Gene Wilder Willy Wonka story
Gene Wilder says he almost passed on playing Willy Wonka because the director wouldn't allow him to do a specific scene: 'I'd like to come out of the door carrying a can and walk toward the crowd with a limp, the crowd goes dead quiet then my cane sink into a cobblestone and stand straight'
Transcript (en)
I was offered the part of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and when the director came to my house I said well I like the script except when the audience sees Willy Wonka for the first time I want to come out of a door with a cane and limp my way to the crowd and they're all like oh Willy Wonka he's a cripple oh my god who thought I never knew that so I'm fine and they quiet down quiet down quiet down and then Willy Wonka's cane gets stuck in a brick and he starts to fall forward and he does a forward somersault and jumps up and the crowd cheers and applauds and the director said what do you want to do that for i said because from that time on no one will know whether i'm lying or telling the truth and he said you mean if I say no you won't do the picture I said I'm afraid that's the truth
