In a piece he wrote for Men's Health, Mel Brooks' son Max Brooks reflected on his father's life as a comedian and a World War II veteran: "​​My father had courage and resilience. He thought on his feet, and under tremendous pressure. He needed to confront his enemies while depending on his friends. He couldn't feel entitled to anything, even his own life. He had to fight for that, and every scrap of success that followed." He added, "And through it all, he remained deeply loyal and passionately grateful to a country that he felt privileged to be born into."
Knowing that Brooks doesn't feel entitled to things, it makes sense that he sees his title of grandfather — to Henry and Samantha (seen above) — as a badge of honor, even if others don't see it that way for themselves. As he told USA Today, he insisted on being called Grandpa even if other people prefer something like "Pappy, Pap, or Nick. Nothing with 'grand' in it. But I'm old-fashioned. I like it, I earned it and it's my title."
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