Recently, Mel Brooks' son, Max revealed the condition of the comedian after his wife, Anne Bancroft passed away. Amid that, take a look at Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft's love story.
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft were one of the most loved couples of Hollywood. Today, they are remembered as not just for their individual contributions in the industry, also for their personal life together. Comedian and filmmaker, Mel Brooks met actress, Anne Bancroft in the 1960s and they instantly connected that went on for four decades.
However, their love story came to a sad end in 2005, when Anne Bancroft tragically passed away. Her death left Mel Brooks completely devastated. For those who do not know, Mel Brooks is 99 years old and is all set for the release of his documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man. In the documentary, his son has spoken about Mel Brooks' condition after losing his wife, Anne. Amid that, let's revisit their iconic love story.
Mel Brooks and Anee Bancroft first met in 1961, during the rehearsals for The Perry Como Show. At that time, Anne was already a successful and respected actress, while Mel Brooks was still establishing his place in the industry. During the rehearsals, Mel had boldly called Anne from across the room and introduced himself. However, at that time, Mel was married to his first wife, Florence Baum and Anne was divorced.
Later, after Mel Brooks and Florence Baum's divorce was finalised, the comedian met Anne and their bond grew stronger. In 1964, Anne won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Miracle Worker. And in the same year, she got married to Mel Brooks in a simple ceremony at New York City Hall. In 2000, Anne had recalled their interfaith marriage and shared that her mother was happy that the actress at least got a man, after staying alone for a long time.
Reportedly, in 1972, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft welcomed their first child, Max Brooks. At this time, Mel also remained in touch with his children from his first marriage. Over the years, Mel and Anne worked together on multiple projects including To Be or Not to Be. For those who do not know, Max is a successful author and actor.
Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft reportedly shared an age gap of around five years. If reports are to be followed, comedian, Mel Brooks was born on June 28, 1926, while Anne Bancroft was born on September 17, 1931. According to this, the duo shared an age gap of only five years. Even though five isn't a huge age gap, it was clearly evident in their career graphs, as Anne, being younger, was more established than Mel, when they first met.
In 2005, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft’s relationship of four decades came to an end, when the actress tragically passed away after a long battle with uterine cancer. Reportedly, Anne was 73 years old at that time. Recently, in the documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man, Anne’s son, Max revealed that Anne had fought with cancer; however it came back and it ultimately took her life. Max shared:
"She had cancer. She beat it. It came back. It was a slow, horrible, lingering time, and anybody who has ever lost a loved one to cancer knows exactly what I’m talking about. We got a bad break, and that’s how (my dad) refers to it."
Even though it has been over two decades that Anne Bancroft passed away, Mel Brooks still seems devastated and misses her in every way possible. In the upcoming documentary, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man, Mel’s friends, family and kids opened up about the comedian’s life after Anne passed away. Mel Brooks’ son, Eddie, shared that ‘all the light went out’ from his father’s life after Anne’s death. He was quoted as saying:
"All the light went out. He was not in a good place. We never dreamed that Anne would ever get sick or ultimately pass away. He just worshiped her."
Further, Max also recalled the relationship of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft and shared that they were like best friends. He revealed that Mel was like water and Anne was the glass. After Anne’s death, he even feared what would happen to the water. Max shared:
"She was his best friend. It was the two of them against the world. My dad was the water, and my mother was the glass, and when the glass shattered, I was worried the water was going to go everywhere."
What are your thoughts on Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft’s relationship of four decades? Let us know.
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