ENTERTAINMENTJeremy Allen White Would 'Absolutely' Play Look-alike Gene Wilder in Upcoming Biopic: 'It Would Be an Honor'
Jeremy Allen White said he'd be honored to play his idol, Gene Wilder, in a biopic.
Oct. 9 2026, Updated 3:27 p.m. ET
A biopic of comedy legend Gene Wilder is officially in the works, and numerous fans know exactly who they’d cast. With his mop of curly hair, wide-eyed expression and genial demeanor, Jeremy Allen White is constantly compared to the star of Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
When asked on the Today show if he’d accept the role, White had no hesitation.
'He Was a Genius'
Jeremy Allen White called 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein' two of his favorite movies.
“Absolutely, it would be my honor,” White said. “Young Frankenstein is one of my earliest film memories. Blazing Saddles. He was a genius; it would be an honor. I love him, I’ve always loved him. I need the call.”
'Are You Gene Wilder?'
Jeremy Wllen White said he's been getting Gene Wilder comparisons for years.
This isn’t White’s first time being connected to the role. Back in 2024, he told Buzzfeed it comes up a lot.
“I’m not related to Gene Wilder,” he insisted. “I think a lot of people think I am.”
“Are you Gene Wilder?” asked Harris Dickinson in the same interview.
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'Something That Was Just My Own and My Own Kind of Creation'
Jeremy Allen White portrayed Bruce Springsteen in a biopic.
White has made his name in a variety of diverse roles, whether it be Carmen of The Bear or providing motion-capture and voicing for Rotta the Hutt in The Mandalorian and Grogu. He’s picked up attention for playing real-life roles as well, including Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz in The Social Reckoning and a young Bruce Springsteen in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
He said that playing real people brings a new kind of pressure.
“I think I was just anxious about the idea of going ahead and playing another real person right away and feeling that responsibility again,” he shared of taking on Horwitz so soon after Springsteen. “I think I wanted my next thing to be something that was just my own and my own kind of creation and to feel no pressure to do any kind of impersonation.”
Wilder Biopic Is in the Works
Gene Wilder's estate gave the rights to director Dito Montiel.
In June, it was revealed that Dito Montiel would be directing a Wilder biopic after securing the rights from Wilder’s estate. Montiel’s films include Empire State, Boulevard and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which was based on his own memoir of life in the punk scene. He co-wrote the script with Jeremy Roth, who has worked on Love, Victor and How I Met Your Father.
No Wilder has been cast, but Montiel might want to keep White’s phone number handy.
