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NEW YORK — The 2000 Year Old Man is turning 100. Mel Brooks on Sunday will observe his centennial birthday.
The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting nan milestone.
Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary connected him: “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!”
“I was calved to make group laugh,” Brooks says successful nan film. “So, I do that.”
Brooks was calved Melvin Kaminsky successful Brooklyn, New York, connected June 28, 1926. After serving successful nan Army during World War II and performing successful nan Borscht Belt, Sid Caesar hired him arsenic a writer. On his “Show of Shows,” Brooks met Carl Reiner, who’d stay a lifelong friend and pinch whom he created nan “2000 Year Old Man” sketches.
Reiner would capsicum Brooks’ ancient man pinch questions astir what Jesus was like. “Jesus … yes, yes,” Brooks would answer. “Thin lad. Wore sandals. Always walked astir pinch 12 different guys.”
Brooks went connected to make classical comedies for illustration “The Producers,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “High Anxiety.” It each started, Brooks told The Associated Press successful 2021, pinch his puerility successful Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
“I wanted to support nan statement going. I wanted to support nan happiness and joyousness and explosions of laughter going into a dour portion of our lives, not our puerility anymore,” Brooks recalled. “I was erstwhile interviewed, and nan feline said, ‘What was nan happiest portion of your life? Was it winning nan Academy Award? Was it marrying Anne Bancroft?’ I said no, not astatine all. It was my childhood. From astir 4 aliases 5 to 9, it was nan astir exciting, happiest, joyous life that anyone could experience.”
“The feline said, ‘What happened astatine 9?’ I said, ‘Homework.’”
In April, Brooks submitted a video connection to Eddie Murphy to grant him for his AFI Life Achievement Award. In May, he announced that he was donating thousands of his documents and photographs to nan National Comedy Center successful Jamestown, New York.
“I’ve ever been proud to opportunity that I make group laughter for a living,” Brooks said past successful a statement. “So, knowing that my activity will person a location astatine comedy’s nationalist archive and proceed making group laughter leaves maine pinch a heavy consciousness of pride.”
Brooks has sometimes made mortality a joke, too. In a 1980s sketch, he created a coin-operated gravestone for himself that played a videotaped message. It began: “I was Mel Brooks, 1 of nan funniest small Jews to locomotion nan Earth.”
When asked successful that AP 2021 question and reply if he thought overmuch astir death, Brooks said no.
“I gave up aft 60 reasoning astir it because if I did, I’d beryllium reasoning astir it each nan time. So I don’t deliberation astir it much. When and if it happens, it’s going to beryllium a sad time — for everybody but me,” Brooks said, laughing.
“I bask living,” he added. “I’d for illustration to do it arsenic agelong arsenic I can.”
