Lots of things are hard work, but I think writing, for me, after I started acting at 13 years old. I like writing now much more than I do acting only because, well, partly because the scripts that are offered are junk. – Gene Wilder
I like writing books. I’d rather be at home with my wife. I can write, take a break, come out, have a glass of tea, give my wife a kiss, and go back in and write some more. It’s not so bad. I am really lucky. – Gene Wilder
I’m not so funny. Gilda was funny. I’m funny on camera sometimes. In life, once in a while. Once in a while. But she was funny. She spent more time worrying about being liked than anything else. – Gene Wilder
I wanted to do – there was this film called ‘Magic’ that Anthony Hopkins did. And the director wanted me. The writer wanted me. Joe Levine said no, I don’t want any comedians in this. – Gene Wilder
My basic mistake in ‘The World’s Greatest Lover’ was that I made the leading character a neurotic kook and sent him to Hollywood. I should have made him a perfectly normal, sane, ordinary person, and sent him to Hollywood. The audience identifies with the lead character. – Gene Wilder
I’m stopped by mothers who say, ‘Mr. Wilder, what advice would you give to my young boy? He’s really talented.’ – Gene Wilder
I never thought of it as God. I didn’t know what to call it. I don’t believe in devils, but demons I do because everyone at one time or another has some kind of a demon, even if you call it by another name, that drives them. – Gene Wilder
I said something really stupid once. I told a friend that my mother was so beautiful, but my dad was ugly. My dad heard it and just laughed it off, but I felt guilty. It haunted me for years. I should never have said that. – Gene Wilder
I don’t mean to sound – I don’t want it to come out funny, but I don’t like show business. I love – I love acting in films. I love it. – Gene Wilder
Success is a terrible thing and a wonderful thing. If you can enjoy it, it’s wonderful. If it starts eating away at you, and they’re waiting for more from me, or what can I do to top this, then you’re in trouble. Just do what you love. That’s all I want to do. – Gene Wilder
I’ve become pretty philosophical about a lot of things, including death. It doesn’t get to me. – Gene Wilder
If something comes along that’s really good, and I think I would be good for it, I’d be happy to do it. But not too many came along. I mean, they came along for the first, I don’t know, 15, 18 films, but I didn’t do that many. But then I didn’t want to do the kind of junk I was seeing. – Gene Wilder
I’m going to tell you what my religion is. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Period. Terminato. Finito. – Gene Wilder
I feel very Jewish, and I feel very grateful to be Jewish. But I don’t believe in God or anything to do with the Jewish religion. – Gene Wilder
I love acting, especially if it’s a fantasy of some kind, where it’s not just realistic, it’s not naturalism. – Gene Wilder
If my mother hadn’t laughed at the funny things I did, I probably wouldn’t be a comic actor. After she had her first heart attack, the doctor said, ‘Try to make her laugh.’ And that was the first time I tried to make anyone laugh. – Gene Wilder
So my idea of neurotic is spending too much time trying to correct a wrong. When I feel that I’m doing that, then I snap out of it. – Gene Wilder
What do actors really want? To be great actors? Yes, but you can’t buy talent, so it’s best to leave the word ‘great’ out of it. I think to be believed, onstage or onscreen, is the one hope that all actors share. – Gene Wilder
I’m not a natural writer like, let’s say – I’m not talking about Arthur Miller; that’s a whole other thing – but let’s say Woody Allen. But the more I’ve written, the more I’ve found that there is a deep well in me somewhere that wants to express things that I’m not going to find unless I write them myself. – Gene Wilder
My favorite author is Anton Chekhov, not so much for the plays but for his short stories, and I think he was really my tutor. – Gene Wilder
And in ‘Frisco Kid’ and in ‘The Woman in Red’ I had to ride badly. Then you have to really ride well in order to ride badly. – Gene Wilder
When I’m not working on something, I seem to go through periods of depression. It helps to keep busy. – Gene Wilder
I’d like to do a comedy with Emma Thompson. I admire her as an actress so much. I love her. And I didn’t know it until recently that her whole career started in comedy. – Gene Wilder
