NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The 2000 Year Old Man is turning 100. on Sunday will celebrate his centennial birthday.
The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting the milestone. Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary on him:
鈥淚 was born to make people laugh,鈥� Brooks says in the film. 鈥淪o, I do that.鈥�
Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, on June 28, 1926. After serving in the Army during World War II and performing in the Borscht Belt, Sid Caesar hired him as a writer. On his 鈥淪how of Shows,鈥� Brooks met , who’d remain a lifelong friend and with whom he created the 鈥�2000 Year Old Man鈥� sketches.
Reiner would pepper Brooks’ ancient man with questions about what Jesus was like. 鈥淛esus 鈥� yes, yes,鈥� Brooks would answer. 鈥淭hin lad. Wore sandals. Always walked around with 12 other guys.鈥�
Brooks went to make classic comedies like 鈥淭he Producers,鈥� 鈥淏lazing Saddles,鈥� 鈥淵oung Frankenstein鈥� and 鈥淗igh Anxiety.鈥� It all started, , with his childhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
鈥淚 wanted to keep the party going. I wanted to keep the happiness and joy and explosions of laughter going into a dour part of our lives, not our childhood anymore,鈥� Brooks recalled. 鈥淚 was once interviewed and the guy said, 鈥榃hat was the happiest part of your life? Was it winning the Academy Award? Was it marrying Anne Bancroft?鈥� I said no, not at all. It was my childhood. From about 4 or 5 to 9, it was the most exciting, happiest, joyous life that anyone could experience.
鈥淭he guy said, ‘What happened at 9?鈥� I said, ‘Homework.’鈥�
In April, Brooks submitted a video message to Eddie Murphy to honor him for his . In May, that he was donating thousands of his documents and photographs to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been proud to say that I make people laugh for a living,鈥� Brooks said then in a statement. 鈥淪o, knowing that my work will have a home at comedy鈥檚 national archive and continue making people laugh leaves me with a deep sense of pride.鈥�
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: 鈥淚 was Mel Brooks, one of the funniest little Jews to walk the Earth.鈥�
When asked in that AP 2021 interview if he thought much about death, Brooks said no.
鈥淚 gave up after 60 thinking about it because if I did, I鈥檇 be thinking about it all the time. So I don鈥檛 think about it much. When and if it happens it鈥檚 going to be a sad day 鈥� for everybody but me,鈥� Brooks said, laughing.
鈥淚 enjoy living,鈥� he added. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to do it as long as I can.鈥�
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