Mel Brooks Celebrates 100th Birthday
NEW YORK (AP) — Mel Brooks turns 100 years old on Sunday, a milestone he’d been anticipating.
Earlier this year, Judd Apatow named his documentary “Mel Brooks: A 99-Year-Old Man!” which reflects on Brooks’ remarkable life and career.
“I was born to make people laugh,” Brooks states in the film. “So I do.”
Born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks served in the Army during World War II. He later became a writer for Sid Caesar, where he formed a friendship with Carl Reiner, leading to the iconic “2000 Year Old Man” sketch.
In one memorable exchange, Reiner asked Brooks’ character about Jesus. “Well…yes, yes,” Brooks answered. “A thin young man. He wore sandals. He always walked around with 12 other people.”
Brooks went on to create classic comedies like “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” and “High Anxiety.” Reflecting on his upbringing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, he once noted, “I wanted to keep the party going.” He emphasized how laughter became a refuge from darker times in his life.
“I was asked once, ‘What’s the happiest thing in your life? Winning an Academy Award? Being married to Anne Bancroft?’ I replied, ‘No, it was my childhood. From ages 4 to 9, it was the most exciting, happiest life anyone could have.’” He added with a chuckle, “What happened at 9 o’clock? Homework.”
In April, Brooks shared a video honoring Eddie Murphy’s legacy ahead of the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony. He also announced in May that he donated numerous documents and photos to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.
“I’ve always been proud to say that making people laugh is what I do for a living,” Brooks said at that time. “Knowing my work will be preserved in the National Archives of Comedy brings me a deep sense of pride.”
Brooks has a playful attitude toward death. In a sketch from the 1980s, he imagined a coin-operated tombstone that played a message stating, “I was Mel Brooks, one of the funniest little Jews ever to walk the planet.”
When asked in a 2021 interview about his thoughts on death, Brooks replied that he doesn’t dwell on it much. “I stopped thinking about it after I turned 60, because if I did, it’d be on my mind forever. When it happens, it’ll be a sad day for everyone but me,” he said with a laugh.
“I enjoy life,” he added. “I want to do as much as I can.”
