Gene Wilder Was Part of This World and Part of Another

He Fell in Love with Acting by Trying to Make His Mom Laugh

When Wilder was eight years old, his mom suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Shocked and confused, the young boy was left wondering how to make her feel better. The doctor gave him some valuable advice: make her laugh.

Gene Wilder posing in front of a view of California from a porch

Photo by George Rose / Getty Images

For years, Wilder carried those words with him. He genuinely believed that laughter was a healing mechanism that had the power to prolong one’s life. Which, in a way, it really is. When eight-year-old Wilder saw his mom light up with laughter, he knew he wanted to make this his life’s work.

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