Gene Wilder passed away at the age of 83 on Sunday night due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. According to a statement from his family, the actor chose to keep it secret so as not to expose children to the harsh realities of his disease. Wilder did not want to disappoint “the countless young children that would smile or call out to him, ‘There’s Willy Wonka,'" a statement from his family read.
