Mel Brooks Reveals His Top Comedy Star of Today
Comedy legend Mel Brooks has singled out Seth MacFarlane, the mind behind Family Guy, as his pick for the best comedic performer of the 21st century.
When you’ve been around as long as Mel Brooks, it’s no surprise your comedic heroes are mostly from decades past. Born in 1926, Brooks has always had a soft spot for the comics who shaped his early years and career. He’s never shied away from calling Harry Ritz “the funniest man ever,” a bloke who made his mark back in the 1920s. There’s a fair bit of nostalgia in Brooks’ choices, and he’s the first to admit it. He’s also sung the praises of Madeline Kahn, once saying she could be “the single best comedian that ever lived.” Of course, he worked with her on a string of classics—Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History of the World, Part I—and she even scored an Oscar nod for Blazing Saddles. Alongside the Ritz brothers, Brooks rates the Marx brothers and the Three Stooges as some of the best to ever do it. Plenty of punters would agree, but it’s clear Brooks reckons the golden age of laughs was when he was just a young fella.
Modern Comedy Gets a Nod
That said, Brooks isn’t stuck in the past. He’s not one to write off today’s comedians just because they weren’t around in his heyday. He’s worked with legends like Gene Wilder and Carl Reiner, but he’s also given credit to newer faces. Brooks once said Sacha Baron Cohen was the closest thing to a modern-day successor in Hollywood. Still, Cohen wasn’t his top pick. In a 2010 chat, Brooks was asked who his favourite current comedian was, and he didn’t miss a beat.
“Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy,”
he replied.
“I think Family Guy is really very good. Very little makes me laugh out loud, but that makes me laugh out loud.”
Seth MacFarlane’s Comedy Empire
Some might debate whether MacFarlane, who’s built an animated empire, is the greatest comic performer of the modern era. But there’s no denying his success. MacFarlane’s shows—Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad—have been mainstays on telly for years, watched by millions. On the big screen, he’s had mixed results. Ted was a massive box office hit, but its sequel didn’t quite land, and A Million Ways to Die in the West, which seemed like his shot at a Blazing Saddles-style western, didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
Brooks’ Enduring Influence
Even so, Brooks has probably forgotten more about comedy than most of us will ever know. If he’s keen to call MacFarlane the best comic talent to come out of the 21st century, he’s more than earned the right. Whether you agree or not, it’s a big nod from one of the all-time greats.