Mel Brooks

Acting

Born: 1926-06-28
From: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Male
Popularity: 1.5

Also Known As

Melvin James Kaminsky مل بروکس

Biography

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.

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Awards & Nominations29 won · 31 nominated

🏆 Won

Academy Honorary Award

2024
🏆 Won

Peabody Awards

2023
🏆 Won

AFI Life Achievement Award

2013
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special

2012
🏆 Won

Kennedy Center Honors

2009
Nominated

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

2008
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album

2008
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media

The Producers

2007
🏆 Won

Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical

2005
Nominated

Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical

2005
Nominated

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program

Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks

2005
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song

2005
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song

The Producers

2005
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

The Producers

2005
🏆 Won

Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement

2003
🏆 Won

Grammy Award for Best Music Film

2002
🏆 Won

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical

2001
🏆 Won

Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical

The Producers

2001
🏆 Won

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album

2001
🏆 Won

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

2001
🏆 Won

Grammy Award for Best Music Film

2001
🏆 Won

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

2001
🏆 Won

Tony Award for Best Original Score

The Producers

2001
Nominated

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics

2001
Nominated

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical

2001
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album

2001
Nominated

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical

2001
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Music Film

2001
🏆 Won

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1999
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1999
🏆 Won

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1998
🏆 Won

Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album

1998
🏆 Won

Grammy Hall of Fame

1998
Nominated

Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album

1998
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1998
🏆 Won

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1997
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Mad About You

1997
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

High Anxiety

1977
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

High Anxiety

1977
🏆 Won

Saturn Award for Best Director

Young Frankenstein

1976
🏆 Won

Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation

Young Frankenstein

1975
🏆 Won

Nebula Award for Best Script

Young Frankenstein

1975
Nominated

Academy Award for Best Original Song

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1975
Nominated

Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation

Young Frankenstein

1975
Nominated

Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay

Young Frankenstein

1975
Nominated

Nebula Award for Best Script

Young Frankenstein

1975
🏆 Won

Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay

The Producers

1969
🏆 Won

Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

The Producers

1969
Nominated

Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

The Producers

1969
Nominated

Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay

The Producers

1969
Nominated

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay

The Producers

1968
🏆 Won

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

1967
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

1967
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Get Smart

1966
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Caesar's Hour

1958
Nominated

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Caesar's Hour

1956
🏆 Won

star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

🏆 Won

European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal

🏆 Won

World War II Victory Medal

🏆 Won

American Campaign Medal

Acting136 titles

Directing11 titles

Writing30 titles

Production24 titles

Sound7 titles

Crew2 titles

Creator5 titles