Stephen Fry has joined the swell of tributes flowing in for Willy Wonka star Gene Wilder, who has died aged 83.
The actor, hailed as a “comic genius”, is also known for his roles in classics such as Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles.
Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor (AP)
His nephew said he died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, having suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, the Associated Press reported.
Jordan Walker-Pearlman said Gene was diagnosed with the disease three years ago, but kept the condition private so as not to disappoint fans.
Mr Walker-Pearlman said in a statement: “He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”
Tributes have continued to be paid to the star following the sad news:
Farewell #GeneWilder, comic genius. Thank you for all those happy happy hours. pic.twitter.com/O6oHS9TQqX
— Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) August 29, 2016
Sad to hear about #GeneWilder Another great leaves us this year ! https://t.co/K5VjBr6E7R
— Theo Paphitis (@TheoPaphitis) August 30, 2016
RIP #GeneWilder. Thank you for making life funnier. A huge talent to amuse. pic.twitter.com/Osc9SF37MA
— Elizabeth Hurley (@ElizabethHurley) August 30, 2016
"Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of PURE imagination…"
Somewhere, my inner child is waiting for me. #GeneWilder— Sam Claflin (@samclaflin) August 30, 2016
So sad about #GeneWilder If I'm honest, I still look for a golden ticket every time I open a bar of chocolate #WillyWonka
— Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) August 30, 2016
So sad that the inspiringly talented #GeneWilder has left us. He was one of the kindest souls I've ever met. 😢 pic.twitter.com/JoEUa2IS0s
— Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) August 30, 2016
Farewell to a genius. #genewilder pic.twitter.com/8mxHdUiW7d
— Ed Westwick (@EdWestwick) August 29, 2016
Can't believe the news about Gene Wilder. I was watching Willy Wonka with my son just a few hours ago. Such a brilliant actor. RIP
— Tom Fletcher (@TomFletcher) August 29, 2016
Singer Lenny Kravitz posted a black and white photograph on Instagram with the caption: “This guy made me laugh a lot! Laughter is a gift. Thank you Gene. #genewilder.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here