Mel Brooks is an actor, comedian, and filmmaker of the stage, television, and screen. He started his work as a comedy writer, actor, and then director of 11 feature films including The Producers (1967), Young Frankenstein (1974), and Blazing Saddles (1974). He is also known for his work on Broadway including, The Producers (2001).
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | New Faces | No | Yes | No | Credited as "Melvin Brooks" |
| 1967 | The Producers | Yes | Yes | No | Directorial debut |
| 1970 | The Twelve Chairs | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Young Frankenstein | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 1976 | Silent Movie | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1977 | High Anxiety | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1980 | The Elephant Man | No | No | Yes (uncredited) | [1] [2] |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1982 | My Favorite Year | No | No | Yes (uncredited) | [3] |
| 1983 | To Be or Not to Be | No | No | Yes | |
| 1986 | The Fly | No | No | Yes (uncredited) | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1991 | Life Stinks | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1993 | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1995 | Dracula: Dead and Loving It | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 2005 | The Producers [4] | No | Yes | Yes | |
| 2022 | Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank [4] | No | Yes | Executive | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Critic | Narrator | Short film |
| 1967 | The Producers | Singer in "Springtime for Hitler" | Voice, uncredited |
| 1970 | The Twelve Chairs | Tikon | |
| 1974 | Blazing Saddles | Governor William Le Petomane / Indian Chief / Aviator Applicant / Back-Up German Singer (voice) / Grouchy Moviegoer (voice) | |
| Young Frankenstein | Werewolf / Cat Hit by Dart / Victor Frankenstein | Voice, uncredited | |
| 1976 | Silent Movie | Mel Funn | |
| 1977 | High Anxiety | Richard H. Thorndyke | |
| 1979 | The Muppet Movie | Professor Krassman | |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Moses / Comicus / Torquemada / Jacques / King Louis XVI | |
| 1983 | To Be or Not to Be | Dr. Frederick Bronski | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Yogurt / President Skroob | |
| 1990 | Look Who's Talking Too [4] | Mr. Toilet Man | Voice |
| 1991 | Life Stinks | Goddard Bolt | |
| 1992 | Mickey's Audition | Film director | Short film |
| 1993 | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Rabbi Tuckman | |
| 1994 | The Little Rascals | Mr. Welling | |
| 1995 | Dracula: Dead and Loving It | Dr. Abraham Van Helsing | |
| 1999 | Screw Loose | Jake Gordon | |
| 2000 | Sex, Lies and Video Violence | Stressed old man | |
| 2005 | Robots [4] | Bigweld | Voice |
| The Producers [4] | Himself / Hilda the Pigeon (voice) / Tom the Cat (voice) / German Soldier (voice) | ||
| 2010 | Ruby's Studio: The Feelings Show | Sally Simon Simmons / Narrator | Voice |
| 2014 | Mr. Peabody & Sherman [4] | Albert Einstein | Voice, cameo |
| 2015 | Underdogs | The Agent | Voice, U.S. dub |
| Hotel Transylvania 2 [4] | Vlad Dracula | Voice | |
| 2017 | Leap! [4] | M. Luteau | Voice, U.S. dub |
| The Guardian Brothers | Mr. Rogman | ||
| 2018 | Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation [4] | Vlad | Voice |
| 2019 | Toy Story 4 [5] | Melephant Brooks | |
| 2022 | Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank | Shogun Toshi |
| Year | Title | Writer | Creator | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Admiral Broadway Revue | Yes | No | No | |
| 1950–54 | Your Show of Shows | Yes | No | No | |
| 1954–57 | Caesar's Hour | Yes | No | No | |
| 1958 | Sid Caesar Invites You | Yes | No | No | |
| 1965–70 | Get Smart | Yes | Yes | No | Also character developer |
| 1975 | The 2000 Year Old Man [4] | Yes | No | No | TV special |
| When Things Were Rotten | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 episode | |
| 1989 | The Nutt House | Yes | Yes | Yes | 1 episode |
| 2008–09 | Spaceballs: The Animated Series | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also composer |
| 2023 | History of the World, Part II | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | The New Steve Allen Show | 2000 Year Old Man | 2 episodes |
| 1962–92 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Guest / Himself | 19 episodes |
| 1967 | The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special | Himself | TV special |
| 1968–78 | The Hollywood Squares (Daytime) | Himself / Panelist | 15 episodes |
| 1971–77 | The Electric Company | Blond-Haired Cartoon Man (voice) | 780 episodes |
| 1974 | Free to Be... You and Me | Baby Boy (voice) | Television film |
| 1975 | The 2000 Year Old Man [4] | 2000 Year Old Man (voice) | TV special |
| 1983 | An Audience with Mel Brooks | Himself | TV special |
| 1990 | The Tracey Ullman Show | Buzz Schlanger | Episode: "Due Diligence" |
| 1993 | Frasier | Tom (voice) | Episode: "Miracle on Third or Fourth Street" |
| 1995 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Homer vs. Patty and Selma" |
| 1996–99 | Mad About You | Uncle Phil | 4 episodes |
| 2000 | The Kids from Room 402 | Mr. Miller (voice) | Episode: "Squeezed Out" |
| 2002 | It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie | Joe Snow (voice) | Television film |
| 2003 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius [4] | Santa Claus (voice) | Episode: "Holly Jolly Jimmy" |
| 2003–07 | Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks | Wiley the Sheep (voice) | 47 episodes |
| 2004 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2008–09 | Spaceballs: The Animated Series | President Skroob, Yogurt (voice) | 13 episodes |
| 2010 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Canine (voice) | Episode: "A Very Martin Christmas" |
| 2011 | Special Agent Oso | Grandpa Mel (voice) | Episode: "On Old MacDonald's Special Song/Snapfingers" |
| The Paul Reiser Show | The Angry Cat (voice) | Episode: "The Playdate" | |
| Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again | Himself | TV special | |
| 2012 | Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee | Episode: "I Want Sandwiches, I Want Chicken" | |
| Mel Brooks Strikes Back | TV special | ||
| 2014 | Jeopardy! | Video Clue Presenter | Episode #30.131 |
| Dora the Explorer | Mad Hatter (voice) | Episode: "Dora in Wonderland" | |
| 2015 | Mel Brooks: Live at the Geffen | Himself | Stand-up TV special |
| The Comedians | Episode: "Celebrity Guest" | ||
| 2018 | To Tell the Truth | Season 3, episode 2 | |
| 2019 | Forky Asks A Question | Melephant Brooks (voice) | Episode: "What Is Love?" |
| 2022 | Little Demon | Millipede (voice) | Episode: "Village of the Found" |
| 2023 | History of the World, Part II | Narrator | 8 episodes |
| Only Murders in the Building | Himself | Episode: "CoBro" | |
| TBA | Fairy Tale Forest | Burgermeister | TV movie, Completed |
| Year | Title | Notes | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | New Faces of 1952 | Writer | Royale Theatre | [6] |
| 1957 | Shinbone Alley | Writer | Broadway Theater | |
| 1962 | All American | Writer | Winter Garden Theater | |
| 2001 | The Producers | Composer, lyricist, writer, producer | St. James Theatre | |
| 2007 | Young Frankenstein | Composer, lyricist, writer, producer | Hilton Theatre | |
| 2019 | Mel Brooks on Broadway | Performer | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre | |
| Year | Title | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Mel Brooks: To Be or Not to Be - The Hitler Rap | Composer, lyricist | Short |
| 2001 | Great Performances | Composer | 1 episode |
| 2008 | Get Smart | Consultant | |
| 2015 | Sam | Executive producer | |
| 2020 | Grandma for President | Actor (voice of Ernie Blanders) | Podcast series |
Brooks cast certain actors in more than one of his films. His most frequent collaborators were Rudy De Luca (7 films), Dom DeLuise (6 films), Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Charlie Callas, Carol Arthur, and Robert Ridgely (4 films each).
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 American satirical postmodernist Western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg and Alan Uger, based on a story treatment by Bergman. The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. Brooks appears in two supporting roles: Governor William J. Le Petomane, and a Yiddish-speaking Indian chief; he also dubs lines for one of Lili Von Shtupp's backing troupe and a cranky moviegoer. The supporting cast includes Slim Pickens, Alex Karras and David Huddleston, as well as Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman. Bandleader Count Basie has a cameo as himself, appearing with his orchestra.
Melvin James Brooks is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. A recipient of numerous accolades, he is one of 21 entertainers to win the EGOT, which includes an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in 2015, a National Medal of Arts in 2016, a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017, and the Honorary Academy Award in 2024.
Spaceballs is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It primarily parodies the original Star Wars trilogy, but also of other popular franchises such as Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and Transformers. The film stars Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, with the supporting cast including Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Lorene Yarnell, and the voice of Joan Rivers. In addition to Brooks playing a dual role, the film also features Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise and Rudy De Luca in cameo appearances.
The Producers is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film. It was directed and written by Mel Brooks, and stars Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, and Kenneth Mars. The film is about a mild-mannered accountant and a con artist theater producer who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a stage musical designed to fail. To this end, they find a playscript celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis and bring it to the stage. Because of this theme, The Producers was controversial from the start and received mixed reviews. It became a cult film, and found a more positive critical reception later.
Carl Reiner was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.
The Elephant Man is a 1980 biographical drama film loosely based on the life of Joseph Merrick, a severely deformed man who lived in London in the late 19th century. The film was directed by David Lynch, produced by Jonathan Sanger, and executive produced by Mel Brooks. It stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, and Freddie Jones. The Elephant Man is generally regarded as one of Lynch's more accessible and mainstream works, alongside The Straight Story (1999).
My Favorite Year is a 1982 American comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Richard Benjamin and written by Norman Steinberg and Dennis Palumbo from a story written by Palumbo. The film tells the story of a young comedy writer and stars Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper, and Joseph Bologna. O'Toole was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film was adapted into an unsuccessful 1992 Broadway musical of the same name.
Matthew Broderick is an American actor. His roles include the Golden Globe–nominated portrayal of the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), the voice of adult Simba in Disney's The Lion King (1994), and Leo Bloom in both the Broadway musical The Producers and its 2005 film adaptation. Other films he has starring credits in include WarGames (1983), Glory (1989), The Freshman (1990), The Cable Guy (1996), Godzilla (1998), Inspector Gadget (1999), You Can Count on Me (2000), The Last Shot (2004) and Tower Heist (2011). Broderick also directed himself in Infinity (1996) and provided voice work in Good Boy! (2003), Bee Movie (2007), and The Tale of Despereaux (2008).
Anne Bancroft was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. She is one of 24 thespians to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting.
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most important stand-up comedians of all time. Pryor won a Primetime Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards. He received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. He won the Writers Guild of America Award in 1974. He was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians. In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked him first on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.
The Tall Guy is a 1989 British romantic comedy and the feature film debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis and director Mel Smith. It was produced by London Weekend Television for theatrical release and stars Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson. Curtis's script draws from his experiences as straight man to long-time collaborator Rowan Atkinson.
Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He collaborated with Mel Brooks on the films The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), and with Richard Pryor in the films Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991).
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle portrayed the monster. The film co-stars Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman.
Peter Lawrence Boyle was an American actor. He is known for his character actor roles in film and television and received several awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Terry Ann Garr, known as Teri Garr, was an American actress. Known for her comedic roles in film and television in the 1970s and 1980s, she often played women struggling to cope with the life-changing experiences of their husbands, children or boyfriends. She received nominations for an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her performance in Tootsie (1982), playing a struggling actress who loses the soap opera role of a female hospital administrator to her male friend and acting coach.
Dominick DeLuise was an American actor, comedian, director, chef, and author. Known primarily for comedy roles, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety shows. He is widely recognized for his performances in the films of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, as well as a series of collaborations and a double act with Burt Reynolds. Beginning in the 1980s, his popularity expanded to younger audiences from voicing characters in several major animated productions, particularly those of Don Bluth.
Harvey Herschel Korman was an American actor and comedian who performed in television and film productions. He is best remembered as a main cast member alongside Carol Burnett, Tim Conway and Vicki Lawrence on the CBS sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show (1967–1977) for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
John Leonard Morris was an American film, television, and Broadway composer, dance arranger, conductor, and trained concert pianist. He collaborated with filmmakers Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder.
The Doctor and The Devils is a 1985 gothic horror film directed by Freddie Francis and starring Timothy Dalton, Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Rea, Julian Sands, Patrick Stewart and Twiggy. It is based upon the true story of Burke and Hare, who in 1828 Edinburgh, Scotland, murdered at least 16 people and sold their bodies for anatomical dissection.
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