Saturday, February 15, 2025

The legendary comedian Mel Brooks turns 98

Throughout the years he has created some of the best Hollywood parodies and comedies

The legendary comedian Mel Brooks turns 98

Mel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in a Jewish household, he faced the early loss of his father at the age of two, which profoundly influenced his outlook on life and comedy. Brooks attended Eastern District High School and later studied psychology at Brooklyn College. His early life in Brooklyn provided rich material for his later comedic works.
Brooks began his career in entertainment as a comic and musician in the Borscht Belt resorts and nightclubs. His big break came in the 1950s when he worked as a writer for the television show “Your Show of Shows,” alongside other comedy legends like Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner. Brooks and Reiner formed a lasting partnership, creating the famous “2000 Year Old Man” sketch, which became a series of successful comedy albums. Brooks also created the popular 1960’s TV series “Get Smart.”
Mel Brooks is renowned for his distinctive brand of satire and slapstick comedy. Some of his most notable works include “The Producers” (1967) Brooks’ directorial debut, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, “Blazing Saddles” (1974), a Western parody that tackled issues of race and stereotypes with bold humor and became one of Brooks’ most iconic films, “Young Frankenstein” (1974), which earned Brooks and co-writer Gene Wilder an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, “History of the World, Part I” (1981), the sci-fi parody “Spaceballs” (1987) and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993).
In the 2000s, Brooks continued to find success on Broadway. He adapted “The Producers” into a musical, which premiered in 2001 and became a massive hit, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. He followed this success with a musical adaptation of “Young Frankenstein” in 2007.
In recent years He has continued to write, produce, and perform, with recent projects including voice work in animated films such as “Hotel Transylvania 2” (2015) and “Toy Story 4” (2019). Brooks also wrote a memoir, “All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business,” published in 2021, providing an in-depth look at his extraordinary career.
Mel Brooks married actress Anne Bancroft in 1964, and their marriage lasted until her death in 2005. The couple had one son, Max Brooks, who is a successful author and screenwriter. Brooks is also a grandfather. Despite his comedic persona, Brooks is known for his deep love and devotion to his family.
Mel Brooks was honored as a recipient of the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. In 2015 he was awarded a British Film Institute Fellowship from the British Film Institute.



Look back at some of the best moments of the Mel Brooks 1981 popular movie “History of the World, Part I”

Also watch a clip from the 2016 Mel Brooks interview in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon



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