Entertainment

Gene Wilder, star of 'Willy Wonka,' has died at 83

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Gene Wilder.  Paramount

Gene Wilder, the legendary comic actor of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "Young Frankenstein," and "Blazing Saddles," died Monday at age 83.

Wilder's family confirmed the news to the Associated Press on Monday.

In a statement, his family said that Wilder died from complications from Alzheimer's disease, which he had for his last three years.

The two-time Oscar nominee also starred in four films alongside stand-up icon Richard Pryor.

Wilder is best known for his collaboration with director Mel Brooks on "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein."

"The Producers," Wilder's breakout role, earned him a best supporting actor Oscar nomination in 1969. He later shared a best screenwriting Oscar nomination with Brooks for "Young Frankenstein" in 1975.

Wilder was married to "Saturday Night Live" star Gilda Radner. Two years after they married, Radner was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died in 1989 at age 42.

Here is the full statement from Wilder's family:

Brooks tweeted this following news of Wilder's death:

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Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio
Jason Guerrasio is an award-winning entertainment correspondent at Business Insider and has covered various aspects of the film industry for over two decades. On the site, his reporting can range from what's going on behind the scenes at some of the biggest companies in Hollywood, colorful interviews with some of the most well-known names in entertainment, and exploring the darker side of the industry.In 2020, Jason received the New York Press Club award and Los Angeles Press Club award for his story on the rise and fall of MoviePass. It has since been made into the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "MoviePass, MovieCrash."Previous to BI, Jason was the managing editor at Filmmaker Magazine, one of the leading publications in the independent film industry. He's also written for numerous publications over the years, including Vanity Fair, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vulture, Variety, and indieWire.Popular ArticlesMary Carole McDonnell built a true-crime empire. Then the FBI came for her. Growing up Marvel: The tormented life of Stan Lee's child, JC LeeA bullet. A legend. A lie. Bufford Pusser killed his wife, authorities say. What happens to his legacy now?