SPLASH Gene Wilder looked frail and unwell when he stepped out in NYC recently

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The Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory star look noticeably thinner as he sweetly held hands with his wife Karen Boyer at the Men's US Open Final. Dressed smartly in a green blazer, the 82-year-old worried onlookers as he was helped into the sporting event by his spouse of 24 years.

"Gene looks at death’s door. It’s terribly sad," an eyewitness said. "He’s scarily thin and could barely walk had not he been helped by his wife Karen and an attendant," RadarOnline reported.

SPLASH The actor held onto his wife of 24 years

SPLASH Gene was smartly dressed in a green blazer for the sporting event

Despite not being in the best physical shape, Gene still flashed a big smile at the camera prior to watching the match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Karen, who wed Gene in 1991, put on an elegant display in an eye-catching floral dress and a large sun hat. After fans speculated about Gene's health, his wife later confirmed he was doing well following a reported diagnosis for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma back in 1989.

GETTY The star is most famous for player Willy Wonka in the 1971 movie

She told the US website: "[He is] just fine. The cancer hasn’t returned and he’s as active as any man his age can be. He still gets out and about." Gene lost his first wife Gilda Radner to ovarian cancer and his mother also died from the disease. Despite roles in the likes of Young Frankenstein and The Producers, the star is best known as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory after the 1971 movie achieved cult status.