‘Anyone Ate A part of My Lunch!’: 15 Trivia Tidbits About Albert Brooks

15 A Showbiz Pure

Brooks was born Albert Einstein on July 22, 1947, and is a part of an completed showbiz household. His mom was actress Thelma Leeds, and his father was Harry Einstein, a dialect comic who infamously died throughout a roast of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Brooks’ older brother was Bob Einstein, finest recognized for his Tremendous Dave Osborne character and taking part in Marty Funkhouser on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

14 Altering His Identify Was a No-Brainer

Albert modified his title to “Brooks” — a household title — when beginning in stand-up to keep away from confusion with the famend scientist/kickboxer Albert Einstein.

13 His Grammy Nomination

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He was a author on the infamous 1969 TV flop Flip-On, a present deemed so unhealthy that a number of stations stopped carrying it after the primary industrial break. It was canceled after only one episode.

11 He Variety-Of Improvised in ‘Taxi Driver’

His first movie position was Tom, the marketing campaign employee in Taxi Driver. He has mentioned of the position, “We rehearsed in a lodge room for about two-and-a-half weeks. There, it was improvisation. Out of that, it was set right into a script. As a result of, for essentially the most half, improvising whereas cameras are rolling may be very tough. Ninety-nine p.c of individuals it's best to by no means ask to do this as a result of they’re below strain, the clock is working, 80 persons are looking at you… it’s all the time unnatural. However the place to do it's in a quiet place the place you don't have anything to lose. So Marty would sit there, and the actors could be there, and Paul Schrader could be there. Out of that got here a script. After which we caught to the script when the cameras had been rolling.”

10 His Directorial Debut

The 1979 mockumentary Actual Life was Brooks’ directorial debut. He additionally co-wrote and starred within the film a couple of filmmaker making an attempt to dwell with a dysfunctional household for a yr. It was a parody of the documentary TV present An American Household, a Nineteen Seventies actuality present that adopted a suburban household.

9 Stanley Kubrick Cherished ‘Trendy Romance’

The following movie Brooks wrote, directed and starred in was 1981’s Trendy Romance. The story a couple of neurotic movie editor’s love life is usually cited as his finest work, and amongst its many followers was Stanley Kubrick. Brooks recalled, “At some point, I used to be sitting at house, and the telephone rings. It’s Stanley Kubrick. He had seen the film and needed to know the way I did it. That’s the very first thing he mentioned — ‘How did you make this film? I’ve all the time needed to make a film about jealousy.’ I mentioned to him, ‘The man who did 2001 is asking me how I did one thing?’”

8 ‘Misplaced in America’s Inspiration

1985 introduced audiences Brooks’ subsequent movie, Misplaced in America, the place he and Julie Hagerty hand over their yuppie Los Angeles way of life to dwell in a motor house. Brooks mentioned the inspiration got here from the landmark Sixties film Straightforward Rider, in that he needed to do a extra reasonable tackle dropping out of the rat race.

7 Defending ‘Defending Your Life’

Meryl Streep starred alongside Brooks in Defending Your Life, which facilities on a person discovering himself on trial after dying, having to defend his decisions in life. Brooks mentioned that the concept grew out of a dissatisfaction with how the afterlife had been portrayed in different movies, and he preferred that you just’d must defend your self towards the concept, whilst you had been residing, you had been afraid of issues, which he mentioned, “is the frequent bond between all human beings.”

6 His Oscar Nod

Brooks obtained an Oscar nomination for enjoying reporter Aaron Altman in Broadcast Information however misplaced to Sean Connery for The Untouchables.

5 He’s Been to Springfield Many Occasions

Brooks has equipped voices for a number of characters on The Simpsons, together with the beloved Hank Scorpio within the 1996 episode “You Solely Transfer Twice.”

4 One other Springfield Villain

Hank Scorpio was presupposed to return in 2007’s The Simpsons Film, however writers thought his affection for Homer would possibly undermine his position as a villain. As a substitute, they created the character of Russ Cargill, head of the EPA, for Brooks to voice.

3 Fish Finder

Brooks additionally equipped the voice for Nemo’s father, Marlin, in Discovering Nemo and Discovering Dory. As a result of it requires extra creativeness, he in contrast doing voice work to working in radio, one thing he enjoys as his father was an enormous radio star. 

2 Enjoying a Powerful Man

The 2011 movie Drive noticed a dramatic flip for Brooks, who performed mobster Bernie Rose. Brooks revealed his cause for taking the position, saying, “Drive got here to me as a result of the casting director knew my supervisor and known as and mentioned, ‘You’ve all the time talked to me about Albert desirous to play the heavy. I believe he ought to learn this.’ My ears simply perked up. If I hadn’t accomplished one thing for a number of years, it was an opportunity to a minimum of come again in a complete completely different method. That made me excited, so I took it.”

1 Brooks’ Dwell Funeral

In 2021, he paid tribute to his late brother by showing on Curb Your Enthusiasm as Bob Einstein had performed Marty Funkhouser on the present. Within the episode, Brooks, taking part in himself, throws his personal funeral whereas nonetheless alive, inevitably drawing Larry David’s ire.