Albert Brooks is a famous American screenwriter, director, and comic actor. He was nominated for the Golden Globe and Oscar awards, starred in more than twenty films and directed ten projects.
At birth, the popular figure was named Albert Lawrence Einstein. With the beginning of his film career, he had to be changed so as not to cause confusion. Brooks is in high demand, especially in the comedy genre.
Carier start
The future famous figure was born in Beverly Hills on July 22, 1947 in a family of American Jews. Almost the whole family was directly related to the world of cinema.
Mother, Thelma Leeds, was an actress. Father - Harry Park, radio host. There are Austrian and Russian roots in his family. Rob Reiner and Richard Dreyfus became Albert's classmates.
After school, Albert entered Carnegie Mellon University. A year after admission, the student dropped out. She got in the way of the comic artist's beginning career.
At the invitation of his father, Brooks began his radio career, conducted talk shows. Then he performed in a variety show. After the release in 1973 and 1975 of the successful two humorous records with the programs "Comedy Minus One" and "Star Buys" Brooke lost interest in the spoken genre and took up directing on a professional level.
Brooks' program, Comedy Minus One, later received a Grammy nomination. He produced the short film School of Famous Comedians for the BSP channel in the genre of pseudo-documentary.
Directing and acting
During this period, Albert Einstein parted with the surname given to him by birth and became Brooks. He did not want to be confused with the famous physicist.
In 1975, the aspiring director produced six short films for the first season of NBC's new television show Saturday Night Live.
Renowned comedians Carlin and Pryor starred in two short films by Brooks. The beginning of his directing career was successful.
For the first time in the world of big cinema, the newly minted director came in 1976. He played in Martin Scorsese's drama Taxi Driver.
The main character was played by Robert de Niro. The hero of the performer was an employee of the office of Senator Palantine Tom. The film received high marks at the box office, the award was the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The role of an aspiring dramatic actor turned out to be inconspicuous and Albert did not receive much fame among the audience.
All the recognition and glory went to the main character and director of the picture. However, there were still several reviews for Albert's game.
So, the journalist Jeffrey Anderson called the character emasculated, and Peter Bradshaw diagnosed him "suffering from hopeless love inhibited."
Recognition and success
Later, the screenwriter of the picture admitted that Tom remained a completely incomprehensible hero for him.
For this reason, Scorsese allowed Brooks full improvisation on set.
Working at Taxi Driver made a huge impression on Albert. After returning to Los Angeles from the set, he again took up directing. The full-length comedy work he shot was named "Real Life".
In the film, Brooks acted not only as a stage director, but also as a leading actor. He played himself, striving to receive both the coveted "Oscar" and the Nobel Prize in addition to it at the same time.
The critics liked the film very much. In the reviews, everyone unanimously wrote that the picture turned out to be very funny. The director thought about creating a reality show based on the successful project, but the idea was destined to come true.
The previous one was followed by other comedy tapes. In all, Brooks acted as a director, co-author and performer. His characters were of the same type: all, as one, were neurasthenics. They differed only in obsessions.
In 1981, the full-length comedy film Modern Novel was created. In it, Brooks chose the image of a film editor in love trying to make peace with his girlfriend.
Awards
The rental of the tape was limited. The audience was able to see it only in a few cities, the profits turned out to be small.
On the other hand, the critics highly praised the prime minister. The Director's new horizons were compared with Buñuel, they wrote that in this project he showed all the talents hidden until now. However, the most outstanding work was "Lost in America" 1985.
In the two thousandth, this project was on the list of the hundred funniest films of the last century. For the project "TV News" released in 1987, the director was nominated for an Oscar.
After the nomination, the director released more than one picture with his participation as an actor. Film critics acknowledged that Albert has not only a talent for comedic performer, but also a dramatic gift. Among the most significant works Brooks called "Out of Sight", "My First Man", "Wedding Party".
Albert was engaged in dubbing. He gave his voice to the cartoon characters Finding Nemo, The Simpsons Movie. The director and comedian also took part in The Datura, a popular TV series.
Real life and cinema world
Problems began during the promotion of the director's latest film, In Search of Comedy in the Muslim World. According to the script, Brooks' character, that is, himself, went to India and Pakistan to find out what makes Muslims laugh.
Due to the ambiguous name and content, many companies refused to release the work. The picture, which was released, did not pay off the investment.
Brooks' career stalled. He took a break. Albert returned to the screen in 2011 as a performer. He took part in the filming of the crime thriller "Drive" with Nicholas Winding Refn.
The director's work was awarded a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Brooks was nominated for the Golden Globes.
Albert Brooks is happily married. Kimberly Shlane became his wife. The couple have two children, a daughter and a son.
In 1998, the first child, Jacob, was born, and in 2002, his sister, Claire Elizabeth, was born. The family lives in Los Angeles.
