--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made a…" description: "\"In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made a hysteric seem considerably less funny in his film debut as a terrified undertaker in \"Bonnie And Clyde.\" And neurotic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png" --- # In fact, \[Gene Wilder\] had made a hysteric seem… ![“In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made a hysteric seem considerably less funny in his film debut as a terrified undertaker in "Bonnie And Clyde." And neurotics soon became his stock-in-trade, whether he was playing the weird title character in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory..."” quote by Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png) > “In fact, \[Gene Wilder\] had made a hysteric seem considerably less funny in his film debut as a terrified undertaker in "Bonnie And Clyde." And neurotics soon became his stock-in-trade, whether he was playing the weird title character in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory..."” [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wilder’s neurotic humor made unsettling characters oddly endearing, blending fear with comedy. **In simple terms:** His quirky style turned scary into funny. Key Takeaway Embrace contrast in performance. Themes humor neuroticism film acting Mood playful analytical Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - acting workshops - script analysis - directorial coaching Key Concepts character study comedic timing Questions to Reflect On - How does discomfort enhance comedy? - What balance keeps humor from becoming too dark? A Different Perspective Risk of alienating audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bonnie And Clyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonnie-and-clyde/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Chocolate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chocolate/) [Clyde Neurotics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clyde-neurotics-3438030/) [Debut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debut/) [Factories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factories/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gene-wilder/) [Genes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genes/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Neurotics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotics/) [Neurotics Soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neurotics-soon-3438031/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Titles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/titles/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Undertaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undertaker/) [Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilder/) [Wilder Hysteric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wilder-hysteric-3438029/) [Willy wonka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willy-wonka/) ## Related quotes > [Gene Wilder made his movie debut in "Bonnie And Clyde," starred in the Mel Brooks films "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/gene-wilder-made-his-movie-debut-in-bonnie-and-clyde-starred-in-the/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [On screen, Gene Wilder could often be summed up as an accident waiting to happen, that frizzy, flyaway hair, the eyes darting this way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/on-screen-gene-wilder-could-often-be-summed-up-as-an-accident-waiting/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Gene Wilder often said that his job as an actor wasn't to make something funny but to make it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gene-wilder-often-said-that-his-job-as-an-actor-wasn-t-to-make/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Gene Wilder characters wanted to be calm, but to the great delight of audiences, they rarely succeeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gene-wilder-characters-wanted-to-be-calm-but-to-the-great-delight-of/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.This was said by gene wilder ... what does it mean ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/a-little-nonsense-now-and-then-is-relished-by-the-wisest-men-this-was/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I worked two days in Texas and two days in Hollywood on 'Bonnie and Clyde,' and that was it. I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-worked-two-days-in-texas-and-two-days-in-hollywood-on-bonnie-and/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [When we spoke, Gene Wilder had just written a memoir called "Kiss Me Like A Stranger." The title was suggested by his late wife…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/when-we-spoke-gene-wilder-had-just-written-a-memoir-called-kiss-me/) [Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/) > [One day, God said 'Let there be prey.' And he created pigeons, rabbits, lambs and Gene Wilder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/one-day-god-said-let-there-be-prey-and-he-created-pigeons-rabbits/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I could never be Charlie Chaplin. But the films that were made by people like him, or Gene Wilder, or John Candy, the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/i-could-never-be-charlie-chaplin-but-the-films-that-were-made-by/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [My heroes were Gene Wilder, Steve Martin, and Martin Short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pally/my-heroes-were-gene-wilder-steve-martin-and-martin-short/) [Adam Pally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pally/) > [John Cleese was my personal favorite because he played my husband for a whole season - and Minnie Driver. We almost had our own,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mullally/john-cleese-was-my-personal-favorite-because-he-played-my-husband-for/) [Megan Mullally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mullally/) > ['The Producers' is my favorite movie, and my favorite performances of all time are Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, and I feel like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-gelman/the-producers-is-my-favorite-movie-and-my-favorite-performances-of/) [Brett Gelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-gelman/) > [My parents took me to that I think is just one of those near-perfect comedies is Young Frankenstein. Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-benson/my-parents-took-me-to-that-i-think-is-just-one-of-those-near-perfect/) [Doug Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-benson/) > [“One day, on the verge of dying of boredom, Uncle Johnny had had enough. He turned to me and said sternly, “Noah, I’m not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/one-day-on-the-verge-of-dying-of-boredom-uncle-johnny-had-had-enough/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [I was immediately into all the great movie comedians - Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder. Everything those guys had anything to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-benson/i-was-immediately-into-all-the-great-movie-comedians-woody-allen-mel/) [Doug Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-benson/) ## More by Gene Wilder > [Dont put the sheep on the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/dont-put-the-sheep-on-the-table/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [When your mother gives you confidence about anything that you do, you carry that confidence with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/when-your-mother-gives-you-confidence-about-anything-that-you-do-you/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I'm an actor, not a clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-m-an-actor-not-a-clown/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [ \[Gilda Radner\] died in '89, and I got non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000. I've just passed the five-year mark and I'm now what you call… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gilda-radner-died-in-89-and-i-got-non-hodgkin-s-lymphoma-in-2000-i-ve/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I like - it's not that I want to be someone different from me, but I suppose it partly is that. I love creating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-like-it-s-not-that-i-want-to-be-someone-different-from-me-but-i/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I live in a small town in Connecticut, and they don't write scripts there, but I get them anyway because my agent is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-live-in-a-small-town-in-connecticut-and-they-don-t-write-scripts/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/little-surprises-around-every-corner-but-nothing-dangerous/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I don't like giving speeches. It makes me nervous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-don-t-like-giving-speeches-it-makes-me-nervous/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [On screen, Gene Wilder could often be summed up as an accident waiting to happen, that frizzy, flyaway hair, the eyes darting this way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/on-screen-gene-wilder-could-often-be-summed-up-as-an-accident-waiting/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Gene Wilder often said that his job as an actor wasn't to make something funny but to make it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gene-wilder-often-said-that-his-job-as-an-actor-wasn-t-to-make/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [When I'm not working on something, I seem to go through periods of depression. It helps to keep busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/when-i-m-not-working-on-something-i-seem-to-go-through-periods-of/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [What I learned from Mel Brooks was audacity - in performance as in life. Maybe you go too far, but try it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/what-i-learned-from-mel-brooks-was-audacity-in-performance-as-in-life/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-m-going-to-tell-you-what-my-religion-is-do-unto-others-as-you-would/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Gene Wilder characters wanted to be calm, but to the great delight of audiences, they rarely succeeded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gene-wilder-characters-wanted-to-be-calm-but-to-the-great-delight-of/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [I love acting, especially if it's a fantasy of some kind, where it's not just realistic, it's not naturalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/i-love-acting-especially-if-it-s-a-fantasy-of-some-kind-where-it-s/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) [Explore all 119 Gene Wilder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made a hysteric seem considerably less funny in his film debut as a terrified undertaker in \"Bonnie And Clyde.\" And neurotics soon became his stock-in-trade, whether he was playing the weird title character in \"Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory...\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gene Wilder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric-seem-considerably-less-funny/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric-seem-considerably-less-funny/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ad/gene-wilder-3914_character_in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric_1989008.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made a hysteric seem considerably less funny in his film debut as a terrified…” — Gene Wilder", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gene Wilder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In fact, [Gene Wilder] had made...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric-seem-considerably-less-funny/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/in-fact-gene-wilder-had-made-a-hysteric-seem-considerably-less-funny/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```