Mel Brooks, 97, Steps Out in Hollywood for Major Career Milestone

Mel Brooks

Legendary comedian and Hollywood icon Mel Brooks, 97, received a special honor on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the 2024 Governors Awards.

Brooks, who previously won an Oscar for best screenplay in 1969 for The Producers, was awarded an honorary Oscar, with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, who both starred in The Producers on Broadway as well as the screen adaptation, serenading him with tunes and lyrics referencing his notable career. This included "I Wanna Be A Producer" and "King of Broadway."

"This is beautiful," said Brooks, while accepting the award. "I got to tell you, this means a lot to me. It really means a lot...If your fellow writers, directors, actors, etc. like you and appreciate your work, it means a lot. It means a whole lot."

He also joked about his Oscar from the '60s, quipping, "I feel so bad. I miss it so much. I never should have sold it. Hey listen, times weren't great."

Before heading off the stage, he held up his award and promised, "I won't sell this one, I swear to God."

Last summer, when it was first announced that Brooks would receive an honorary Oscar alongside Angela Bassett and film editor Carol Littleton, he told People in a statement, "First of all, I am very happy to still be alive!"

"A long time ago I was given a choice: I had an offer to be working as an apprentice accountant or as a coffee runner in show business. I'm still glad I chose the coffee," Brooks said.

Brooks is one of just 18 people to have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards) with competitive awards, while a few others have reached the achievement with honorary awards. Other EGOT winners include Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, John Legend, Alan Menken and most recently, Viola Davis.

Along with The Producers, Brooks' expansive career includes other hits like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, History of the World: Part I, and much more.

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