Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka, continued acting until the early 2000s.
Paramount Pictures; John Lamparski/WireImage/Getty Images
From the moment he somersaulted out of his factory, the characters (and the audience) were captivated by Gene Wilder as the titular Willy Wonka.
Before signing on to the role, the actor was best known for movies like “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) and “The Producers” (1967).
Wilder is still perhaps best known for “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971), but he went on to an illustrious acting career after the film.
He starred in “Blazing Saddles” (1974), cowrote and starred in “Young Frankenstein” (1974), and gave a Golden Globe-nominated performance in “Silver Streak” (1976).
The actor also went on to star on the NBC sitcom “Something Wilder,” and he had a two-episode arc on NBC’s “Will and Grace,” which earned him an Emmy.
After 2003, he pivoted away from acting and published a few books, including his 2005 memoir, “Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art.”
He died in 2016 at the age of 83 after experiencing complications from Alzheimer’s disease.
