1982) as Self
- Hanky Panky (1982) as Michael Jordon
- Baryshnikov in Hollywood (1982) as Self - Special Appearence
- Stir Crazy (1980) as Skip Donahue
- Sunday Lovers (1980) as Skippy (sketch 'Skippy')
- Sunday Lovers (1980) Director
- CBS News Sunday Morning (1979) as Self - Guest
- The Frisco Kid (1979) as Avram
- Ciné regards (1978) as Self
- Please Turn the Page (1977) as Self
- The World's Greatest Lover (1977) as Rudy Valentine / Rudy Hickman
- The World's Greatest Lover (1977) Director
- The World's Greatest Lover (1977) Writer
- The World's Greatest Lover (1977) Producer
- Silver Streak (1976) as George Caldwell
- Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975) as Self
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) as Sigerson Holmes
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) Director
- The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975) Writer
- Young Frankenstein (1974) as Dr. Frankenstein
- Young Frankenstein (1974) Screenplay
- Young Frankenstein (1974) Screenstory
- Blazing Saddles (1974) as Jim
- The Little Prince (1974) as The Fox
- Thursday's Game (1974) as Harry Evers
- Rhinoceros (1974) as Stanley
- Acts of Love and Other Comedies (1973) as Herb Waterman
- Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask (1972) as Dr. Doug Ross
- The Trouble With People (1972) as Ernie (Story 4)
- Scarecrow (1972) as Lord Ravensbane
- The Electric Company (1971) as Letterman (voice)
- Film '72 (1971) as Self
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) as Willy Wonka
- Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) as Claude / Philippe
- Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970) as Quackser Fortune
- The Producers (1968) as Leo Bloom
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967) as Eugene Grizzard
- Death of a Salesman (1966) as Bernard
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Defenders (1961) as Waiter
- The DuPont Show of the Week (1961) as Muller
- The DuPont Show of the Week (1961) as Reporter
- Wilder as Self (archive footage)
- Very Young Frankenstein Original Film Writer
- My French Amore Novel