Mel Brooks Honored by Hollywood with Lifetime Achievement Award
Comedy legend Mel Brooks was honored by Hollywood on Thursday with the American Film Institute's 41st Lifetime Achievement award.
Among the stars in attendance to honor Brooks, were actors who were paying tribute to Brooks despite never working with him on any projects. Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman were just two such attendees.
"The word genius is used a lot in Hollywood, so I might as well call Mel one," Martin Short said after performing a song and dance routine based on Brooks songs from some of his movies, reports Yahoo.
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Brooks was also roasted by Billy Crystal, Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Cloris Leachman, David Lynch, Larry David and Carl Reiner at a private dinner at the Dolby Theater.
"We are going to miss you so much, Mel," Kimmel said at the roast. "You were one of the greats. Rest in peace, my friend."
"Mel Brooks didn't get me into comedy, he kept me away from it," David said, recalling his years as an idle comedian. "I spent years doing nothing because of him."
Famed director Martin Scorsese compared Brooks to comedy greats the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbot and Costello.
"Mel has made his own tradition of greatness, and it's that tradition - drawing from the past, honoring it, toying with it, vamping on it, extending it to places wise men, very funny men previously feared to go - that's what we're celebrating here and honoring tonight," Scorsese said. "Mel has always made his own way, and he brought us all along for the joyride."
The 86-year-old accepted his award and spoke of his appreciation for film. He also made sure to take friendly jabs at some of the people who struck first.
"Movies saved my life. They rescued my soul. No matter what was bad or wrong, it could be wiped out on Saturday morning."
Previous winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award are: Scorsese, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Spielberg and George Lucas.
The TV special will air on TNT June 15.
