Mel Brooks | Born: 1926

Born Melvin James Kaminsky, Mel Brooks is known for his skills as a comedian, director, producer, screenwriter, actor, composer, and lyricist. A native of New York, Brooks used to serve in the US Army as a corporal before focusing on playing the piano and stand-up comedy. During his initial attempts, Brooks’ skills slowly gained traction, and he was tasked to write for the comedy series, Your Show of Shows. He was consistently writing pieces for several sitcoms at the time. After he pervaded Hollywood, he went on to focus on directing. Among his credits are the movies The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and The Twelve Chairs, among others.

Now 95 years old, Mel Brooks can proudly say he’s one of a few people in Hollywood who’s been able to win all four major awards in the industry, namely an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Three of his films are also in the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 comedy films of all time.