The comic actor shares personal events that led to his understanding of love and the art of acting, discussing his relationships with such contemporaries as Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, and Gilda Radner. Gene Wilder was one of the great comic actors who defined the 1970's and 1980's in movies. From his early work with Woody Allen to the rich group of movies he made with Mel Brooks to his partnership on screen with Richard Pryor, Wilder's performances are still discussed and celebrated today. Kiss Me Like A Stranger is an intimate glimpse of the man behind the image on the screen. In this book, Wilder talks about everything from his experiences in psychoanalysis to why he got into acting (and later comedy-his first goal was to be a Shakespearean actor) to how a Midwestern childhood with a sick mother changed him. He writes about the creative process on stage and on screen, and divulges moments from life on the sets of the some of the most iconic movies of our time. He also opens up about his love affairs and marriages, including his marriage to comedian Gilda Radner. But the core of Kiss Me Like A Stranger is an actor's search for truth and a thoughtful analysis of why the choices he made-some of them so serendipitous they were practically accidental-changed the course of his life. PROLOGUE 1(64) 1. FIRST MOVEMENT 3(4) 2. CAN A FEW WORDS CHANGE YOUR LIFE? 7(12) 3. "TAKE ME." 19(8) 4. THE "DEMON" ARRIVES. 27(6) 5. MY HEART IS NOT IN THE HIGHLANDS. 33(4) 6. A YANK AT THE OLD VIC 37(4) 7. SHADES OF GRAY 41(7) 8. DON JUAN IN NEW YORK 48(5) 9. THE WORST OF TIMES, THE BEST OF TIMES 53(12) 10. MOTHER COURAGE 65(8) 11. A TASTE OF FREEDOM 73(6) 12. THE KING IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE KING! 79(4) 13. "FREE AT LAST, FREE AT LAST. THANK MARGIE WALLIS, I'M FREE AT LAST." 83(12) 14. "SORRY I CAUGHT YOU WITH THE OLD LADY." 95(6) 15. SECOND MOVEMENT: SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER 101(8) 16. BLACK IS MY FAVORITE COLOR. 109(10) 17. "I HAVE A REASON-I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS." 119(8) 18. NEW YORK, NEW YORK 127(12) 19. THE BIRTH OF A MONSTER 139(8) 20. LE PETIT PRINCE 147(10) 21. SHERLOCK HOLMES HAS A JEWISH BROTHER. 157(6) 22. CRISIS IN BLACK AND WHITE 163(8) 23. LEO BLOOM HAS HIS PICTURE TAKEN. 171(12) 24. SIDNEY POITIER AND I GO STIR-CRAZY. 183(4) 25. HANKY-PANKY WITH ROSEANNE ROSEANNADANNA 187(20) 26. I DON'T BELIEVE IN FATE. 207(6) 27. THIRD MOVEMENT 213(10) 28. COMEDIENNE-BALLERINA 1946-1989 223(8) 29. IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING. 231(14) 30. STOLEN KISSES 245(4) EPILOGUE 249(2) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 251(2) INDEX 253