Mel Brooks, 96, Still Remembers His Late Wife’s Kisses & Spaghetti — He Confessed Love to Her on Their 1st Meeting

The first time Mel Brooks met his wife, he told her he loved her, and from there on out, they stuck together, inseparable until she passed away. Brooks still mourns her loss and has been unable to forget her kisses and cooking.

Mel Brooks found his soulmate in Anne Bancroft, a beautiful actress. Like every soulmate's story, his love for her started growing the moment they met.

The two officially met on February 5, 1961, at a taping of a Perry Como TV special. Bancroft had been busy with rehearsals, and Brooks was there with a friend to watch. According to him, she wore a white gown that contrasted eerily with her raven-dark hair and lively eyes.

Stunned by her beauty, Brooks said: "I'm in love. I know I'm just struck by her. I'm struck, and I'm in love." After Bancroft finished the song she was rehearsing, Brooks caught her attention by screaming:

"Anne Bancroft, I love you!"

Bancroft asked him who he was, and he introduced himself. His name rang a bell. Then she told him she had his record and asked him what he was doing.

Brooks let her know he was meeting someone at the William Morris Agency; coincidentally, she was headed there too. They got a cab on their way to the place, and the way his whistle sounded pleased Bancroft.

After that day, Brooks pursued Bancroft seriously. He had a habit of turning up at all of her night engagements, and after some time, she sensed his determination. Three years later, in 1964, the pair were happily married.

Death Parted Them

As stated earlier, it did not take long for Brooks and Bancroft to make their way to the altar. In fact, after she realized how sincere Brooks was with his feelings, Bancroft reportedly told her analyst she would speed the process up because she believed she had met the "right man."

Brooks' doggedness had met Bancroft's readiness, culminating in a love story that only the permanence of death could alter. After their wedding, Bancroft became his biggest supporter, pushing and inspiring him.

Following their wedding at City Hall in Lower Manhattan in 1964, Brooks could not get a steady source of income, but his wife supported him and continued to believe in him. Brooks said:

"She always thought I was talented. She believed in me right from the beginning, as a songwriter as well as a screenplay writer or whatever I wanted to do. She said, 'You can do it.'"

Bancroft was there for Brooks before he made bank, and they remained together until she passed away in 2005 from uterine cancer.

Brooks called her a "great gift" from God and has confessed that living life without her is not an easy thing to do.

Meeting Bancroft changed many things in Brooks' life, which is why he has always said that despite his accomplishments, which include several awards, it is his marriage to the late Bancroft he is most proud of.

According to him, she used to advise him always to follow his heart because it would be a good adventure. Years later, he confirmed this, believing his life had been an adventure.

He Still Loves Her

Years had passed since Brooks lost Bancroft to cancer in 2005 when she was 73, but the actor has never stopped loving her. His son, Max Brooks, said:

"You know, I think my dad is at a time in his life when he's looking back on all he has achieved. And it's no small truth that much of his achievements are because of my mother. My father's the first one to tell you that she saved him."

Almost two decades after his wife passed on, Brooks developed a desire to see Bancroft's legacy celebrated and remembered. He thought it would be great to see some of her movies collated in a box set before he passed on too.

Now there is a Blu-ray box set containing eight of the late actress's films namely, "Don't Bother to Knock," "The Miracle Worker," "The Pumpkin Eater," "The Graduate," "Fatso," "To Be or Not to Be," "Agnes of God," and "84 Charing Cross Road."

Brooks has also spoken about how Bancroft had been able to play a lot of roles depending on what goal she wanted to achieve. She could lift people, be there for them when they need help, push them to do better, or just be on stage, commanding the attention of every eye in the room.

Brooks called her a "great gift" from God and confessed that living without her is not easy; however, they made a lot of memories together, some of which he has said included "great kisses and great spaghetti."

Since Brooks started his long career, he has won several awards, including an Oscar, four Emmys, three Grammys, and three Tonys. He has also directed some great screen comedies, including: "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein" and "Spaceballs."

Brooks' career as a funnyman started right when he was a baby who made people that peeked into his crib laugh. He grew conscious of his ability to make people laugh as a teenager.

According to him, they always took him to the principal's office because he was "terrible." He once

:

"Every time I would do my impression of Boris Karloff, the monster, James Whale's fabulous monster, saying this word as a server at a dinner table, he'd say, 'Anti-pasto?' Just antipasto, and that was it. And it was so great."

His class would always laugh at his jokes even when they did not know why they were funny, leading Brooks to what would become his way of life.