Jeremy Allen White wants to play Gene Wilder in upcoming biopic: ‘I need the call’
‘It would be an honour. He was a genius. It would be an honour. Yeah, I love him. I’ve always loved him,’ he said
Jeremy Allen White has said he would be honoured to play Gene Wilder in an upcoming biopic about the legendary actor, although he revealed that he has not yet been offered the role.
During an appearance on TODAY on October 7, White was asked by Craig Melvin whether he would consider portraying Wilder, with the question coming amid continued comparisons between the two actors because of their physical resemblance.
“Absolutely, it would be my honour,” White said. “Young Frankenstein is one of my earliest film memories. Blazing Saddles, he’s a genius. It would be an honour. He was a genius. It would be an honour. Yeah, I love him. I’ve always loved him.”
White then made it clear that he is waiting for an official offer, adding, “I need the call.”
TODAY co-host Savannah Guthrie suggested that White might already have secured the part, asking whether he had been cast as Wilder, particularly in connection with the actor’s most famous role as Willy Wonka.
White quickly clarified that he had not been cast. “Do I already have it? No! No, no, no,” he said, before adding, “We’ll see, we’re manifesting it.”
A Gene Wilder biopic is currently in development, with Dito Montiel attached to direct after securing the rights to Wilder’s life story from the actor’s estate. The project was announced in June, although no casting has officially been confirmed.
White’s interest comes after he has taken on several roles based on real people. He portrayed Bruce Springsteen in Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and plays Wall Street Journal journalist Jeff Horwitz in Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming film The Social Reckoning.
The actor has previously spoken about the pressure involved in portraying real-life figures. While describing his experience playing Springsteen as wonderful, White said it also came with “a tremendous amount of pressure”.
White also admitted that he initially hesitated before taking the role of Horwitz because he did not want to immediately follow one real-life portrayal with another. He ultimately accepted the part after Sorkin approached him about the project.
For now, White’s comments do not confirm that he will play Wilder, but the actor has made his interest clear as the biopic continues to take shape. The Social Reckoning, meanwhile, is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on October 9.
