It has been three days since the sad news of Gene Wilder's passing, and I know a lot of people are still reeling from it.
Gene was a very important person in my life, as Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory was one of the first movies that showed me how magical the world of making films could actually be. And at the centre of that was Gene's performance as Wonka - magic, subtle, physical, and in some parts scary. It was one of the earliest examples of me witnessing a truly perfect acting performance on screen. It's also the greatest Doctor Who performance not in Doctor Who itself!
Later in life, as a teenager, I would watch more of his films - his collaborations with Mel Brooks in The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein, and with Richard Pryor in Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, and See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Each time, Wilder's performances always stood out, his manic energy like a firework shooting across the screen.
Gene Wilder was a true legend and one of my comedy heroes. He will be missed.
'There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination/
Living there you'll be free if you truly wish to be'
Gene Wilder
1933-2016
