Mel Brooks Has a Very Big Birthday

The 2000 Year Old Man is turning 100. The comedian and filmmaker has been awaiting the milestone. Earlier this year, Judd Apatow titled his retrospective documentary on him: Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! "I was born to make people laugh," Brooks says in the film, per the AP. "So, I do that." 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 Show of Shows, Brooks met Carl Reiner, who'd remain a lifelong friend and with whom he created the iconic "2000 Year Old Man" sketches.

To mark the occasion of Brooks' centennial, the American Film Institute on Friday named 1974's Blazing Saddles the funniest film of all time. It has previously ranked sixth on its list of 100 greatest movies. Brooks' film displaced Some Like It Hot. When asked in that AP 2021 interview if he thought much about death, Brooks said no. "I gave up after 60 thinking about it because if I did, I'd be thinking about it all the time. So I don't think about it much. When and if it happens it's going to be a sad day—for everybody but me," Brooks said, laughing.

• In honor of his birthday, the Telegraph has ranked his films, and the New York Times has a "100 reasons to love him" list.