There is a wonderful story in Remembering Gene Wilder about making The Producers. Brooks worked on it for years before getting it off the ground, and he’d wanted the not-at-all-famous Gene Wilder to be Leo Bloom after seeing him on stage and doing a reading of the first scenes. But when Zero Mostel was cast as Bialystock, he got veto rights over the actor playing Bloom. So Brooks asks Wilder to audition and he shows up, nervous and wildly hopeful, only to be immediately grabbed by the lapels and hugged by Mostel who exclaims, “This is my Leo Bloom.”
Mostel knew a great face when he saw it, and Wilder’s face was never put to better use than the playing the sweet accountant who flowers in a life of sort-of-crime. Hearing Wilder and Brooks reminisce about their days making The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein brings back so many memories of the strange, outrageous, unique and wonderful films they made. And with all respect to Timothee Chalamet (who was by no means bad), when Wilder was right for a role, you can’t imagine anyone else ever playing the part. (Netflix)