1. Gene Wilder

In terms of film comedy, you would be hard pressed to find someone who had a greater impact on the genre than Gene Wilder. Though he had pulled back from the industry in the years leading up to his death, Wilder’s impression on comedy and film in general was always seen and will be forever felt. From Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wilder’s work touched people of all ages across multiple generations.

More than that, he changed the way comedy is written, how it’s filmed and how it’s performed. Nearly every comedy in the last 20-30 years has the markings of Wilder. We see him in the delivery of comics and we hear him in the jokes. Wilder may have famously said that he didn’t understand the comedy of today, but he sure as hell is one of the main reasons it is what it is. It may seem rather ridiculous to “rank” the deaths of 2016, and to be honest, that’s not what we’ve done here. BUT, when it comes to film, there may be no greater loss than this. On August 29, 2016, at age 83, Wilder passed away of complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

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