Mel Brooks has finally shared his secret to living to 99 years old.
The Oscar, Grammy, Tony and three-time Emmy award-winning American actor and filmmaker isn’t the only one in his clan to survive the 1990s; he and two of his closest friends and fellow comedy legends, Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner, who died in 2014 and 2020 respectively, also reached their 90s.
In an interview with PEOPLE magazine, Brooks said the reason behind living well into our 90s is that “we all laughed a lot.”
In this week’s issue he told the newspaper: “I think laughing keeps you healthy and happy.”
“It’s a great sound, people laughing at something I made. Making comedy is a great job. It keeps you healthy and happy. It gives you a reason to live,” Young Frankenstein the star joked.
Brooks also notably credited “courage” for his long life, along with laughter, stating that the trait, which he learned from his mother, played a crucial role in his life.
He gushed: “She was a great example of courage. She lost her husband when she was just a young girl raising four children. What an example of a courageous life.”
For those who don’t know, the Space balls star is the youngest of his four siblings. Born to Max and Kate Kaminsky on June 28, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, he lost his father when he was just two years old.
It is pertinent to mention that despite having a great portfolio and several awards, Brooks is still working as his upcoming project Space Balls 2, which is scheduled for release in 2027.
