At 95-years-young, comedy legend Mel Brooks is releasing his memoir — and we are assuming it’s going to be the size of an encyclopedia.
All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business is set to be released by Ballantine Books and will detail Brooks’ storied career as a director, producer, writer, and actor. The retrospective will also take readers through the comedian’s early years, from growing up in Brooklyn, New York during the Depression-era, serving in World War II and his comedy beginnings as a teenager before his Hollywood career took off.
In a statement, the Tony winner said, “I hope fans of comedy will get a kick out of the stories behind my work, and really enjoy taking this remarkable ride with me.”
Brooks, who is one of a select group of entertainers to boast the title of EGOT (someone who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award) has written, directed and starred in some of the most iconic comedy films of all time such as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Twelve Chairs, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, and Spaceballs.
He was also the co-creator of the classic television series Get Smart and the creative genius behind the Tony-winning musical, The Producers — which also won him an Oscar for best screenplay, while his comedy album The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 earned him his first Grammy in 1998.
Brooks’ television credits include Mad About You, Frasier, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Simpsons, in which he played himself in the episode Homer vs. Patty and Selma.
Among his long list of accolades, Brooks received a prestigious Kennedy Center Honour in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010 and the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award in June 2013.
Three of his films ranked in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years (1900–2000) including Blazing Saddles at number six, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.
All About Me! will also delve into the friendships Brooks has shared over the course of his career with other legends of the industry such as Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Alfred Hitchcock, and “the great love of his life”, Anne Bancroft.
Ballantine Books describe the memoir as being “filled with tales of struggle, achievement, and camaraderie (and dozens of photographs)” while promising that “readers will gain a more personal and deeper understanding of the incredible body of work behind one of the most accomplished and beloved entertainers in history.”
All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business will be released on Nov. 30.
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