Gene Wilder Biography (1935-)

Original name, Jerome "Jerry" Silberman; born June 11, 1935, in Milwaukee, WI; son of William J. (an importer and bottle manufacturer) and Jeanne (maidenname, Baer) Silberman; married Mary Mercier (a playwright), July 22, 1960 (divorced); married Mary Joan Schutz, October 27, 1967 (divorced, 1974); marriedGilda Radner (an actress and comedienne), 1982 (died, May 20, 1989); marriedKaren Boyer (some sources cite Karen Webb; a speech and hearing specialist and actress), September 8, 1991; adopted children: (first marriage) KatharineAnastasia. Addresses: Agent: Nevin Dolcefino, Innovative Artists, 150510th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.; Manager: Andrew Hersh, Howard Entertainment, 10850 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1260, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, director, producer, writer
Birth Details: June 11, 1935; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Eugene Grizzard, Bonnie and Clyde (also known as Bonnie and Clyde ... Were Killers!), Warner Bros., 1967
Leo Bloom, The Producers, Embassy, 1967
Quackser Fortune, Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (alsoknown as Fun Loving), UMC, 1970
Claude Coupe and Philippe DeSisi, Start the Revolution without Me(also known as Two Times Two), Warner Bros., 1970
Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Paramount, 1971
Dr. Ross, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex* (*but Were Afraid to Ask) (also known as Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex), United Artists, 1972
Jim (the Waco Kid), Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
The fox, The Little Prince, Paramount, 1974
Stanley, Rhinoceros, American Film Theatre, 1974
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein (also known as Frankenstein, Jr.), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
Sigerson Holmes, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (also known as Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
George Caldwell, Silver Streak, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
Rudy Valentine, The World's Greatest Lover, Twentieth Century-Fox,1977
Avram Belinsky, The Frisco Kid (also known as No Knife), Warner Bros., 1979
Skip Donahue, Stir Crazy, Columbia, 1980
Title role, "Skippy," a segment of Sunday Lovers (also known as An Englishman's Home, Les seducteurs, and I seduttori della domenica), United Artists, 1980
Michael Jordon, Hanky Panky, Columbia, 1982
Theodore Pierce, The Woman in Red, Orion, 1984
Larry Abbot, Haunted Honeymoon, Orion, 1986
Hello Actors Studio (documentary), Actors Studio, 1987
Dave Lyons, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, TriStar, 1989
Duffy Bergman, Funny about Love, Paramount, 1990
George/Abe Fielding, Another You, TriStar, 1991
Voice of Snowbell, Stuart Little, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 1999
Film Director
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (also known asSherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
(And producer) The World's Greatest Lover, Twentieth Century-Fox,1977
"Skippy," a segment of Sunday Lovers (also known as An Englishman's Home, Les seducteurs, and I seduttori della domenica),United Artists, 1980
The Woman in Red, Orion, 1984
(And producer) Haunted Honeymoon, Orion, 1986
Television Appearances
Series
Voice of Letterman, The Electric Company, 1972-1977
Gene Bergman, Something Wilder (also known as Young at Heart), NBC, 1994-1995
Episodic
Happy Penny, "Wingless Victory," Play of the Week, WNTA, 1961
Muller, "The Sound of Hunting," Dupont Show of the Week, NBC, 1962
The reporter, "Windfall," Dupont Show of the Week, NBC, 1962
Wilson, "The Interrogators," Dupont Show of the Week, NBC, 1962
German voice, The Twentieth Century, CBS, 1962
Head waiter, "Reunion with Death," The Defenders, CBS, 1962
Armstrong Circle Theatre, CBS, 1962
Yonkel, "Home for Passover," Eternal Light, NBC, 1966
Interviewee, Inside the Actors Studio, 1995
Himself, The Frank Skinner Show, 1997

Mr. Stein, "Boardroom and a Parked Place," Will & Grace, NBC,2002
Mr. Stein, "Sex, Losers, and Videotape," Will & Grace, NBC, 2003
Appeared as himself in an episode of Sesame Street.
Movies
Lord Ravensbane/The Scarecrow, "The Scarecrow," Hollywood Television Theatre, PBS, 1972
Harry Evers, Thursday's Game (also known as The Berk), ABC,1974
Larry "Cash" Carter, Murder in a Small Town, NBC, 1999
Mock Turtle, Alice in Wonderland, NBC, 1999
Larry "Cash" Carter, The Lady in Question, Arts and Entertainment,1999
Specials
Bernard, Death of a Salesman, CBS, 1966
Ernie, "The Office Sharers," The Trouble with People, NBC, 1972
Marlo Thomas in Acts of Love--and Other Comedies, ABC, 1973
Home for Passover, NBC, 1973
Annie and the Hoods, ABC, 1974
Baryshnikov in Hollywood, CBS, 1982
The Making of "The Woman in Red," 1984
Face to Face with Connie Chung, CBS, 1990
A Party for Richard Pryor, CBS, 1991
Laughing Matters (also known as Funny Business), Showtime,1993
Gilda Radner: In Her Own Words, Arts and Entertainment, 1993
Countdown to Christmas (also known as Santa's Journey), NBC, 1994
Interviewee, Gilda Radner: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
Interviewee, 20th Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years, AMC, 2000
Stage Appearances
(Stage debut) Balthazar, Romeo and Juliet, Milwaukee Playhouse, Milwaukee, WI, 1948
Rosen, The Late Christopher Bean, Reginald Goode Theatre, Poughkeepsie, NY, 1949
The Cat and the Canary, Reginald Goode Theatre, 1949
Vernon, Summer and Smoke, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, Eagle River, WI, 1951
The Drunkard, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1951
Mansky, The Play's the Thing, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1951
Mr. Weatherbee, Arsenic and Old Lace, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1951
Howard, Death of a Salesman, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1952
Ed, Come Back, Little Sheba, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1952
The principal, The Happy Time, Tower Ranch Tenthouse Theatre, 1952
Twelfth Night, Cambridge Drama Festival, Cambridge, MA, 1959
Macbeth, Cambridge Drama Festival, 1959
(Off-Broadway debut) Frankie Bryant, Roots, Mayfair Theatre, 1961
Andrew, All the Way Home, Playhouse in the Park, Philadelphia, PA,1961
Hotel valet, The Complaisant Lover, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1961
The captain, Mother Courage and Her Children, Martin Beck Theatre,New York City, 1963
Billie Bibbit, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Cort Theatre, NewYork City, 1963
Smiley, Dynamite Tonight, York Theatre, New York City, 1964
Multiple roles, The White House, Henry Miller's Theatre, New YorkCity, 1964
Harry Berlin, Luv, Royal Poinciana Playhouse, Palm Beach, FL, thenBooth Theatre, New York City, both 1966
Max Prince, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Queens Theatre, London, 1996
Major Tours
Hotel valet, The Complaisant Lover, U.S. cities, 1962
Julius Sagamore, The Millionairess, Theatre Guild, U.S. cities, 1963
Various roles, The White House, U.S. cities, 1964
Stage Work
Fencing Choreographer
Twelfth Night, Cambridge Drama Festival, Cambridge, MA, 1959
Macbeth, Cambridge Drama Festival, 1959
WRITINGS
Screenplays
(With Mel Brooks) Young Frankenstein (also known as Frankenstein, Jr.), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (also known asSherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
(And songwriter, "Ain't It Kinda Wonderful") The World's Greatest Lover, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
"Skippy," s segment of Sunday Lovers (also known as An Englishman's Home, Les seducteurs, and I seduttori della domenica),United Artists, 1980
(And songwriter) The Woman in Red, Orion, 1984
(With Terence Marsh) Haunted Honeymoon, Orion, 1986
(With Earl Barret, Arne Sultan, Eliot Wald, and Andrew Kurtzman) See No Evil, Hear No Evil, TriStar, 1989
Television Writing
Movies
(With Gilbert Pearlman) Murder in a Small Town, NBC, 1999
The Lady in Question, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
Books
(With M. Steven Piver) Gilda's Disease: Sharing Personal Experience with a Medical Perspective on Ovarian Cancer, Prometheus Books, 1996

Further Reference

ADAPTATIONS

Wilder's screenplay Young Frankenstein was adapted as a novel by Gilbert Pearlman and published by Ballantine Books in 1974.

OTHER SOURCES

Books

International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, Volume 3: Actors and Actresses, St. James Press, 1996

Periodicals

People Weekly, February 21, 2000, p. 60
TV Guide, November 18, 2000, pp. 34-38
Us, May 29, 1989, pp. 30-37

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