Mel Brooks Looks Back on His Life and Career in New Book Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close
Mel Brooks Is Still Cracking Us Up
At 95 the renowned comedian looks back on his life and career in a new book All About Me
Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times/Contour by Getty Images When did you first realize you were funny
When I do my stand-up act I say, “I knew I was funny when people would peer into my crib and break out into laughter. I knew, right then and there, that that’s what I had to do for a living — just show my funny face.” I had the happiest childhood ever in Brooklyn. But it all came to a close when I was 9 and they asked me to do something called homework. I realized then that life wasn’t going to be a free ride. They wanted something back. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Why did you change your name to Brooks
I changed my name because I was a drummer [at age 14], and I didn’t think that “Melvin Kaminsky” would look as good as “Mel Brookman” on a bass drum. Brookman was my mother’s maiden name. I started painting “Mel” and “Brook” on the drum, but there wasn’t room for the “man,” so I threw in an “s” instead. Then I get a little notoriety as a drummer, and that name — Mel Brooks — stuck. What did drumming teach you about comedy
There is a thing in drumming called the rim shot, where the stick hits the edge and the middle of the snare drum at the same time. It’s a great sound. It’s like the punch line of a joke. Drumming is about rhythm, and comedy is about rhythm, too. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > Tell me about Carl Reiner your partner on the 2 000 Year Old Man records
Carl Reiner (left) and Mel Brooks ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images He enjoyed trapping me like a mouse in a corner, and then he’d be amazed when I’d come flying out with a joke. Sometimes, if I hit him unexpectedly, he would literally fall down on the floor. We had the most fun [doing the act] at parties. Once, he asked me, “You’ve had many wives. Who was your favorite?” “Shirley,” I replied. “Why Shirley?” “Because every time Shirley came to the house, she brought her friend Leila.” And Carl hit the ground. Making him laugh out of control was the thrill of a lifetime. Falling down laughing You must be exaggerating
Oh, no! I was a purveyor of a different kind of comedy. Comedy that was unexpected, true, human — and busted people up. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe is all about perfect timing. That goes for drama, suspense — and even comedy. He taught me how to bring scenes to a boil. What s your favorite creative ritual
It’s not a ritual. It’s very simple. It’s called rehearsal. The more you rehearse, the better the scene. How has the pandemic changed your life
The bad was missing seeing my family and friends. The good was when I’d go out, I didn’t have to sign autographs because nobody recognized me under my mask! If the 2 000 Year Old Man were around today what question would you ask him
Unfortunately, I am not the truly gifted Carl Reiner, and no one could ask the 2,000 Year Old Man questions like he could. Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images Tell me how you met your second wife Anne Bancroft As I recall you saw her at a rehearsal for The Perry Como Show
She was the guest star, and when she came out onstage, she was wearing a stunning white gown. She was absolutely gorgeous, and she sang beautifully. When she finished, I couldn’t help myself. I jumped up and said, “Anne Bancroft, I love you!” She said, “Who the hell are you?” I said, “I’m Mel Brooks. You don’t know me.” And she said, “You’re wrong! I’ve got your record!” Anyway, I went backstage afterward and asked her to have coffee with me. We literally fell in love on that day. She was made in heaven for me, and she told her analyst the next day, “You’d better get me sane because I think I just met the man that I want to live with for the rest of my life.” What s your secret Mel How have you sustained such a high level of creativity throughout your life
I’d say stuffed cabbage has kept me going. I love it.... I don’t know. I think there was something rich and wonderful about growing up in Brooklyn. It was a magical place that filled you with dreams, ideals and a love of life. I remember being a little kid and actually loving being alive. They say comedians usually have a bad childhood, so they make up for it with laughter and love from the audience. That’s nonsense! For me, it’s about continuing the love you got as a child. I had a lot of love as a kid, and I don’t want that love to stop. —Interview by Hugh Delehanty More on entertainment AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS