How Many Grandchildren Does Mel Brooks Have?
In the world of comedy, Mel Brooks is an icon, having made a huge mark on the parody genre with beloved films such as "Blazing Saddles," "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein" and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" among others (via IMDb). When the figure wasn't making films, he was playing the role of dad to his four children — Stephanie, Nicholas or "Nicky," Edward or "Eddie," and Maximilian or "Max" (via The New Yorker).
Now the nonagenarian is enjoying a different kind of role, one that isn't always welcomed by everyone, per a 2015 interview with USA Today. Brooks is indeed the grandfather to two grandchildren, Samantha and Henry. Samantha is Eddie's daughter and Henry is Max's son.
For the comedy legend, being a grandfather is a privilege and one that he will continue enjoying even while he keeps working. "In real life, your grandkids like you," he told USA Today. "Unlike anyone else in your family, they're the only ones who really like you. This is true, my grandson said the other day, 'Grandpa, I love you.' Then he actually took a beat and said, 'I mean it.' Like I'd suspect him immediately." Here's more that you should know about Brooks' grandchildren.
Brooks says he 'earned' the title of Grandpa
In a piece he wrote for Men's Health, Mel Brooks' son Max Brooks reflected on his father's life as a comedian and a World War II veteran: "My father had courage and resilience. He thought on his feet, and under tremendous pressure. He needed to confront his enemies while depending on his friends. He couldn't feel entitled to anything, even his own life. He had to fight for that, and every scrap of success that followed." He added, "And through it all, he remained deeply loyal and passionately grateful to a country that he felt privileged to be born into."
Knowing that Brooks doesn't feel entitled to things, it makes sense that he sees his title of grandfather — to Henry and Samantha (seen above) — as a badge of honor, even if others don't see it that way for themselves. As he told USA Today, he insisted on being called Grandpa even if other people prefer something like "Pappy, Pap, or Nick. Nothing with 'grand' in it. But I'm old-fashioned. I like it, I earned it and it's my title."
Getting into the family business
Back in 2015 when Mel Brooks spoke to USA Today about being a grandfather and his role in "Hotel Transylvania 2," both of his grandchildren displayed artistic aspirations. And now they're being fulfilled! Brooks announced via Twitter in October that Samantha Brooks launched a new podcast with her friend Alex Steinberg called "Alakazam with Alex & Sam." According to the podcast description, Samantha is an actor, writer, and filmmaker after graduating from NYU Gallatin. She has acted in several feature films, and her work has been featured at the Soho International Film Festival. She also received a nomination for Best Actress at this year's London International Film Festival.
Meanwhile, Max Brooks and Henry Brooks made a video in 2020 (Brooks' first overtly political video) that went viral calling for people to vote for Joe Biden in the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an earlier viral video asking people to follow social distancing from March of 2020, Max said: "If I get the coronavirus I'll probably be okay, but if I give it to him [motioning to his father Mel in the window behind him] he can infect Carl Reiner, who could give it to Dick Van Dyke, and before I know it, I've wiped out a whole generation of comedic greats."
Despite his age, Brooks is still creating art. Per Brooks' Twitter, on December 1, Brooks' new memoir "It's All About Me" will be released.