Champion Fencer
Even though Gene Wilder never became a big action hero, some argued he had the potential. How, you ask? Well, he trained as a fencer for six months while he studied at theater school. Oh and no big deal, but he got crowned the victor for the All-School Fencing Championship.
Blazing Saddles
Back to Blazing Saddles, Gene Wilder’s role as the Waco kid became one of his most celebrated performances. Turns out, Wilder was not the first choice for the role in the Mel Brooks parody film. Wilder replaced the first and second choices when they bailed. The first choice was Dan Dailey and the next choice was Gig Young. Well, aren’t we lucky they dropped out!