Whether he’s Willy Wonka, Leopold Bloom, or Dr. Frankenstein, Gene Wilder is funny, memorable and one of our favorites. The actor, director, screenwriter, author and activist was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933.
His third wife, Gilda Radner of Saturday Night Live fame died from ovarian cancer and led Wilder to become active in promoting cancer awareness. He helped to found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in Los Angeles and co-founded Gilda’s Club.