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Albert Brooks

ACTOR · BORN 1947

Albert Brooks

Born
22 July 1947
Known for
Finding Nemo (2003), Taxi Driver (1976), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Broadcast News (1987)

29 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

Albert Brooks (born 22 July 1947) is an actor best known for Finding Nemo, Taxi Driver and Twilight Zone: The Movie.

29 Interesting Facts About Albert Brooks

Interesting Facts (8)

  1. #001

    Albert Brooks appeared as a guest voice actor on The Simpsons (1989) six times. With one exception, he played a different character each time, and as of 2018 he had made more guest appearances on the show than anyone else. He was credited each time as "A. Brooks" and had no relation to James L. Brooks.

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  2. #002

    He turned down the role of Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman (1990), and Richard Gere ultimately got the part.

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  3. #003

    He is a good friend of Debbie Reynolds.

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  4. #004

    He is a friend of Richard Lewis.

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  5. #005

    Brooks was honored by the American Film Institute with a retrospective screening of his work at the first US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado.

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  6. #006

    Following Reiner's untimely death in December 2025, he helped organize the first of several memorials held for Rob Reiner.

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  7. #007

    Biography: "Who's Who in Comedy", Ronald L. Smith, pp. 61-62. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387.

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  8. #008

    Albert Brooks appeared in two films whose end title sequences feature the song "Beyond the Sea": My First Mister (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003).

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Behind the Scenes (13)

  1. #009

    He appeared as a guest actor six times on The Simpsons (1989). With one exception, he played a different character each time, and as of 2018 he had made more guest appearances on the show than anyone else. Each time he was credited as "A. Brooks." He had no relation to James L. Brooks.

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  2. #010

    He changed his surname to "Einstein" because there was already a supremely famous theoretical physicist named Albert Einstein.

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  3. #011

    On one occasion, on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), he performed a humorless, five-minute stand-up comedy routine that drew not a single laugh until the punchline — he explained to the audience that he had been working as a stand-up comedian for five years and had run out of material. Johnny Carson swore that the amusement following that setup lasted a full minute.

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  4. #012

    Albert's father, vaudeville/radio/film comedian Harry Einstein (known as Parkyakarkus), died of a heart attack in 1958, when Albert was 11 years old. Parke collapsed on stage next to Milton Berle at a Friars roast in Los Angeles held in honor of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

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  5. #013

    His mother, singer/actress Thelma Leeds, had a brief career before she decided to marry Albert's father and start a family. She occasionally came out of retirement to appear in her son Albert's films.

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  6. #014

    He was rejected for the role of Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman (1990), and Richard Gere ultimately got the part.

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  7. #015

    He has appeared in two films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Taxi Driver (1976) and Broadcast News (1987).

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  8. #016

    At the first US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, Brooks was honored by the American Film Institute with a retrospective screening of his work.

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  9. #017

    After Reiner's untimely death in December 2025, he helped organize the first of several memorial events held for Rob Reiner.

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  10. #018

    He appeared in two films whose end title sequences feature the song "Beyond the Sea": The First Lady (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003).

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  11. #019

    He is the nephew of Zeke Manners.

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  12. #020

    He is the son of Harry Einstein and Thelma Leeds. He is the father of Jake Brooks and Claire Brooks.

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  13. #021

    He lives in Santa Monica, California.

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Characters & Cast (3)

  1. #022

    On one occasion, on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), he performed a five-minute stand-up comedy routine with no jokes that drew not a single laugh until the punchline — he explained to the audience that he had been working as a stand-up comedian for five years and had run out of material. Johnny Carson swore that the amusement following this setup lasted a full minute.

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  2. #023

    He turned down the lead role in When Harry Met Sally… (1989) because he thought it was too similar to a Woody Allen screenplay. Albert has been described as the West Coast Woody Allen.

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  3. #024

    He turned down the lead role in Big (1988).

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Career & Awards (1)

  1. #025

    He appeared in two films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry as "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Taxi Driver (1976) and Broadcast News (1987).

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Life & Family (4)

  1. #026

    Albert's father, the vaudeville/radio/film comedian Harry Einstein (also known as Parkyakarkus), died of a heart attack in 1958, when Albert was 11 years old. Parke collapsed next to Milton Berle at a Friars roast in Los Angeles held in honor of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

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  2. #027

    His mother, the singer and actress Thelma Leeds, had a brief career before she decided to marry Albert's father and start a family. She occasionally returned to appear in her son Albert's films.

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  3. #028

    Brooks attended Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, but dropped out after a year to focus on comedy.

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  4. #029

    Albert Brooks is the nephew of Zeke Manners.

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Related pages

  • Beethoven — Albert Brooks comes up in the facts on that page
  • Drive — Albert Brooks comes up in the facts on that page
  • William H. Macy — Albert Brooks comes up in the facts on that page

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb name page (biography and trivia)

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