EGOT Mel Brooks ‘All About Me!’ Autobiography Due in November

The first autobiography by comedy legend and EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony- winner) Mel Brooks, appropriately and enthusiastically titled “All About Me! – My Remarkable Life in Show Business,” will be published on November 30, 2021, by Ballantine, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Simultaneously, Penguin Random House Audio will release an audio version of the memoir the writer, actor, director, and producer has recorded.

It’s the first time the 95-year-old Brooks has shared his story in his own words, according to an August 4 Random House press release, which follows (with slight embellishment):

“It was joyous and at times bittersweet writing this book and reliving the peaks and valleys of my incredible journey from Brooklyn to Hollywood to Broadway,” Brooks said in a statement. “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.” 

For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny.

“All About Me!” charts Melvin Kaminsky’s meteoric rise from a Depression-era Jewish kid in Brooklyn to Mel Brooks, recipient of the National Medal of Arts (from President Barak Obama in 2016).

Whether serving in the United States Army in World War II (including the Battle of the Bulge) or during his burgeoning career in the Catskills as a teenage drummer (taking lessons from Buddy Rich)-turned-comedian, Mel was always mining his experiences for material, always looking for the perfect joke.

His iconic career began with Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows,” where he was part of the greatest writers’ room in history, which included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Larry Gelbart.

After Brooks co-created both the mega-hit 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums (with Reiner) and the classic TV series “Get Smart! (with Buck Henry) in the 1960s, his film career took off.

Brooks would go on to write, direct, and star in “The Producers,” “The Twelve Chairs,” “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein,” “Silent Movie,” High Anxiety,” and “Spaceballs,” as well as produce groundbreaking and eclectic films including “The Elephant Man,” “The Fly,” “Frances,” “84 Charing Cross Road,” and “My Favorite Year.”

After a stellar career in film, Brooks then went on to conquer Broadway with his record-breaking, Tony-winning musical production of “The Producers.”

“All About Me!” offers fans insight into the inspirations for his outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work.

The book also offers details about his many close friendships and collaborations, including those with Caesar, Reiner, Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his life, Anne Bancroft.

Filled with tales of struggle, achievement, and camaraderie (and dozens of photographs), “All About Me!” will give readers a more personal and deeper understanding of the fertile mind and multi-award-winning body of work created by one of the most accomplished and beloved entertainers in history.

Mel Brooks is an EGOTAK

Brooks won an Oscar for his screenplay for “The Producers” in 1968. He’s won four primetime Emmys – as a writer on “The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special” (1967), and three in a row as “Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series” for “Mad About You” appearances (1997, 1998, 1999).

He’s won three Grammys – “Best Spoken Comedy Album” for “The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000” (1998); “Best Long Form Music Video for “Recording ‘The Producers‘: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks” (2002); and “Best Musical Show Album” for “The Producers” (2002).

Pre-order “All About Me!” here.

Meanwhile, may the Schwartz be with you.