Gene Wilder Willy Wonka 1971
par Professional Portal ☀️: Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder nearly walked off the set of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 1971 unless his character was written to walk as a disabled person. He told the director that having Wonka use a cane would create ambiguity about his future statements, making it impossible for audiences to distinguish truth from lies. When pressed on whether he refused to continue without this change, Wilder confirmed his stance with a firm 'That's right, I won't.' The actor later described a specific scene where his character's cane gets stuck in cobblestones, causing him to perform a forward somersault and bounce up while receiving applause. From that point on, no one will know whether I'm telling the truth or lying, he explained. Despite the intense negotiation dynamics regarding the character presentation, Wilder noted he enjoyed making the film significantly.
Transcription (en)
Cripple and then getting my cane stuck into a cobblestone and then doing a forward somersault and then bouncing up and they all applauded. And the director said, what do you want to do that for? And I said, because from that point on, no one will know whether I'm telling the truth or lying. And he said, you mean if I say no, you won't do the film? I said, that's right. I did enjoy doing that film a great deal.
