Comedy Legend Mel Brooks Names Today's Funniest Actor
Comedy titan Mel Brooks, known for his love of classic Hollywood humor, has finally revealed his pick for the single greatest comedic talent of the 21st century. His unexpected choice might just surprise you, coming from a man who has worked with the best in the business for decades.
Given that he was born in 1926, it’s no shock that Mel Brooks’ comedic heroes are largely from a bygone era. He has consistently championed Harry Ritz as “the funniest man ever,” a star who first hit the scene back in the 1920s. This isn't to say the praise is undeserved, but a pattern emerges when looking at the EGOT winner’s favorites—they often carry a distinct air of nostalgia. For instance, Brooks once suggested Madeline Kahn could be “the single best comedian that ever lived.” However, it’s hard to ignore the potential bias, as he directed her in iconic films like Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, the latter earning her an Oscar nomination. His pantheon of greats also includes the Marx brothers and the Three Stooges, cementing his preference for the comedy that defined his own youth.
From Classics to Contemporaries
But this doesn't mean he dismisses all modern humor as inferior. Brooks has acknowledged contemporary talent, once pointing to Sacha Baron Cohen as the closest thing Hollywood has produced to a successor to his own style. Yet, Cohen wasn't his number one pick. During a 2010 discussion with Moment, the living legend was asked to name his favorite current comedian and answered without a moment's hesitation. “Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy,” he stated. “I think Family Guy is really very good. Very little makes me laugh out loud, but that makes me laugh out loud.”
An Unconventional Choice
While opinions may differ on whether the man behind a vast animation empire qualifies as the top comic actor of our time, his incredible success is undeniable. MacFarlane has dominated television for decades with shows like Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, and American Dad, which have been broadcast into millions of households. His track record on the silver screen, however, is more of a mixed bag. Ted was a box office juggernaut, but its sequel fell flat in comparison. And the less said about A Million Ways to Die in the West—his clear attempt to create his own Blazing Saddles—the better.
Still, the man behind some of cinema's most beloved comedies has likely forgotten more about what makes people laugh than most will ever learn. So if he wants to name MacFarlane as the best talent to rise since the turn of the millennium, he has certainly earned the right to that opinion.