Mel Brooks: the life and career of a comic genius

Actor, director, producer, and writer — Mel Brooks is undeniably one of comedy's ultimate legends. Teetering on a century, he's still full steam ahead. It's a lifetime of passion that's certainly worth celebrating and remembering.

In March of 2023, just shy of his 97th birthday, Brooks released his memoir, 'All About Me!', where he takes readers on a riveting journey from his childhood days to the big screen.

Mel Brooks was born Melvin James Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. His upbringing was far from glamorous, growing up in a humble Jewish household with roots in Germany and Ukraine, long before Brooklyn became the hipster haven we know today.

With his father, Max Kaminsky, passing away from tuberculosis when Brooks was just two, his mother, Kate Kaminsky, had to shoulder the responsibility of raising him and his three older brothers, Irving, Lenny, and Bernie, on a shoestring budget.

However, Brooks never dwelled on those tough times. He told the New Yorker that being a kid was the best time of his life — even better than getting married or being successful in film. "What was the best time in your life?" I'd say, "I guess from awareness, at four or five, to age nine." "What happened at nine?" "Homework." It took the joy of playing with my little friends away, and I didn't have the freedom."

Mel's love affair with cinema began when he was young. As he shares in his memoir, he and his brothers were regulars at the movies every Saturday. He recalls the time a five-year-old Brooks watched 'Frankenstein' with his brother Bernie, which scared him terribly and earned his brother a scolding from his mom…. If only she knew!

At nine, thanks to his uncle Joe — a cabby who traded rides for theater tickets — he saw 'Anything Goes' at the Alvin Theater. That moment solidified it: Brooks was destined for the spotlight.

Brooks broke into showbiz in the 1950s. Yet, it wasn't until the following decade that he truly started turning heads, particularly in the world of film comedy.

For Brooks, comedy was more than a profession — it was salvation. "I still love comedy. It's my delicious refuge from the world… I hide in humor and comedy. I love it," he told NPR.

Before his illustrious career, Brooks was drafted in 1944 to serve in World War II. He played a crucial role as a corporal in the 1104th Engineer Combat Battalion, 78th Infantry Division, defusing land mines as the Allies advanced into Nazi Germany.

In fact, the military is where Brooks got his comedy start, poking fun at Nazi broadcasts during the war and entertaining troops. Post-war, he entertained at the Catskill Mountains' Borscht Belt clubs before Sid Caesar snagged him for the NBC's 'Admiral Broadway Revue.'

His collaboration with Caesar was groundbreaking, propelling Brooks into stardom. Starting in 1950, he wrote for the variety show 'Your Show of Shows,' rubbing shoulders with comedic greats like Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, and Mel Tolkin.

This era brought a blossoming bromance between Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks. Together, they crafted the 1960s TV sensation 'The 2000 year old man.' The result? A shiny Grammy on the mantel.

By the late '60s, Brooks was on fire in the entertainment world. From 1965 to 1970, his comedic genius shone through in the iconic TV series 'Get Smart.' Don Adams led the cast and, guess what? Brooks snagged not one, not two, but SEVEN Emmys for this masterpiece.

That was just the beginning. Brooks later took the silver screen by storm. Over seven decades, he sprinkled the comedy world with classics. Ready to walk down memory lane?

Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, Brooks made his big-screen debut with a bang. A desperate Broadway producer and a shifty accountant have a ludicrous plan – swindle elderly ladies to back the worst musical ever. This black comedy became a cult classic and award-winning debut.

Fast forward three years and we're in 1927 Russia. Ron Moody and Frank Langella star in this chase for hidden family jewels, cleverly concealed within 12 chairs.

The iconic Gene Wilder is back, joined by Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman. It's a "terrifying" tale that'll leave you in stitches. Today, the film is ranked number 13 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest American movies.

Teaming up with Wilder again, Brooks takes us to Rock Ridge, where greed meets good old Western chaos. This postmodernist satire has also gone down in history as a classic comedy.

Brooks wears many hats – director, writer, and star, alongside comedy giants like Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise. This tongue-in-cheek tribute to silent films is a satire of the film industry.

Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (Brooks himself) discovers his new psychiatric institute is... unconventional, to say the least. This spoof on Alfred Hitchcock and Freud isn't one of his most famous, but well worth a watch.

From the dawn of man to the French Revolution. Brooks wrote and directed this wildly inappropriate epic journey, starring Dom DeLuise, Madeline Khan and Sid Caesar.

Jumping from history to the cosmos, Brooks parodies' Star Wars' with a star-studded crew, including John Candy and Rick Moranis.

One of his only films that wasn't a paradoy, here Brooks plays a tycoon who bets he can survive 30 days in LA's roughest neighborhood without a penny. What could go wrong?

Brooks pokes fun at all things Robin Hood, with Cary Elwes donning the iconic green tights. A side-splitting tribute to both the classics and the not-so-classic.

Mel Brooks took on another classic monster years later, casting none other than Leslie Nielsen as the bloodthirsty Dracula. The laugh-out-loud story follows the Count as he leaves his ancient Transylvanian castle for London, thirsting for some fresh blood. A critical and commercial flop, it was the last movie he ended up directing.

During those years, Brooks collected awards like candy. Notably, he clinched the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1968 for 'The Producers.' He got nominated again in 1975 for 'Blazing Saddles' but left empty-handed.

Brooks lit up the late 20th century with his role in the TV series 'Mad About You,' earning him three consecutive Primetime Emmys from 1997 to 1999 for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

These are but highlights of an illustrious filmography. With the dawn of the new millennium, Brooks lent his voice to animation hits like 'Robots' (2005), 'Hotel Transylvania' (2015 and 2018), 'Ballerina' (2016), and 'Toy Story 4' (2019).

As the years went by, Brooks took a step back from the limelight, focusing on voice acting, behind-the-scenes roles, and TV appearances in shows like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' (2004) and 'The Comedians' (2015).

El teatro ha tenido un gran protagonismo también durante estos últimos años de su carrera. Hasta el punto de que, en 2001, conseguiría ganar tres Premios Tony –a mejor musical, mejor guion de musical y mejor banda sonora- por su obra ‘The Producers, the New Mel Brooks Musical’.

Marking the most significant work in the past two decades, Brooks released 'History of the World: Part II.' Collaborating with Dave Stassen on the script, Brooks was the executive producer. The cast boasts names like Johnny Knoxville, Pamela Adlon, Dove Cameron, and Josh Fadem. It was the most-watched Hulu Original debut in 2023 so far.

Brooks' heart belonged to actress Anne Bancroft, his spouse of 40 years, whom he tragically lost to uterine cancer in 2005. Speaking to ABC News, he recalled their first date. "She was on Broadway and The Miracle Worker. We were at a Chinese restaurant one night, and I said, 'I'm broke.' She slipped me a $20 bill under the table. So, I gave the waiter a $20 bill, and I said, 'Keep it.' I got outside and [Anne slapped me]. She said, 'Don't be such a big shot with my money.'"

In his memoir, he writes that it was love at first sight after he saw her performing on stage. He was so enthralled he began finding excuses to be wherever she was. "I’d show up at a restaurant she was at or a nightclub or I’d even wangle my way into a big party if she was going to be there. By the end of the week, I said to her, “It’s amazing! We’re always showing up at the same places! It’s Kismet!” She laughed and shouted back, “It’s not Kismet. You’re stalking me! If you wanna see me, why don’t you be brave and ask me for a date?” So I did. She said yes, and I saw her almost every night."

Brooks reminisced about Bancroft in an interview with PEOPLE. "She always said, 'Follow your heart. It will be a good adventure. What an adventure life turned out to be! Living this life without her is not easy. There were a lot of great kisses and great spaghetti."

Almost a century old and still going strong, Brooks is set to receive a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on January 9, 2023, alongside actress Angela Bassett and editor Carol Littleton.

But don't take his comic genius from us... just ask one of the greats. "I have always been a huge admirer of my own work. I'm one of the funniest and most entertaining writers I know," he told Entertainment Weekly. May he keep making us laugh for many more years!