Gene Wilder
American actor Gene Wilder (L) performs alongside compatriot Rolf Saxon, during the rehearsal of a scene from Neil Simon's 'Laughter on the 23rd Floor', in New York, October 2, 1996. Reuters/Shawn Baldwin/File Photo

After news broke on Monday that American actor Gene Wilder had died, celebrities and colleagues took to social media to mourn the death of the beloved comedian.

Wilder, best known for playing “Willy Wonka” in the 1971 American musical fantasy film “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” passed away at the age of 83 due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

The legendary comic actor spent his last hours surrounded by his family at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, according to his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman.

The Oscar-nominated actor is not only famous for some of the funniest films of the 1970s but also known for his partnership with Mel Brooks. He is also committed to cancer activism and founded Gilda’s Club, a support centre for cancer patients and their families, in honour of his wife Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. Wilder was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1999.

Brooks, along with a number of stars, took to Twitter to offer their condolences to the bereaved family and share their memories of the late comedic icon.

RELATED STORIES