Gene Wilder

Cast · Writer · Director

Born

June 11, 1933 · Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Died

August 29, 2016

Birth name

Jerome Silberman

When he was 11, he wanted to be a comedian like Sid Caesar. Then, when he was 15 and saw Lee J. Cobb in 'Death of a Salesman,' he decided he would be a comedy actor and found that Mel Brooks was a great influence on his screen writing. He combined both talents with directing in The World's Greatest Lover (1977), followed by The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975).