Mel Brooks knew his friend Gene Wilder was ill and not doing well, but the actor’s death still left him “reeling.”
“I expected he would go, but when it happens it’s still tremendous. It’s a big shock,” he told Jimmy Fallon on the “Tonight Show” on Tuesday.
Wilder died Monday due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a statement from his family. Wilder, 83, had chosen not to disclose his disease publicly prior to his death.
“I’m still reeling from that — no more Gene. I can’t call him,” Brooks added. “He was such a wonderful part of my life.”
Brooks and Wilder’s friendship spanned decades and their collaborations produced classics like “Young Frankenstein,” “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers.”
Brooks first met Wilder when he starred in a play with Brooks’ late wife Anne Bancroft. Wilder was playing the role of the chaplain in “Mother Courage and Her Children.”
At the time, Brooks remembered, Wilder was confused about the audience’ laughter. Wilder saw the role as one that was “touching” and “amusing,” but not side-splitting.
“He said, ‘They’re always laughing at me. Why are they laughing at me?’ Brooks said. “I said, ‘Look in the mirror. Blame it on God.'”
On Monday, following Wilder’s death, Brooks said the actor was one of the “great talents of our time.”
“He blessed every film we did with his magic and he blessed me with his friendship,” he said.
