For years, comedian Mel Brooks made audiences laugh as the “2,000-Year-Old Man” through his sketch routine with the late Carl Reiner, and this weekend his life is catching up with the punchline as he turns 100.
On June 28, Brooks will celebrate his centennial birthday, a milestone few entertainers achieve following a career spanning more than seven decades.
Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn in 1926, Brooks served in the U.S. Army during World War II, before making a breakthrough in the entertainment industry as a writer for Sid Caesar’s television programs.
It was while working on the live variety series “Your Show of Shows” in 1950 that Brooks developed a close friendship with Reiner, who died in 2020 at the age of 98, and together formed a comedy partnership that went on to shape modern American humor through television and films.
Brooks went on to co-create the hit spy sitcom “Get Smart” with Buck Henry, before cementing his role in Hollywood in 1967 with his first feature film “The Producers,” later earning him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Other credits include a number of comedy classics such as, “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “History of the World: Part I,” and “Spaceballs.”
Brooks built a reputation for his sharp satire, fearless parody, and rapid-fire one-liners that influenced generations of comedians and filmmakers to come.
In “2,000-Year-Old Man,” Brooks portrayed an ancient man who claimed to remember virtually every moment in human history. He would improvise answers to Reiner’s straight-faced questions, that developed into comedy classics through recordings, television appearances, and live performances.
Earlier this year, HBO released a two-part documentary titled “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!” Co-directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the film explores Brooks’s life and career, while chronicling his journey as a comedian in Hollywood.
“I was born to make people laugh,” Brooks expressed in the film. “So, I do that.”
Through his success, Brooks achieved “EGOT” status, winning all four of the major performing art accolades: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
On June 26 and in honor of his 100th birthday, the American Film Institute (AFI) named “Blazing Saddles” as the funniest film of all time, earning an honorary spot on the organization’s 100 Laughs list. In 2013, Brooks was named honoree of the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award, one of the highest honors for a career in film.
It remains unclear how Brooks himself will be celebrating his birthday milestone. However, the film community has already kicked off festivities in his honor, including New York’s Crandell Theatre, which marked the centennial with screenings of his most beloved films.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
