History Creator / GeneWilder

* ExecutiveMeddling: [[invoked]] In 1999 he did two television mystery movies for Creator/AAndE, ''Murder in a Small Town'' and ''The Lady in Question''. Both got high ratings and critical praise, some even saying that his character, Larry "Cash" Carter, was the next Series/{{Columbo}}. However, A&E ownership changed hands and they informed him there would be no more Cash Carter mysteries, leaving Wilder bitterly angry and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere causing him to retire completely from acting]].

Jerome Silberman, better known as Gene Wilder (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), was widely regarded as one of the greatest comedic actors of the 20th century, if not ''the'' greatest. He was best known for being the first actor to portray Film/{{Willy Wonka|AndTheChocolateFactory}} , for his collaborations with Creator/MelBrooks, and for his four co-starring appearances with Creator/RichardPryor.

Jerome Silberman, better known as Gene Wilder (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), was widely regarded as one of the greatest comedic actors of the 20th century, if not ''the'' greatest. He was best known for being the first actor to portray Film/{{Willy Wonka|AndTheChocolateFactory}} (see right), for his collaborations with Creator/MelBrooks, and for his four co-starring appearances with Creator/RichardPryor.

* ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'' (1971); his most iconic role.

* ExecutiveMeddling: [[invoked]] In 1999 he did two television mystery movies for A&E, ''Murder in a Small Town'' and ''The Lady in Question''. Both got high ratings and critical praise, some even saying that his character, Larry "Cash" Carter, was the next Series/{{Columbo}}. However, A&E ownership changed hands and they informed him there would be no more Cash Carter mysteries, leaving Wilder bitterly angry and [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere causing him to retire completely from acting]].

* ''Haunted Honeymoon'' (1986; also cowriter and director)

* ''Series/SomethingWilder'' (1993; TV Sitcom)

** Had Creator/GeneHackman not taken the role, he was Creator/WesAnderson's choice to play Royal in ''Film/TheRoyalTenenbaums''.

* ExecutiveMeddling: [[invoked]] In 1999 he did two television mystery movies for A&E, ''Murder in a Small Town'' and ''The Lady in Question''. Both got high ratings and critical praise, some even saying that his character, Larry "Cash" Carter, was the next Series/{{Columbo}}. However, A&E ownership changed hands and they informed him there would be no more Cash Carter mysteries, leaving Wilder bitterly angry and causing him to retire completely from acting.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams."'']]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/genewilder.png]]

* StarDerailingRole: [[invoked]] ''Haunted Honeymoon''. Everything after that flop was bad news for Wilder until a minor comeback on television, which was also derailed by the above mentioned ExecutiveMeddling.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Despite making several films alongside Creator/RichardPryor, Wilder and Pryor weren't that chummy.

** He had a love of romance novels and even wrote two himself, ''My French Whore'' and ''The Woman Who Wouldn't'' as well as a collection of short romantic stories called ''What Is This Thing Called Love?''

* ReclusiveArtist: [[invoked]] Rarely gave interviews at the height of his popularity and gave even fewer afterward. Also, went out of his way to say just how much he hates actually promoting a film to the extent that it caused him to pass on a lot of projects.

* SuddenlyShouting: Had a tendency to get very loud at a moment's notice throughout many of his works. As Willy Wonka, he famously [[ThrowItIn didn't tell the other actors]] how loud he was going to get during the film's climax, leading to more [[EnforcedMethodActing genuinely shocked responses]] (though he did ask for Peter Ostrum to be warned in advance when filming the infamous "You get nothing!" scene due to the friendship the two had built up over the course of filming; his request was denied).

* WagTheDirector: During filming of ''Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'', he had full control over nearly every aspect of his performance as the titular candyman, from the clothes he wore to the way he introduced himself at the start of the factory tour. By all accounts, his contributions were not so outlandish that it made production difficult and some of the film's most memorable moments were his ideas.

** One of the earlier films he passed on was the role of Milo Minderbender in ''Literature/CatchTwentyTwo'', despite having been interested in the role, he didn't care for how the character was written differently from the book.

* ''The Frisco Kid'' (1979)

* ''Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego'' (1992; In the never aired episode: "Auld Lang Gone")

[[quoteright:283:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Gene_Wilder_2431.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:283:''"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dreams."'']]

** One of the earlier films he passed on was the role of Milo Minderbender in Catch-22, despite having been interested in the role, he didn't care for how the character was written differently from the book.

** ''Film/TradingPlaces'' was originally written as another vehicle for him and Creator/RichardPryor. But when Creator/EddieMurphy was cast, he asked that Wilder be replaced, too, because he didn't want people to think [[PoorMansSubstitute he was trying to be another Pryor]].

Wilder met and fell in love with ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' original cast member Gilda Radner on the set of the movie ''Hanky Panky'' (1982). They wed in 1984 and appeared together again in the films ''The Woman In Red'' and ''Haunted Honeymoon''. Radner died following a long battle with ovarian cancer in 1989, after which Wilder established the Gilda Radner Ovarian Detection Center at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

* ''Film/TradingPlaces'' was originally written as another vehicle for him and Creator/RichardPryor. But when Creator/EddieMurphy was cast, he asked that Wilder be replaced, too, because he didn't want people to think [[PoorMansSubstitute he was trying to be another Pryor]].

** MelBrooks very much wanted to collaborate with Wilder again in ''Film/HighAnxiety'', in spite of their CreativeDifferences during the filming of ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' straining their friendship, and offered him the lead role of the phobic Dr. Richard Thorndyke, but Wilder was already busy with producing, writing, directing, and acting in ''The World's Greatest Lover'', so he turned Brooks down. The duo never did collaborate again.

** Also passed on the role of James Martin in ThePoseidonAdventure due to scheduling conflicts.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Despite making several films alongside Creator/RichardPryor, Wilder and Pryor weren't that chummy.

* ''Film/TheProducers'' (1968)

* ''Film/WillyWonkaAndTheChocolateFactory'' (1971)

* ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' (1974)

* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' (1974; also cowriter)

* ''Film/SilverStreak'' (1976)

* ''Film/StirCrazy'' (1980)

* ''Film/SeeNoEvilHearNoEvil'' (1989; also cowriter)

* ''Another You'' (1991; final theatrical film role)
* ''Series/WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego'' (1992; In the never aired episode: ''Auld Lang Gone'')

* ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'' (1999; TV movie adaptation)

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Despite making several films alongside Creator/RichardPryor, Wilder and Pryor weren't that chummy.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: After semi-retiring from acting in 1999, he passed on many, many roles that had been conceived for him.
** He was asked to voice a character in ''WesternAnimation/OverTheHedge'', but he turned down the role and the character was scrapped.
** Had Creator/GeneHackman not taken the role, he was Creator/WesAnderson's choice to play Royal in ''Film/TheRoyalTenenbaums''.
** One of the earlier films he passed on was the role of Milo Minderbender in Catch-22, despite having been interested in the role, he didn't care for how the character was written differently from the book.
** Also passed on the role of James Martin in ThePoseidonAdventure due to scheduling conflicts.
** MelBrooks very much wanted to collaborate with Wilder again in ''Film/HighAnxiety'', in spite of their CreativeDifferences during the filming of ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' straining their friendship, and offered him the lead role of the phobic Dr. Richard Thorndyke, but Wilder was already busy with producing, writing, directing, and acting in ''The World's Greatest Lover'', so he turned Brooks down. The duo never did collaborate again.

** By all accounts, he got along amazingly well with the child actors for ''Willy Wonka'', particularly Peter Ostrum, whom he shared most of his scenes with. When it came time to shoot his infamous outburst at the end of the film, Wilder heavily resisted the urge to tell him just ''how mad'' he was going to be. He didn't want to ruin his friendship with Peter, but also wanted to help capture authentic shock. Julie Dawn Cole and Denise Nickerson also adored working with him; in fact, the only one Wilder didn't get along with was Paris Themmen, the youngest and most immature of the child actors.