Biography
A certifiable legend - with an emphasis on the "certifiable" - in the entertainment industry, Mel Brooks was an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony-winning creator and performer of some of the biggest comedy hits on television, in film, and on Broadway. He got his start penning gags for Sid Caesar on the legendary "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) before developing his own series, "Get Smart" (NBC/CBS, 1965-1970). He soon graduated to …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
| Worked variously as jazz drummer, stand-up comedian, handyman and social director for a Catskills resort after World War II | ||
1949 | Worked as sketch writer for Sid Caesar, collaborating on television shows Like "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-1954) | |
1954 | Made film writing debut with "New Faces" (sketches) | |
1957 | Co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical "Shinbone Alley" | |
1960 | Earned a Grammy nomination with Carl Reiner for Best Spoken Word Comedy for 2,000 Years | |
1961 | Nominated for Best Comedy Performance Grammy for 2,000 and One Years | |
1962 | Wrote the book for the Broadway musical "All-American" | |
1963 | Created and narrated first film, the cartoon "The Critic"; won Academy Award for Best Short Subject | |
1963 | Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Comedy Performance for At the Cannes Film Festival | |
1965 | With Buck Henry, created the Emmy Award-winning "Get Smart" (NBC, CBS) | |
1967 | Won Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in a Variety Comedy for "The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special" (CBS) | |
1968 | First film as director and screenwriter, "The Producers"; also composed song "Springtime for Hitler"; won Academy Award for Best Originaly Screenplay | |
1970 | Wrote, directed and starred in the comedy "The Twelve Chairs" | |
1974 | Played Governor Lepetomane and Indian Chief in the Western movie parody "Blazing Saddles"; also co-wrote and directed | |
1974 | Wrote and directed the horror movie spoof "Young Frankenstein"; earned Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay | |
1977 | First film as producer, "High Anxiety"; also acted in and directed | |
1979 | Formed production company Brooksfilms Ltd. | |
1979 | Made a cameo in "The Muppet Movie" | |
1980 | Served as uncredited executive producer of "The Elephant Man," a heart-wrenching drama about a man with physical deformities; film was nominated for Best Picture Academy Award | |
1981 | Played various roles, including Moses and King Louis XVI in "History of the World, Part I"; also directed, wrote, and produced | |
1982 | Executive produced the film "My Favorite Year," loosely inspired by the behind-the-scenes action at "Your Show of Shows" | |
1982 | Served as uncredited executive producer on the Frances Farmer biopic "Frances" | |
1986 | Served as executive producer on a successful remake of the 1958 sci-fi flick "The Fly" and the less-than-stellar fantasy "Solarbabies" | |
1987 | Played President Skroob and Yogurt in the "Star Wars" spoof "Spaceballs"; also co-wrote, directed, and produced | |
1989 | Served as uncredited executive producer on "The Fly II" | |
1991 | Starred in, directed, and wrote the unpopular comedy "Life Stinks" | |
1992 | Executive produced the misfire "The Vagrant" | |
1993 | Featured as Rabbi Tuckman in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights"; also directed, produced and co-wrote | |
1993 | Made rare TV sitcom appearance on NBC's "Frasier" | |
1994 | Played Mr. Welling in the big-screen version of "The Little Rascals" | |
1995 | Featured as vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing in "Dracula: Dead and Loving It"; also directed, wrote and produced | |
1995 | Played himself on an episode of the Fox animated series "The Simpsons" | |
1996 | Played recurring role of Paul's Uncle Phil on the hit NBC sitcom "Mad About You"; won three Emmy Awards for appearances | |
1997 | With Carl Reiner, wrote the book The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 | |
1999 | With Reiner won Grammy for Spoken Comedy Album for the recording of The 2000 Year Old Man in 2000 | |
2000 | Adapted his Oscar-winning screenplay "The Producers" for the stage; earned critical kudos and a record 15 Tony Award nominations | |
2005 | Once again brought "The Producers" back to the big screen, originally a 1968 movie, which was adapted into a Tony award winning stage musical, starring Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane; film earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture and a Grammy nomination for Best Song for "There's Nothing Like a Show on Broadway" | |
2005 | Voiced master inventor Bigweld in the animated feature "Robots" | |
2007 | Adapted his 1974 film "Young Frankenstein" into a Broadway musical | |
2007 | Adapted his 1987 sci-fi spoof "Spaceballs" into "Spaceballs: The Animated Series" (G4 TV); wrote, directed and voiced two characters, President Skroob and Yogurt | |
2008 | Credited for creating characters in the feature remake of "Get Smart," starring Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99 | |
2012 | Announced as recipient of AFI Lifetime Achievement Award | |
Awards
1956 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Comedy Writing in Caesar's Hour |
1957 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Comedy Writing-Variety or Situation Comedy in Caesar's Hour |
1966 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement In Comedy in Get Smart |
1968 | Academy Award for Writing (Story and Screenplay--Written Directly For the Screen) in The Producers |
1968 | Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture in The Producers |
1974 | Academy Award for Music (Song) in Blazing Saddles |
1974 | Academy Award for Writing (Screenplay Adapted From Other Material) in Young Frankenstein |
1974 | BAFTA Award for Screenplay in Blazing Saddles |
1976 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in Silent Movie |
1977 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical in High Anxiety |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in Mad About You |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in Mad About You |
1999 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor In a Comedy Series in Mad About You |
2001 | Tony Award for Book (Musical) |
2001 | Tony Award for Musical |
2001 | Tony Award for Original Musical Score |
2005 | Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song - Motion Picture in The Producers |