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Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks

Acting

Born: June 28, 1926Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 21 entertainers to win the EGOT (which includes an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony). He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015, a National Medal of Arts in 2016, a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2024. Brooks began his career as a comic and a writer for Sid Caesar's variety show Your Show of Shows(1950–1954). There, he worked with Neil Simon, Woody Allen, Larry Gelbart, and Carl Reiner. With Reiner, he co-created the comedy sketch The 2000 Year Old Man. He released several comedy albums, starting with 2000 Year Old Man in 1960. Brooks received five nominations for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, finally winning in 1999. With Buck Henry, he created the hit satirical spy comedy series Get Smart (1965–1970) on NBC television. Brooks won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers (1967). He then rose to prominence by directing a string of successful comedy films such as The Twelve Chairs (1970), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Silent Movie (1976), and High Anxiety (1977). Later, Brooks made History of the World, Part I (1981), Spaceballs (1987), Life Stinks (1991), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). A musical adaptation of his first film, The Producers, ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2007 and earned Brooks three Tony Awards. The project was remade into a musical film in 2005. He wrote and produced the Hulu series History of the World, Part II (2023). Brooks was married to actress Anne Bancroft from 1964 until she died in 2005. Their son, Max Brooks, is an actor and author known for his novel World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (2006). In 2021, Mel Brooks published his memoir titled All About Me!. Three of his films are included on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years (1900–2000), all of which were ranked in the top 15: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.

Known For
Filmography
Spaceballs 2

Spaceballs 2

President Skroob / Yogurt

2027
The Land of Sometimes

The Land of Sometimes

The Postman (voice)

2026
The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld

The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld

2025
Flower of the Dawn

Flower of the Dawn

Bürgermeister (voice)

2025
John Candy: I Like Me

John Candy: I Like Me

Self - Director, Spaceballs

2025
Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words

Self

2025
From Darkness to Light

From Darkness to Light

Self (archive footage)

2025

Mel Brooks: Seriously... Well, Almost

Self

2024
Remembering Gene Wilder

Remembering Gene Wilder

Self

2024
Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic

Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic

Self

2023
Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love

Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love

Self - Announcer (voice)

2023
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

Shogun (voice)

2022
The Automat

The Automat

Self

2021
David Lynch: The Idea Dictates Everything

David Lynch: The Idea Dictates Everything

Mel Brooks

2021
Forky Asks a Question: What Is Love?

Forky Asks a Question: What Is Love?

Melephant Brooks (voice)

2019
Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4

Melephant Brooks (voice)

2019
The Great Buster: A Celebration

The Great Buster: A Celebration

Self

2018
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Vlad (voice)

2018
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Self

2018
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

Mel Brooks: Unwrapped

Self

2018
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies

Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies

Self

2017
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast

Self

2017
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

Self

2017
Ballerina

Ballerina

Luteau (voice)

2016
Ballerina

Ballerina

Mustachioed Creep (voice)

2016
It's Always About the Story: Conversations with Alan Ladd, Jr.

It's Always About the Story: Conversations with Alan Ladd, Jr.

Himself

2016
The Last Laugh

The Last Laugh

Self

2016
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Self

2016
Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania 2

Vlad (voice)

2015
Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen

Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen

Self

2015
Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West

Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West

Self (archive footage)

2014
Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Albert Einstein (voice)

2014
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

Self

2013
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic

Self

2013
Mel Brooks Strikes Back!

Mel Brooks Strikes Back!

Self

2012
In the Beginning: The Caesar Years

In the Beginning: The Caesar Years

Self

2012
Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man

Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man

Self

2012
Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again

Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again

Self

2011
The Great Dictator: The Clown Turns Prophet

The Great Dictator: The Clown Turns Prophet

Self (archive footage)

2011
Ruby's Studio: the Feelings Show

Ruby's Studio: the Feelings Show

Sally Simon Simmons Narrator

2010
Hitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the Master of Suspense

Hitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the Master of Suspense

Self

2009
Silent Laughter: The Reel Inspirations of 'Silent Movie'

Silent Laughter: The Reel Inspirations of 'Silent Movie'

Self

2009
Musical Mel: Inventing The Inquisition

Musical Mel: Inventing The Inquisition

Self

2009
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World

Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World

Self

2009
A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers

A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers

Self

2009
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s

Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s

Self (archive)

2009
Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures

Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures

President Skroob/Yogurt

2008
Hitler: The Comedy Years

Hitler: The Comedy Years

Singer in 'Springtime for Hitler' (archive footage) (uncredited)

2007

Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s

Self (archive footage)

2007
The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks

The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks

Self

2006
The Producers

The Producers

Hilda the Pigeon / Tom the Cat (voice)

2005
Spaceballs: The Documentary

Spaceballs: The Documentary

Self

2005

John Candy: Comic Spirit

Self

2005

Spaceballs: In Conversation - Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan

Self

2005
Robots

Robots

Bigweld (voice)

2005
Life Stinks: Does Life Really Stink?

Life Stinks: Does Life Really Stink?

Self

2003
Sid Caesar Collection: Buried Treasures - The Legend of Sid Caesar

Sid Caesar Collection: Buried Treasures - The Legend of Sid Caesar

Himself

2003
The Making of 'The Producers'

The Making of 'The Producers'

Self

2002
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

Joe Snow (voice)

2002
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed

The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed

Self

2001
Recording the Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks

Recording the Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks

Self / Host

2001
Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle

Self

2001

The Sid Caesar Collection: Inside the Writer's Room

Himself

2000

The Sid Caesar Collection: Creating the Comedy

Himself

2000
Sex, Lies and Video Violence

Sex, Lies and Video Violence

Stressed old man

2000
Screw Loose

Screw Loose

Jake Gordon

1999
Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century

Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century

Self (archive footage)

1998
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch

Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch

Self

1997
Caesar's Writers

Caesar's Writers

Self

1996
Dracula: Dead and Loving It

Dracula: Dead and Loving It

Prof. Abraham Van Helsing

1995
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein

It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein

Self

1994
The Little Rascals

The Little Rascals

Mr. Welling

1994
The Silence of the Hams

The Silence of the Hams

Checkout Guest (uncredited)

1994
Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Rabbi Tuckman

1993
'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' – The Legend Had It Coming

'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' – The Legend Had It Coming

Self

1993
Mickey's Audition

Mickey's Audition

Movie Director

1992
Life Stinks

Life Stinks

Goddard Bolt

1991
Look Who's Talking Too

Look Who's Talking Too

Mr. Toilet Man (voice)

1990
Free to Be... a Family

Free to Be... a Family

Self

1988
Spaceballs

Spaceballs

President Skroob / Yogurt

1987
Sunset People

Sunset People

Self

1984
An Audience with Mel Brooks

An Audience with Mel Brooks

Self

1984
To Be or Not to Be

To Be or Not to Be

Dr. Frederick Bronski

1983
History of the World: Part I

History of the World: Part I

Moses / Comicus / Torquemada / Jacques / King Louis XVI

1981
The Muppet Movie

The Muppet Movie

Professor Max Krassman

1979
The Muppets Go Hollywood

The Muppets Go Hollywood

Self

1979
Mickey's 50

Mickey's 50

Self

1978
Peeping Times

Peeping Times

Adolf Hitler

1978
High Anxiety

High Anxiety

Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke

1977
Silent Movie

Silent Movie

Mel Funn

1976
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother

Lion victim (voice)

1975
The 2000 Year Old Man

The 2000 Year Old Man

2000 Year Old Man (voice)

1975
Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein

Werewolf / Cat / Victor Frankenstein (voice) (uncredited)

1974
Free to Be… You and Me

Free to Be… You and Me

Baby Boy (voice)

1974
Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles

Governor William J. Le Petomane / Indian Chief

1974
The Twelve Chairs

The Twelve Chairs

Tikon

1970
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man

Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man

Himself

1970
The Producers

The Producers

Singer in "Springtime for Hitler" (voice) (uncredited)

1968
The Critic

The Critic

Narrator (voice)

1963