Mel Brooks, the legendary 99-year-old comedian behind such classic films as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein (both 1974), recently revealed to People his secret to a long and happy life. A new documentary about the comedian’s legacy, Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man!, premieres Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO Max.
Mel Brooks Shares His Secret to a Long Life
Speaking to the outlet, Brooks explained that he’s made it to nearly a century of living through a simple regimen. “We all laughed a lot,” Brooks said of himself and his two longtime friends, Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner. Caesar died in 2014 at 91, while Reiner died in 2020 at 98. “I think laughing keeps you healthy and happy,” he said. “It’s an amazing sound, people laughing at something I created. Making comedy is a great job. It keeps you sane and happy. It gives you a reason to be alive.”
“I got through World War II as a soldier because I made my buddies in the Army laugh,” Brooks added. Indeed, the comedian enlisted in the U.S. Army at 17 before going on to win a screenwriting Oscar for The Producers (1967), which launched his Hollywood career. He followed it up less than a decade later with his dual 1974 hits, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. “Blazing Saddles was the first major anti-racist movie at a time when that was not cool,” said author Max Brooks, the filmmaker’s youngest son. “My father had incredible courage; all his movies have incredible courage. My father is a true genius.”
Brooks Is ‘the Rosetta Stone of Comedy’
Judd Apatow, who co-directed The 99-Year-Old Man! with Michael Bonfiglio, cited Brooks as one of his foremost creative inspirations. “Mel Brooks is the greatest of all time. The Rosetta Stone of comedy,” Apatow raved. “We need wisdom from people like Mel who’ve lived so much.” “He’s a national treasure,” added Bonfiglio.
“I think I’ve done most of it,” Brooks replied when asked if he had any “bucket list” goals for his career. “But if I missed anything, it wasn’t my fault.”
