Acting · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA · Born June 28, 1926
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.
MovieSpaceballs: The New One
2027
as President Skroob / Yogurt
MovieThe Land of Sometimes
2026
as The Postman (voice)
TVMel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
2026
as Self
MovieThe Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld
2025
MovieFlower of the Dawn
2025
as Bürgermeister (voice)
MovieJohn Candy: I Like Me
2025
as Self - Director, Spaceballs
MoviePaddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words
2025
as Self
MovieFrom Darkness to Light
2025
as Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Seriously... Well, Almost
2024
as Self
MovieRemembering Gene Wilder
2024
as Self
MovieDick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic
2023
as Self
MovieSarah Silverman: Someone You Love
2023
as Self - Announcer (voice)
TVHistory of the World: Part II
2023
as Narrator (voice)
MoviePaws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
2022
as Shogun (voice)
MovieThe Automat
2021
as Self
TVOnly Murders in the Building
2021
as Mel Brooks
MovieDavid Lynch: The Idea Dictates Everything
2021
as Mel Brooks
MovieForky Asks a Question: What Is Love?
2019
as Melephant Brooks (voice)
TVForky Asks a Question
2019
as Melephant Brooks (voice)
MovieToy Story 4
2019
as Melephant Brooks (voice)
MovieThe Great Buster: A Celebration
2018
as Self
MovieHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
2018
as Vlad (voice)
MovieBombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
2018
as Self
MovieMel Brooks: Unwrapped
2018
as Self
TVSomebody Feed Phil
2018
as Self
MovieLaddie: The Man Behind the Movies
2017
as Self
MovieMel Brooks: The Genius Entertainer
2017
as Himself
MovieIf You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
2017
as Self
MovieHarold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
2017
as Self
MovieBallerina
2016
as Luteau (US version)
TVTo Tell the Truth
2016
as Self - Panelist
MovieIt's Always About the Story: Conversations with Alan Ladd, Jr.
2016
as Himself
MovieThe Last Laugh
2016
as Self
MovieNorman Lear: Just Another Version of You
2016
as Self
MovieHotel Transylvania 2
2015
as Vlad (voice)
MovieMel Brooks: Live at the Geffen
2015
as Self
MovieBlaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West
2014
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMr. Peabody & Sherman
2014
as Albert Einstein (voice)
MovieMel Brooks: Make a Noise
2013
as Self
MovieRichard Pryor: Omit the Logic
2013
as Self
MovieMel Brooks Strikes Back!
2012
as Self
MovieIn the Beginning: The Caesar Years
2012
as Self
TVComedians in Cars Getting Coffee
2012
as Self
MovieExcavating the 2000 Year Old Man
2012
as Self
TVInside Comedy
2012
as Self
MovieMel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again
2011
as Self
MovieThe Great Dictator: The Clown Turns Prophet
2011
as Self (archive footage)
The Paul Reiser Show
2011
as The Angry Cat (voice)
MovieRuby's Studio: the Feelings Show
2010
as Sally Simon Simmons Narrator
MovieMaking History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
2009
as Self
MovieMusical Mel: Inventing The Inquisition
2009
as Self
MovieSilent Laughter: The Reel Inspirations of 'Silent Movie'
2009
as Self
MovieHitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the Master of Suspense
2009
as Self
MovieA Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers
2009
as Self
TVGlenn Martin, DDS
2009
MovieHollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
2009
as Self (archive)
TVSpaceballs: The Animated Series
2008
as President Skroob / Yogurt (voice)
MovieSpaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures
2008
as President Skroob/Yogurt
MovieHitler: The Comedy Years
2007
as Singer in 'Springtime for Hitler' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
2007
as Self (archive footage)
TVLegends
2006
as Mel Funn (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieThe Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks
2006
as Self
MovieThe Producers
2005
as Hilda the Pigeon / Tom the Cat (voice)
MovieSpaceballs: The Documentary
2005
as Self
Spaceballs: In Conversation - Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
2005
as Self
John Candy: Comic Spirit
2005
as Self
MovieRobots
2005
as Bigweld (voice)
TVBroadway: The American Musical
2004
as Self
TVJakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks
2003
as Wiley (voice)
TVReal Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self
MovieLife Stinks: Does Life Really Stink?
2003
as Self
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self - Guest
MovieSid Caesar Collection: Buried Treasures - The Legend of Sid Caesar
2003
as Himself
MovieThe Making of 'The Producers'
2002
as Self
MovieIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
2002
as Joe Snow (voice)
TVThe Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
2002
as Santa Claus (voice)
MovieThe Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
2001
as Self
MovieRecording the Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks
2001
as Self / Host
TVPrimetime Glick
2001
MovieBack in the Saddle
2001
as Self
TVCurb Your Enthusiasm
2000
as Mel Brooks
The Sid Caesar Collection: Creating the Comedy
2000
as Himself
The Sid Caesar Collection: Inside the Writer's Room
2000
as Himself
MovieSex, Lies and Video Violence
2000
as Stressed old man
MovieScrew Loose
1999
as Jake Gordon
MovieFrank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century
1998
as Self (archive footage)
MoviePretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
1997
as Self
MovieCaesar's Writers
1996
as Self
MovieDracula: Dead and Loving It
1995
as Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
TVThe Frank Skinner Show
1995
as Self
MovieIt's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
1994
as Self
MovieThe Little Rascals
1994
as Mr. Welling
MovieThe Silence of the Hams
1994
as Checkout Guest (uncredited)
TVRTL Samstag Nacht
1993
TVLive & Kicking
1993
as Self
TVFrasier
1993
as Tom (voice)
MovieRobin Hood: Men in Tights
1993
as Rabbi Tuckman
Movie'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' – The Legend Had It Coming
1993
as Self
MovieMickey's Audition
1992
as Movie Director
TVMad About You
1992
as Uncle Phil
TVNoel's House Party
1991
MovieLife Stinks
1991
as Goddard Bolt
MovieLook Who's Talking Too
1990
as Mr. Toilet Man (voice)
TVThe Simpsons
1989
as Mel Brooks (voice)
Saturday Night Clive
1989
MovieFree to Be... a Family
1988
as Self
MovieSpaceballs
1987
as President Skroob / Yogurt
MovieSunset People
1984
as Self
MovieAn Audience with Mel Brooks
1984
as Self
MovieTo Be or Not to Be
1983
as Dr. Frederick Bronski
TVWogan
1982
as Self
TVChamps-Elysées
1982
as Self
MovieHistory of the World: Part I
1981
as Moses / Comicus / Torquemada / Jacques / King Louis XVI
MovieThe Muppet Movie
1979
as Professor Max Krassman
MovieThe Muppets Go Hollywood
1979
as Self
MovieMickey's 50
1978
as Self
MoviePeeping Times
1978
as Adolf Hitler
TVAn Audience with...
1978
as Self
TVCiné regards
1978
as Self
MovieHigh Anxiety
1977
as Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke
Please Turn the Page
1977
as Self
MovieSilent Movie
1976
as Mel Funn
MovieThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
1975
as Lion victim (voice)
TVWhen Things Were Rotten
1975
as Guard (uncredited)
MovieThe 2000 Year Old Man
1975
as 2000 Year Old Man (voice)
MovieYoung Frankenstein
1974
as Werewolf / Cat / Victor Frankenstein (voice) (uncredited)
MovieFree to Be… You and Me
1974
as Baby Boy (voice)
MovieBlazing Saddles
1974
as Governor William J. Le Petomane / Indian Chief
TVFlick Flack
1974
Film '72
1971
as Self
TVThe Electric Company
1971
as Blond-Haired Cartoon Man (voice)
TVGreat Performances
1971
as Self
MovieThe Twelve Chairs
1970
as Tikon
MovieAnnie: The Women in the Life of a Man
1970
as Himself
TVThe Dick Cavett Show
1968
as Self - Guest
MovieThe Producers
1968
as Singer in "Springtime for Hitler" (voice) (uncredited)
TVRowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968
as Self (uncredited)
TVThe Hollywood Palace
1964
as Self
MovieThe Critic
1963
as Narrator (voice)
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
TVThe Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self
TVThe New Steve Allen Show
1961
as Self - 2000 Year Old Man
TVThe Grammys
1959
as Self
TVThe David Susskind Show
1959
as Self
TVTony Awards
1956
as Self - Winner
TVThe Wonderful World of Disney
1954
as Self
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
TVGolden Globe Awards
1944
as Self - Nominee
Untitled Lani Pixels Project
as Gatekeeper (voice)
Enormous
as Bernie (voice)
Untitled Nathan Lane Documentary
as Self
Funny Men in Tights: Three Generations of Comedy
as Self
MovieGrown Ups 3
