Jewish comedy legend Mel Brooks celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday, as he prepares to release the long-awaited sequel to his 1987 movie, “Spaceballs.”
“Spaceballs: The New One,” which will feature Brooks as two characters, Yogurt and President Skroob, is scheduled to be released on April 23, 2027.
Josh Gad, who produced the film alongside Brooks, said that getting to spend time with the award winner the week of his birthday “is truly the greatest gift in the world.”
“He has made us laugh and hurt on the big screen, the small screen, the stage, even on our record players,” Gad said. “There is nothing he hasn’t won, nothing he hasn’t achieved, nothing he hasn’t proven, and yet at 100, he continues to surprise and thrill us.”
Born Melvin James Kaminsky in Brooklyn on June 28, 1926, Brooks decided at age 9, after seeing the movie “Anything Goes,” that he was going to go into show business. At age 14, he began working as a poolside entertainer at the Butler Lodge.
He served as a combat engineer for the U.S. Army during World War II, where he famously rigged a sound system and played the music of Jewish singer Al Jolson to taunt German soldiers on the battlefield.
After the war, Brooks worked in resorts and nightclubs in the Catskill Mountains as a musician and stand-up comic. In 1949, he found work as a comedy writer for television.
His popular films include “The Producers,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Blazing Saddles.”
The filmmaker announced the “Spaceballs” sequel in 2025 while wearing a sweatshirt that read: “Spaceballs, the sweatshirt.”
“After 40 years, we asked, ‘What do the fans want?’ But instead, we’re making this movie,” Brooks said. “May the Schwartz be with you.”
Jewish actor Ben Stiller wished Brooks a happy birthday. “You are a huge part of why I love movies,” he wrote.
StandWithUs said that Brooks “built a career where his Jewish identity and humor were inseparable, proving that Jewish pride and laughter are the greatest weapons of all.”
“100 years young, still the king of comedy,” it stated.
Even NASA sent birthday wishes to Brooks. “Happy 100th birthday, Mel Brooks. May the Schwartz be with you today and every day,” it stated.
Brooks was married to actress Anne Bancroft from 1964 until she died in 2005. He has reportedly remained single since.
“Once you are married to Anne Bancroft, others don’t seem to be appealing,” he said in 2023.
