Who was Gene Wilder?
THE LATE Gene Wilder is remembered for his roles in Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.
Years after the Emmy Award winner's death, he is still recognized as the original Willy Wonka.
Who was Gene Wilder?
Born on June 11, 1933, Jerome Silberman was famously known as Gene Wilder.
Gene was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and began acting as a child.
During his formative years, he began acting in an attempt to cheer up his mother, who was extremely ill at the time.
At the age of 13, his elder sister's theatre teacher accepted Gene as a student to study the art of acting more seriously.
His mother later sent him to Black Foxe, a military school in Hollywood.
After a short stint in California, he returned home and graduated from Washington High School in 1951.
Gene went on to the University of Iowa before heading to England to study at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
After being drafted into the United States Army during the 1950s, Gene worked as a paramedic in Pennsylvania while continuing to take acting classes.
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Throughout the 1960s, Gene landed several prominent roles and cemented himself as a rising star.
How many times was Gene married?
Gene was married four times throughout his lifetime.
From July 22, 1960, to 1965, Gene was married to his first wife, Mary Mercier.
On October 27, 1967, the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory star tied the knot with his second wife, Mary Joan Schutz.
By 1974, the former couple split up and divorced.
On September 14, 1984, Gene walked down the aisle with Gilda Radner.
On May 20, 1989, 42-year-old Gilda lost her battle with ovarian cancer.
From September 8, 1991, to his death, he remained married to his fourth wife, Karen Boyer.
What was Gene's cause of death?
On August 29, 2016, 83-year-old Gene lost his battle with Alzheimer's disease.
He died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut.
He is survived by his only daughter, Katharine Wilder.
In a statement, his family announced: "It is almost unbearable for us to contemplate our life without him.
"The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, with which he co-existed for the last three years.
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"The choice to keep this private was his choice, in talking with us and making a decision as a family.
"He was eighty-three and passed holding our hands with the same tenderness and love he exhibited as long as I can remember."