ALBERT BROOKS
Date of Birth: July 22, 1947
His real name is Albert Einstein. No kidding. Born in Los Angeles, he was given the name of the greatest scientist of the 20th century. But Albert Brooks, actor, writer and director, has never been compared to Einstein. He's more likely to be compared to Woody Allen, who
makes quirky movies based loosely on his personal experiences.
Brooks has directed and written several modestly-budgeted, but profitable films that have been well
received by critics. He coaxed Debbie Reynolds to play the lead in Mother after a
26-year absence from the big screen. As a writer, he won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for the screenplay and received a 1997 ShoWest Award for Screenwriter of the Year.
As an actor, he received an Oscar nomination for his work in Broadcast News (1988), co-starring opposite Holly Hunter and William Hurt. In 2011, he was named best supporting actor from The Boston Society of Film Critics for his performance in Drive.
In 2008, he played a recurring role as Lenny Botwin in the Golden Globe award-winning series
Weeds. He's also voiced characters for a number of animated movies, including
Finding Nemo and
The Simpsons Movie.
Brooks has two children with his wife, Kimberly.