Mel Brooks Celebrates 97 Years With Legendary Career Highlights and New Projects

Mel Brooks, born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, began life in humble circumstances, famously born on his family’s kitchen table. After losing his father to tuberculosis during the Great Depression, Brooks was raised by his mother in a modest Jewish-American household. Early on, he studied drums under jazz legend Buddy Rich and performed in hotels and resorts, developing his comedic style.

During World War II, Brooks served in the U.S. Army, clearing mines and building bridges in Europe, witnessing firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust, which later influenced his satirical portrayals of Hitler and the Nazis. After the war, he entertained troops before transitioning to television, joining writing rooms with future stars like Neil Simon, Woody Allen, and Carl Reiner. With Reiner, he created the iconic "The 2000 Year Old Man" comedy routine.

Brooks won his first Oscar in 1963 for the animated short "The Critic" and co-created the successful spy parody TV series "Get Smart" (1965-1970). His breakthrough film "The Producers" (1967), initially controversial for its satire of Hitler, earned him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay after Peter Sellers helped revive its popularity. Despite early mixed commercial success, Brooks found major hits with "Blazing Saddles" (1974) and "Young Frankenstein" (1974), both parodies that became classics.

He continued innovating with films like the nearly silent "Silent Movie" (1976) and "High Anxiety" (1977), a Hitchcock parody. Brooks also produced serious films under his Brooksfilms company, including David Lynch’s "The Elephant Man" (1980). His comedic work extended into music with "The Hitler Rap" in 1983 and parodies like "Spaceballs" (1987), approved by George Lucas with merchandising restrictions.

Brooks adapted "The Producers" into a Broadway musical in 2001, winning 12 Tony Awards and completing his EGOT status. The musical was later made into a 2005 film. He also brought "Young Frankenstein" to the stage in 2007. Brooks maintained a lifelong friendship with Carl Reiner until Reiner’s death in 2020.

In recent years, Brooks returned to his roots with projects like "History of the World, Part II" (2023) on Hulu and upcoming sequels to "Spaceballs" and a "Young Frankenstein" series for FX. Ahead of his 100th birthday, he donated an extensive archive documenting over six decades of his work to the U.S. National Comedy Center.