Albert Brooks

Albert Brooks is among the most inventive practitioners of motion picture comedy, as well as one of its most incisive commentators on contemporary life. Brooks began his career as a stand-up comic, and went on to become an award-winning actor, writer and filmmaker and best-selling author.

His first novel 2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America, published in 2011, was a New York Times Best-Seller.

Brooks has written, directed and starred in seven feature films, many of which have made the best comedies of all time from numerous critics and The American Film Institute: Real Life, Modern Romance, Lost In America, Defending Your Life, Mother,The Muse and Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World.

He is also known for his numerous voice over characters, some of which include Hank Scorpio, Brad Goodman, and Jacques the bowling instructor from The Simpsons, He also starred in Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, playing Nemo’s father Marlin. Finding Nemo received an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and has become one of the highest grossing animated films ever made.

Brooks made his acting debut in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 classic, Taxi Driver. His other acting credits include such films as Private Benjamin, Unfaithfully Yours, I’ll Do Anything, This is 40, Out of Sight and My First Mister. He earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Broadcast News.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Brooks studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University before starting his performing career in 1968, doing stand-up comedy on network television. He began on The Steve Allen Show, later became a regular on The Dean Martin Show, and performed on such variety programs as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Hollywood Palace and had over forty appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.

Brooks has recorded two comedy albums: Comedy Minus One and A Star is Bought, the latter earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Recording. His first directorial effort was in 1972 for the PBS series The Great American Dream Machine where he adapted an article he had written for Esquire Magazine, Albert Brooks’ Famous School for Comedians into a short film. Following this, he created six short films for the debut season of Saturday Night Live, originating the short film concept for that program.

His recent role in Drive, playing the villain Bernie Rose, garnered him a Golden Globe Nomination and 17 Best Supporting Actor wins from the country’s major critics groups including The National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle. In December he will be co-starring with Jessica Chaistain and Oscar Isaac is J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year.