Mel Brooks
Acting • Born 1926-06-28
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.
Filmography
144 credits
Spaceballs
Movie • 1987
President Skroob / Yogurt
History of the World: Part I
Movie • 1981
Moses / Comicus / Torquemada / Jacques / King Louis XVI
It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein
Movie • 1994
Self
The Silence of the Hams
Movie • 1994
Checkout Guest (uncredited)
The Little Rascals
Movie • 1994
Mr. Welling
Silent Movie
Movie • 1976
Mel Funn
The Muppet Movie
Movie • 1979
Professor Max Krassman
Blazing Saddles
Movie • 1974
Governor William J. Le Petomane / Indian Chief
Life Stinks
Movie • 1991
Goddard Bolt
To Be or Not to Be
Movie • 1983
Dr. Frederick Bronski
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Movie • 1993
Rabbi Tuckman
The Twelve Chairs
Movie • 1970
Tikon
Dracula: Dead and Loving It
Movie • 1995
Prof. Abraham Van Helsing
High Anxiety
Movie • 1977
Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke
Robots
Movie • 2005
Bigweld (voice)
Excavating the 2000 Year Old Man
Movie • 2012
Self
Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch
Movie • 1997
Self
Screw Loose
Movie • 1999
Jake Gordon
Hitler: The Comedy Years
Movie • 2007
Singer in 'Springtime for Hitler' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love
Movie • 2023
Self - Announcer (voice)
Making History: Mel Brooks on Creating the World
Movie • 2009
Self
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
Movie • 2007
Self (archive footage)
Musical Mel: Inventing The Inquisition
Movie • 2009
Self
Free to Be... a Family
Movie • 1988
Self
The Critic
Movie • 1963
Narrator (voice)
Mel Brooks Strikes Back!
Movie • 2012
Self
Sex, Lies and Video Violence
Movie • 2000
Stressed old man
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Movie • 2013
Self
Silent Laughter: The Reel Inspirations of 'Silent Movie'
Movie • 2009
Self
Free to Be… You and Me
Movie • 1974
Baby Boy (voice)
Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic
Movie • 2023
Self
Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
Movie • 2013
Self
Look Who's Talking Too
Movie • 1990
Mr. Toilet Man (voice)
Hotel Transylvania 2
Movie • 2015
Vlad (voice)
Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen
Movie • 2015
Self
Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again
Movie • 2011
Self
Sid Caesar Collection: Buried Treasures - The Legend of Sid Caesar
Movie • 2003
Himself
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
Movie • 2017
Self
Remembering Gene Wilder
Movie • 2024
Self
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Movie • 2014
Albert Einstein (voice)
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
Movie • 1975
Lion victim (voice)
Caesar's Writers
Movie • 1996
Self
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story
Movie • 2017
Self
Young Frankenstein
Movie • 1974
Werewolf / Cat / Victor Frankenstein (voice) (uncredited)
Sunset People
Movie • 1984
Self
The Last Laugh
Movie • 2016
Self
Flower of the Dawn
Movie • 2025
Bürgermeister (voice)
The Dick Cavett Show with Mel Brooks
Movie • 2006
Self
Mel Brooks: The Genius Entertainer
Movie
Himself
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Movie • 2022
Shogun (voice)
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You
Movie • 2016
Self
If You're Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast
Movie • 2017
Self
Frank Sinatra: The Voice of the Century
Movie • 1998
Self (archive footage)
Ballerina
Movie • 2016
Mustachioed Creep (voice)
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Movie • 2018
Self
Mickey's Audition
Movie • 1992
Movie Director
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
Movie • 2002
Joe Snow (voice)
An Audience with Mel Brooks
Movie • 1984
Self
Ballerina
Movie • 2016
Luteau (voice)
Untitled Lani Pixels Project
Movie
Gatekeeper (voice)
It's Always About the Story: Conversations with Alan Ladd, Jr.
Movie • 2016
Himself
Peeping Times
Movie • 1978
Adolf Hitler
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Movie • 2018
Vlad (voice)
The Sid Caesar Collection: Inside the Writer's Room
Movie • 2000
Himself
The Sid Caesar Collection: Creating the Comedy
Movie • 2000
Himself
Annie: The Women in the Life of a Man
Movie • 1970
Himself
The Producers
Movie • 1968
Singer in "Springtime for Hitler" (voice) (uncredited)
The Great Buster: A Celebration
Movie • 2018
Self
The 2000 Year Old Man
Movie • 1975
2000 Year Old Man (voice)
Mel Brooks: Unwrapped
Movie • 2018
Self
A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers
Movie • 2009
Self
Toy Story 4
Movie • 2019
Melephant Brooks (voice)
The Producers
Movie • 2005
Hilda the Pigeon / Tom the Cat (voice)
The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed
Movie • 2001
Self
Hitchcock and Mel: Spoofing the Master of Suspense
Movie • 2009
Self
Mickey's 50
Movie • 1978
Self
Recording the Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks
Movie • 2001
Self / Host
Forky Asks a Question: What Is Love?
Movie • 2019
Melephant Brooks (voice)
In the Beginning: The Caesar Years
Movie • 2012
Self
Life Stinks: Does Life Really Stink?
Movie • 2003
Self
Spaceballs: In Conversation - Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Movie • 2005
Self
John Candy: Comic Spirit
Movie • 2005
Self
'Robin Hood: Men in Tights' – The Legend Had It Coming
Movie • 1993
Self
Back in the Saddle
Movie • 2001
Self
The Making of 'The Producers'
Movie • 2002
Self
The Automat
Movie • 2021
Self
The Great Dictator: The Clown Turns Prophet
Movie • 2011
Self (archive footage)
The Muppets Go Hollywood
Movie • 1979
Self
Hollywood Singing & Dancing: A Musical History - 1980s, 1990s and 2000s
Movie • 2009
Self (archive)
Spaceballs: The Totally Warped Animated Adventures
Movie • 2008
President Skroob/Yogurt
Blaze of Glory: Mel Brooks' Wild, Wild West
Movie • 2014
Self (archive footage)
Mel Brooks: Seriously... Well, Almost
Movie • 2024
Self
Ruby's Studio: the Feelings Show
Movie • 2010
Sally Simon Simmons Narrator
From Darkness to Light
Movie • 2025
Self (archive footage)
Spaceballs 2
Movie
President Skroob / Yogurt
Spaceballs: The Documentary
Movie • 2005
Self
The Land of Sometimes
Movie • 2026
The Postman (voice)
John Candy: I Like Me
Movie • 2025
Self - Director, Spaceballs
Enormous
Movie
Bernie (voice)
The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld
Movie • 2025
Paddy Chayefsky: Collector of Words
Movie • 2025
Self
David Lynch: The Idea Dictates Everything
Movie • 2021
Mel Brooks
Mad About You
TV • 1992
Uncle Phil
The Simpsons
TV • 1989
Mel Brooks (voice)
Noel's House Party
TV • 1991
The David Susskind Show
TV • 1959
Self
Frasier
TV • 1993
Tom (voice)
Inside Comedy
TV • 2012
Self
The Electric Company
TV • 1971
Blond-Haired Cartoon Man (voice)
Curb Your Enthusiasm
TV • 2000
Mel Brooks
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
TV • 1968
Self (uncredited)
Spaceballs: The Animated Series
TV • 2008
President Skroob / Yogurt (voice)
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks
TV • 2003
Wiley (voice)
The Frank Skinner Show
TV • 1995
Self
Saturday Night Clive
TV • 1989
Glenn Martin, DDS
TV • 2009
The Oscars
TV • 1953
Self
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
TV • 1962
Self
An Audience with...
TV • 1978
Self
Only Murders in the Building
TV • 2021
Mel Brooks
Wogan
TV • 1982
Self
Flick Flack
TV • 1974
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
TV • 2012
Self
To Tell the Truth
TV • 2016
Self - Panelist
The Mike Douglas Show
TV • 1961
Self
The Hollywood Palace
TV • 1964
Self
Legends
TV • 2006
Mel Funn (archive footage) (uncredited)
Champs-Elysées
TV • 1982
Self
RTL Samstag Nacht
TV • 1993
Broadway: The American Musical
TV • 2004
Self
The Dick Cavett Show
TV • 1968
Self - Guest
Real Time with Bill Maher
TV • 2003
Self
The Wonderful World of Disney
TV • 1954
Self
Primetime Glick
TV • 2001
History of the World: Part II
TV • 2023
Narrator
Please Turn the Page
TV • 1977
Self
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
TV • 2002
Santa Claus (voice)
The Paul Reiser Show
TV • 2011
The Angry Cat (voice)
Great Performances
TV • 1971
Self
Golden Globe Awards
TV • 1944
Self - Nominee
The Grammys
TV • 1959
Self
When Things Were Rotten
TV • 1975
Guard (uncredited)
Somebody Feed Phil
TV • 2018
Self
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
TV • 2026
Self