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
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