The family of Gene Wilder has announced that the actor died earlier this month at the age of 83 following complications from Alzheimer’s disease. However, thanks to his iconic roles in films like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, he will continue to live on in the hearts of fans everywhere.
“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,” Wilder’s nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman, said in a statement, according to Variety. “He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
Here are five of Wilder’s most memorable movie moments:
1. “Pure Imagination” in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
2. “You know…morons” in Blazing Saddles
3. “It’s pronounced ‘Fronkensteen'” in Young Frankenstein
4. “Get on the bull” in Stir Crazy
5. Wonka’s somersault in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Megan McCluskey at [email protected]