Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American multi-award winning director, writer, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer best known as a creator of broad film farce and comedy parodies. Brooks is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction of having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Kate (née Brookman), a garment worker, and Max Kaminsky, a process server. Brooks's family was Jew; his mother's parents immigrated from outside Kiev and his paternal family from Austria. His father died of kidney disease at age 34. As a child, Brooks was a small and sickly boy. He was bullied and picked on by his peers. By taking on the comically aggressive job of Tummler in various Catskills resorts, he overcame his childhood of bullying and name calling. He went to school in New York. For elementary, he went to Public School 19 (Williamsburg). For middle school, he went... full article at wikipedia