The comedy icon kept the younger generation at the forefront of his mind throughout his career, right down to his final years.
A new documentary is coming to Netflix this week to honor the life of comedy hero Gene Wilder, who we are remembering today on what would have been his 91st birthday. Famed for his role in the original movie adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wilder enjoyed a sustained and creative career, and his 2016 passing was marked with emotional tributes and adoration from a host of Hollywood figures. Though he was 83 when he died, Wilder’s death came as a shock to many – as it transpired the actor had kept his condition private, for one particularly poignant reason.
Gene Wilder kept his illness quiet for the most wholesome reason
The news of Wilder’s death broke late in the summer of 2016, with his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman confirming to the press that his uncle had passed away in his home in Stamford, Connecticut, on August 29.
His cause of death, Walker-Pearlman revealed, was complications associated with Alzheimer’s disease – a health condition the world did not realize Wilder had been battling.
In a statement, Wilder’s nephew explained the touching reason why Wilder had kept his illness quiet: “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.”
Touchingly, Walker-Pearlman added: “He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
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Wilder to be remembered in new Netflix documentary
To commemorate the week of his birth, a long-anticipated documentary movie, Remembering Gene Wilder, is coming to the small screens on Thursday, June 13.
Using Wilder’s own voice to tell his story, the documentary explores the upbringing that shaped the unique funnyman, and the challenges he faced trying to promote his bizarre brand of quirky showmanship to a conservative US audience.
The documentary will be available on both US and UK Netflix, with a limited number of theaters screening the title over the next few weeks.
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