Mel Brooks leads tributes to Gene Wilder (1933-2016)

News reaches us all today that much-loved actor Gene Wilder has passed on, His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman told Daily Variety that Wilder died late on August 28 “of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.”

His nephew said in a statement:

We understand for all the emotional and physical challenges this situation presented we have been among the lucky ones — this illness-pirate, unlike in so many cases, never stole his ability to recognize those that were closest to him, nor took command of his central-gentle-life affirming core personality. 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. He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.

Tributes on social media were instant and fulsome including his long time collaborator Mel Brooks with who he made Young Frankenstein and the brilliant The Producers.

Source: https://twitter.com/MelBrooks/status/770347237280886784