Gene Wilder Almost Turned Down the Role of Willy Wonka!

2014 Slobot Inspiration Gene Wilder Willy Wonka Slider

Gene Wilder almost turned down the role of Willy Wonka!

This short video is a FASCINATING look into Gene Wilder and his acceptance of the role of Willy Wonka in the 1971 cult hit Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  As a kid at my house, we ate a lot of really healthy food – back when the “cookies” that were sold at the health food stores tasted more like cardboard. When we used to watch Willy Wonka, it was like being transferred to a magical universe with delectable sweet treats and Oompa Loompas! In this 2007 interview, Wilder talks about how, when he was a kid, his mom had a heart attack. The doctor treating her told him not to upset her, but rather to make her laugh.  He says that was the genesis of his desires to be a comedic actor.  Oh, yeah, and he told the director of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that he wouldn’t take the role unless he could come out walking with a cane.

via Geeks of Doom