Gene Wilder brought a wild-eyed desperation to a series of memorable and iconic comedy roles in the 1970s and 1980s.

He died of illness in August， 2016 when he was 83.

Wilder is best known for his collaborations with director Mel Brooks， starring as the stressed-out Leo Bloom in Brooks' breakout 1967 film The Producers， and later in the monster moviespoof Young Frankenstein. He also portrayed a boozing gunslinger in Blazing Saddles.

For many people， Wilder might be best remembered for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory， playing the mysterious candy tycoon in the 1971 adaptation of Roald Dahl's book.

In a statement to CNN， Brooks called Wilder "one of the truly great talents of our time". "He blessed every film we did with his magic and he blessed me with his friendship，" Brooks wrote.

Wilder died due to complications from Alzheimer's disease， which he struggled with for three years， his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said in a statement to CNN. Wilder chosed not to disclose his illness， the statement added.

"He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world，" Walker-Pearlman said.

Actor Gene Wilder appears at Barnes & Noble to sign copies of his book The Woman Who Wouldn't on March 26， 2008 in New York City.

In the years after Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory， Wilder continued to star innumerous comedies， with less consistent success. That included several films with Richard Pryor， including Stir Crazy and Silver Streak， as well as solo vehicles like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother and The World's Greatest Lover， which he also directed.

In a 2005 interview with CNN， Wilder discussed how he met Brooks， having been cast in a play opposite the director's then-girlfriend， Anne Bancroft.

"That led to The Producers and Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein， because I was miscast in a play，" Wilder said. "And it changed my life." He said he was happy to be cast in primarily comedic roles throughout his acting career.

"For every dramatic role， there are 14 other guys who will do it better than me， always，" Wilder told CNN.

He was married to Saturday Night Live regular Gilda Radner for five years until her death in 1989.

When asked in the same CNN interview if he thought the public expected him to mourn Radner indefinitely， Wilder said he felt some people did. Then he added， "If you found happiness， real happiness， then it would be stupid to waste your life mourning. And if you asked Gilda， she'd say， don't be a jerk. You know， go out， have fun. Wake up and smell the coffee."

He is survived by his wife of 25 years， Karen Wilder.

"Bless you for all these years of laughter and love， such warmth and humanity，" wrote film critic Leonard Maltin.

Debra Messing， former star of Will & Grace， a show on which Wilder guest-starred， said， "A man who lit up the world with his joy and genius. I can't say what it meant to act with him and get to know his heart."

著名演員吉恩·怀尔德在20世纪七八十年代塑造了一系列令人记忆深刻的经典喜剧形象，为角色注入了疯狂而绝望的特质。

怀尔德2016年8月因病去世，享年83岁。

他与导演梅尔·布鲁克斯的合作最为知名，曾在其1967年的突破性作品《发财妙计》中饰演不堪重负的里奥·布鲁姆，随后又出演了恶搞恐怖电影《科学怪人》的《新科学怪人》。他还在《灼热的马鞍》中刻画了一个酗酒枪手的形象。

对许多人而言，怀尔德最令人难忘的作品或许是《欢乐糖果屋》。这部1971年的影片改编自罗尔德·达尔的书，怀尔德在其中扮演一位神秘的糖果大亨。

布鲁克斯在给CNN的声明中称怀尔德是“这个时代真正的伟大天才之一”。布鲁克斯写道：“他为我们合作的每一部电影赋予了魔力，我也有幸能成为他的朋友。”

怀尔德的侄子乔丹·沃克-皮尔曼在给CNN的声明中表示，怀尔德因阿尔茨海默病的并发症而过世，他已和疾病斗争三年。声明还称，他本人选择不公布病情。

沃克-皮尔曼说：“他只是无法忍受这个世界上缺少欢笑。”

2008年3月26日，怀尔德在纽约的巴诺书店签售他的新书 The Woman Who Wouldn't。

《欢乐糖果屋》之后的几年，怀尔德继续参演众多喜剧片，但并非一直都大获成功。他与理查德·普赖尔合作了几部电影，包括《阿叔有难》和《银线号大血案》，并自导自演了《福尔摩斯聪明兄弟历险记》和《世上最伟大的情人》等作品。

2005年CNN的一次采访中，怀尔德讲述了他与导演布鲁克斯结识的经过。那时，他在一部戏里搭档布鲁克斯当时的女友安妮·班克罗夫特。

怀尔德说：“因为那次相识，我才出演了《发财妙计》《灼热的马鞍》和《新科学怪人》。一次角色分配不当改变了我的人生。”他说，很高兴自己的演艺生涯中主要饰演喜剧角色。

怀尔德告诉CNN：“我的每一个戏剧角色，总会有另外14个人比我演得更好。”

怀尔德曾与《周六夜现场》的常任演员吉尔达·拉德纳结婚五年，直到拉德纳在1989年去世。

当在采访中被问及他是否认为公众期待他永久悼念拉德纳时，怀尔德说他知道有些人是这么想的。然后他补充道：“如果你找到了快乐，真正的快乐，那么浪费生命去哀悼是愚蠢的。要是你问吉尔达，她会说，别傻了。走出门去寻找欢乐吧。要清醒过来。”

与他结婚25年的妻子卡伦·怀尔德依然在世。

影评人莱纳德·马尔丁写道：“感谢你多年带来的笑与爱，你是如此温暖又充满人性。”

怀尔德曾客串NBC剧集《威尔和格蕾丝》。饰演格蕾丝的黛博拉·梅辛说：“他以欢乐和天才点亮世界。与他合作并得以了解他的内心，这其中的感受难以言喻。”