Fact Check: Is Jeremy Allen White related to Gene Wilder? Grandfather claim debunked as resemblance goes viral

American actor Jeremy Allen White, known for his roles in Shameless and The Bear recently went viral for his resemblance with late actor Gene Wilder. Netizens believe that White has striking similarities to the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory actor, Wilder. They have noted that Jeremy has the same facial features, striking blue eyes, and curly hair as the late actor and comedian.

They took to social media platforms like X and Reddit after the trailer for the upcoming film Wonka was released in July 2023. The film is set to be released on December 29, 2030, and will see actor Timothée Chalamet playing the iconic character of Willy Wonka. However, some fans believe that Jeremy Allen White would have been a better fit for the role given how similar they believe he looks to Wilder.

A viral thread on Reddit showed side-by-side pictures of Jeremy and Gene and its caption said that people weren't "ready to have this conversation." In the comments section, several people agreed that the two actors did look quite similar and like they might even be related.

However, Gene Wilder and Jeremy Allen White aren't related and have no family ties at all, according to Pop Crush.

---

Jeremy Allen White and Gene Wilder's families explored in wake of viral resemblance controversy

Jeremy Allen White and Gene Wilder have been trending on the internet, for their similar features for a few months now. The conversation started with various posts on Reddit and X with the pair's pictures side to side, and netizens wondering if the two were related. Snopes reported that some netizens even went as far as speculating if Jeremy Allen White was the Wilder's long-lost son.

There are various, "Actors that Look Like Each Other" articles that often mention their similarities. However, there is no evidence of any blood relation between the two.

Gene Wilder was born on June 11, 1933, to Jeanne (Baer) and William J. Silberman. The actor married four times throughout his life and married his fourth wife, Karen Webb in 1991. He was married to Webb until he passed away on August 29, 2016.

While Wilder didn't have any children from any of his marriages, he did adopt his second wife, Mary Joan Scultz's daughter, Katharine Wilder, during their marriage. However, according to Bustle, Katharine and Gene "severed ties" after he and Mary Joan divorced.

Jeremy Allen White was born on February 17, 1991, in Brooklyn New York to parents Eloise Zeigler and Richard White. His parents have no connection with Wilder as per the media outlet Coming Soon. White was married to Addison Timlin since 2019 but she filed for divorce in May 2023.

As mentioned earlier, netizens made Gene and Jeremy's resemblance go viral after the news of a new Wonka movie came to light. Timothée Chalamet was cast for the role that Gene Wilder portrayed in the 1971 rendition of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Some fans are speculating whether Jeremy Allen White, someone who looks a lot like Wilder, would be better suited.

Fans of the two artists are also eager to see Jeremy Allen White play the role of Gene Wilder if there were to be a biopic made about the legendary actor.

---

Details about Gene Wilder's four marriages

Gene Wilder, known for his roles in Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, was married four times

He married his first wife Mary Mercier in 1960 but they got divorced in 1965. He then married Mary Joan Schultz in 1967 and adopted her daughter Katharine Wilder. However, the couple ended their marriage in 1974, which was also when Katharine and Gene reportedly severed their relationship.

According to The Guardian, Katharine and Gene grew apart after the divorce of Gene and Mary Joan. In a 2002 interview with Larry King, the radio host, Wilder said that he had a daughter but he "lost her a long while ago."

"That's too sad a story to go into," the actor went on to say.

Gene Wilder added that he lost contact with her when she was 22 or 23 years old.

He got married to his third wife, Gilda Radner in 1984, however, she passed away in 1989 due to ovarian cancer. As per People, Wilder then got married to Karen Webb in 1991 and lived with her until his death due to complications from Alzheimer's in 2016.