Good evening, ladies and emperors. I just got back from Venice, and boy are my arms tired. Mel Brooks has nothing left to prove and absolutely no reason to hold back. The legendary director, known for turning chaos into comedy gold, just dropped a list no one saw coming. The six actors he hated working with. And yes, he means hated in the most Mel Brooks way possible. part roast, part truth, and all wrapped in decades of showbiz mayhem. From stars who made him laugh too much to those who nearly broke him with perfectionism, this list is Mel’s brutally honest love letter to the most difficult and unforgettable collaborators of his life. It’s funny, it’s fiery, and it might change how you see some of Hollywood’s biggest icons.
Chapter one. Dom Deloise. Mel Brooks worked with a lot of talented people. But when it came to Dom Deoise, things got tricky. Not because Dom was rude, not because he was lazy. Mel’s problem was much simpler. Dom laughed a lot. It sounds harmless, but on set it became a serious problem. Every time someone told a joke or made a funny face, Dom would crack up. He couldn’t hold it in. Even in the middle of important scenes, he would burst into laughter. Sometimes before the scene even started, Mel said directing Dom felt like babysitting. Every line had to be done five times, sometimes 10. Mel would yell action and Dom would already be chuckling. They worked together on several films.
Dom was in Silent Movie History of the World Part One, Space Balls, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. In every movie, the same thing happened. Dom would start laughing and ruin the take. Mel said it drove him crazy. He’d fall out of his chair, cover his face, gasp for air like he just heard the funniest joke on earth, Mel once said. And the funny part, he wasn’t even laughing at his own jokes. He was reacting to everyone else. Put him next to Meline Khan or Harvey Corman and it was over. One look and Dom would lose it. During one scene in history of the world, Dom had just one line, one. But Meline raised her eyebrow and Dom fell apart. He laughed for 45 minutes. The crew had to wait until he calmed down. Mel started changing the way he shot scenes with Dom.
He kept the camera off him as much as possible. He made sure Dom didn’t face other actors. Anything to stop him from laughing. It never really worked. I couldn’t fire him, Mel said, because once we got a clean take, it was comedy gold. That was the thing about Dom. As frustrating as he was, he was also brilliant. His timing was perfect. His energy lifted every scene, and when he finally stopped laughing and delivered his lines, he nailed them. Mel and Dom had a friendship that survived all the chaos. Off camera, they were close. Dom loved cooking and often brought pasta to the set. He fed the crew and joked around like everyone was family. But Mel never stopped complaining in a joking way. He loved to tell stories about how impossible Dom was. I said cut more times with Dom than any other actor, he said. And half the time he was the reason.
Even though Mel says he hated working with Dom, it came from love. Dom was a problem on set, but a joy in life. He brought laughter wherever he went. Maybe too much of it. But Mel knew he wouldn’t find that kind of spirit in anyone else. They were like opposites, but somehow it worked. Dom’s laughter slowed everything down. He made the crew wait. He tested Mel’s patience, but he also made the films better. Mel knew it. Everyone knew it. He ruined scenes, Mel said, but he made the movies. Now that Mel Brooks is 98, he has no filter. He looks back at his career and tells the truth. When asked who he hated working with, Dom’s name came up right away. But Mel couldn’t say it without smiling. It was never real hate. It was the kind of hate you feel for your best friend when they’re driving you nuts. It’s full of love. Dom de Louise made every set a mess.
He ruined takes. He made everyone wait, but he also made people laugh. On screen, offcreen, always. Mel hated that and he loved that. And that’s why Dom makes the list. To Meline Khan, Mel Brooks always said Maline Khan was one of the most talented people he had ever worked with. She was funny, sharp, and had a gift for timing that few others could match. But she also made him lose his mind. They worked together on some of his best films. She starred in Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, and History of the World Part One. In every film, she gave unforgettable performances. But behind the scenes, things were not always smooth. Meline was known for being very particular. She cared deeply about every detail. She did not just read the script and follow directions. She picked things apart. She made changes. She questioned almost everything. If a line did not feel right to her, she asked for a rewrite. If a costume looked wrong, she said so. She had high standards and expected everyone else to meet them. Mel said she often arrived late to set. The crew would be ready, the cameras would be set up, and they would wait. When she finally walked in, she was calm, smiling, and acted like nothing was wrong. This drove Mel crazy, but once the camera rolled, it was hard to stay mad. She always delivered. In Blazing Saddles, she played Lily von Stup, the exhausted singer with a dramatic flare.
That role became a classic. People still quote her lines to this day, but Mel said filming those scenes was exhausting. She constantly wanted to change how the scene worked. She would try new deliveries, rewrite her dialogue, and sometimes even suggest changes for the other actors. Mel often felt like he was just trying to keep up with her. He once shared that he had asked her to perform a line the same way they had rehearsed it. She replied that she had found a better way. Mel admitted that she was often right, but that did not make it easier. The same thing happened during Young Frankenstein. Meline played Elizabeth, the dramatic and spoiled fiance of the main character. She was perfect for the role, but the process was far from easy. She asked for more takes. She requested different camera angles. She even debated lighting choices. Mel said that she made every scene twice as hard to shoot, but also twice as good in the end. Crew members noticed it, too. They often whispered that Meline was brilliant, but intense. Mel once joked that directing her felt like trying to wrestle a cat in a rainstorm. Still, he kept casting her. That said a lot. Mel could have worked with many other actresses, but he always came back to Meline. He knew she brought something special. Her voice, her expressions, her timing, it all added something no one else could match. Their relationship was strange.
They respected each other, but they often clashed. Some days were quiet. Other days were full of arguments. Meline wanted control. Mel wanted speed. They both wanted the best. Mel once said that she had made him rewrite a whole scene because she did not like the couch her character had to sit on. At first, he thought she was being difficult, but later he agreed she had a point. the new couch looked better on camera. He admitted that moments like that were frustrating, but also proof of her eye for detail. He also said she had a way of making everything about her character. She wanted her scenes to stand out. She wanted her voice heard. Sometimes that caused tension on set, but when the final cut came together, her choices often made the scene better. Meline had a strong personality. She did not back down. She knew what she wanted and fought for it. That made her hard to work with, but it also made her unforgettable. Now, at 98, Mel does not sugarcoat things. He said Meline was one of the six actors he hated working with, but he made it clear that the hate came from frustration, not dislike.
He said she pushed him too hard, made his job twice as difficult, but gave him results no one else could. He remembered the chaos, the long waits, the endless debates, but he also remembered the laughs, the brilliant takes, and the scenes that still hold up after all these years. Maline Khan was not easy. She was demanding, late, and full of opinions. But she was also one of the best and that is why she made the list. Not because Mel truly hated her but because she was the kind of difficult that made everything better. Three. Gene Hackman. Mel Brooks only worked with Gene Hackman once. It was for Young Frankenstein. And even though it was just one short role, it left a strong impression. Gene was a great actor, but he came from a very different world. Mel said their personalities just didn’t match. Hackman played the blind hermit in one of the funniest scenes in the film. The part was short, but it became one of the most famous moments. It was filled with slapstick timing and awkward kindness. The scene made people laugh for years, but according to Mel, filming it wasn’t nearly as fun.
Hackman was known for his serious roles. He had already won an Oscar. He had a strong dramatic style. He prepared a lot. He took direction seriously and he expected everyone else to treat the work with the same focus. That clashed with Mel’s usual way of doing things. Mel liked to work fast. He liked loose scenes and surprise laughs. He encouraged actors to try new things on the spot. He liked energy, not perfection. But Hackman didn’t like that. He wanted a clear plan. He wanted the scene to stay the same from rehearsal to final take. Mel said Hackman’s tone on set was very intense. He wasn’t rude. He was professional, but he did not enjoy the chaos. While Mel and the crew laughed and played around between takes, Hackman stayed focused. He did not joke much. He took his role, no matter how silly, with full seriousness. During filming, there were a few small disagreements. Hackman sometimes asked for more rehearsals. Mel felt that slowed things down. Hackman also wanted to get each shot just right. While Mel believed a little messiness made the comedy better, they both wanted the scene to work, but had different ways of getting there. Mel said he respected Hackman’s work. He called him brilliant and sharp, but he also said that working with him felt like trying to play jazz with someone reading from a textbook. They had very different rhythms. Despite the tension, the scene turned out great.
Hackman delivered a hilarious performance. The timing, the physical comedy, the quiet kindness in the character, it all worked. Audiences loved it. Mel admitted that even though the process was hard, the result was gold. But after Young Frankenstein, they never worked together again. Mel said it just didn’t make sense to bring Hackman back into his wild world. Hackman had fun doing the part, but the loose style of Mel’s sets didn’t fit him. He liked control. Mel liked freedom and both of them knew it. Mel remembered that Hackman joined the film as a favor. He had wanted to do comedy for a while and asked Gene Wilder if there was a part for him. Mel was happy to include him. He said that when Hackman first asked, he was surprised. He didn’t think someone like Hackman would want to be in a goofy black and white comedy, but he said yes. On set though, that seriousness came through. Mel said that while the rest of the cast joked around, Hackman stayed in character. He didn’t like wasting time. He didn’t enjoy retakes caused by other actors breaking into laughter. Mel laughed when he shared that Hackman gave him a look every time someone ruined a take. That look said, "Why are we doing this if no one can stay professional?" It wasn’t anger. It was just a different mindset. Hackman came from drama. Mel came from comedy. Both styles worked, just not always together.
He said the experience taught him something. Not all great actors fit into the same mold. Some shine in comedy. Some need precision. And some, like Hackman, bring so much intensity that it changes the entire room. The scene in Young Frankenstein is still loved today. It proves that their different styles could meet, even if only once. It also proves that great comedy sometimes comes from great tension. Four, Chloris Leechman. Mel Brooks had nothing but respect for Chloris Leechman. He often called her one of the finest actors he ever worked with. She was smart, skilled, and fearless on screen, but behind the scenes, she gave him more headaches than almost anyone else. They worked together on Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, and History of the World. Part one. Every time she brought something powerful to the role, but she also brought arguments, lots of them. Flores had a strong mind. She didn’t follow directions blindly. When Mel gave her notes, she didn’t just nod and smile. She asked why. She challenged him. She suggested different choices. Sometimes she flat out ignored his instructions and did things her own way.
That drove Mel crazy. He once said that directing Chloris was like trying to ride a peeled horse. She had energy. She had focus, but she did not like being told what to do. If she believed her way was better, she would stick to it no matter what anyone else thought. During Young Frankenstein, she played Fra Blur, the creepy housekeeper with a secret. The role became iconic. Her voice, her stare, the way she delivered her lines, it all worked perfectly. But Mel said getting there was not easy. Chloris had her own vision for the character. She wanted Fra Blucer to be darker, more serious. Mel wanted her to be funny and odd with a strange warmth. They clashed over that. Chloris thought Mel was missing something deeper in the role. Mel thought Chloris was overthinking it. Their arguments were never loud or mean, but they were constant. Mel would say one thing. Chloris would push back. Then they would do another take her way. Sometimes her version worked better. Other times Mel had to beg her to try it his way just once. He said she wore him down. Not with yelling or drama, but with endless questions.
She asked about every line, every move, every reaction. She needed to understand her character fully before she could perform. Mel respected that, but he also admitted it slowed things down. He once said that Chloris made every scene feel like a college debate. She wanted to explore every emotion, every reason behind a single glance. While that made her acting stronger, it made Mel’s job harder. In high anxiety, it was the same story. She played nurse Diesel, a strange and controlling figure in a twisted hospital. Again, she delivered a memorable performance. Again, she fought Mel over tone and direction. She thought the role needed more control and less chaos. Mel wanted the opposite. He liked things offbeat and fast. Chloris wanted them focused and tight. Neither one was wrong, but they kept clashing. Mel once said Chlores had a look that told him she was not buying what he was saying. She would just stare at him until he gave in. Sometimes he did. Other times, he held his ground. Either way, he said, the scenes turned out great. Despite all the stress, Mel kept casting her. That said a lot. He knew she could deliver. He knew the results would be worth the trouble, but he never forgot how much effort it took to get there. Offset, their relationship was warm but distant. They liked each other, but they did not hang out much. Mel said she was in her own world, a world full of questions, ideas, and emotional depth. He respected her for it, but he also admitted that after a full day of filming with her, he needed a nap. He once joked that Chloris was so committed, she would have played her role in silence if she thought it helped the scene. She didn’t care about screen time or praise. She only cared about the truth of the character. Mel said that kind of focus made her great, but also exhausting. She didn’t let anything slide. She didn’t take shortcuts. She brought everything she had to every single take. She made him defend his choices.
She questioned his style. She pushed him to think harder. And even though that made her exhausting, it also made her unforgettable. Mel didn’t hate her. He hated how right she was most of the time. She tested his patience, but she never let him down. Richard Prior. When Mel Brooks first started working on Blazing Saddles, he had one actor in mind for the lead role, Richard Prior. To Mel, Richard was perfect. He was smart, raw, and fearless. His sense of humor was sharp, and he was not afraid to go where others wouldn’t. But things did not go as planned. Richard Prior co-wrote the script for Blazing Saddles. His fingerprints are all over the film’s wild humor and bold lines. He brought an edge that made the story feel real and daring. He understood the absurdity of racism and the power of using comedy to break it apart. His ideas pushed the film into new territory. Mel said that without Richard, Blazing Saddles would not have been the same. Mel wanted Richard to play the lead role of Bart, the black sheriff who walks into a racist town and turns everything upside down. The role was written with him in mind, but the studio said no. They were scared. Richard had a reputation. He was known for being unpredictable. He had harmful substance problems. He missed meetings. He sometimes showed up late or not at all. The studio did not trust him to carry the film. They told Mel to find someone else. Mel fought to keep Richard in the film. He told the studio that Richard was the soul of the project. He said Richard’s humor and point of view gave the story its meaning. But the studio would not budge. They said it was too risky. Mel said it broke his heart.
Richard understood the decision, but it still hurt. He had put his time and creativity into a film he believed in. Now he had to step aside and watch someone else play the role meant for him. Mel ended up casting Cleon Little, who did a great job. Cleon brought charm, timing, and control to the role. He made the part his own. But Mel never stopped thinking about what Blazing Saddles would have been like if Richard had played Bart. He said Richard had a wildness that could not be copied. There was something in his eyes, something just beneath the surface that made every moment feel dangerous and exciting. Mel believed that Richard would have brought something even more powerful to the screen. Still, Mel knew the studio had a point. Richard was not easy to work with. During writing sessions, he sometimes showed up late. Sometimes he didn’t show up at all. Mel said you never knew what mood he would be in. One day he was brilliant, full of jokes and ideas. The next day he was quiet, distracted, or completely missing. Mel once said that working with Richard felt like waiting for lightning. You couldn’t control it. You couldn’t plan it. But when it hit, it was unforgettable. The writing process itself was chaotic. Mel worked with a group of writers, including Richard, on the Blazing Saddles script. The room was wild. Ideas flew in every direction. People shouted, argued, and laughed until they cried. Richard brought energy and honesty that shaped the tone of the film. He helped write scenes that were bold and shocking. Mel said Richard gave the movie its bite.
Despite the chaos, Mel never doubted Richard’s talent. He called him one of the most gifted writers and comedians he ever met. But he also said that Richard lived in his own world, a world full of genius, but also full of pain. Richard was battling his demons during that time. His personal life was messy. His career was moving fast and not always in a straight line. Mel wanted to help, but he also needed someone he could depend on during filming. And in the end, he could not take that risk. Losing Richard as the star was one of Mel’s biggest regrets. He said that Richard’s voice stayed in the film, even if his face did not. The jokes, the tone, the fearless storytelling, all of that came from Richard. But still, Mel wished he could have shared the screen with him. They stayed friends after the film. Mel never held a grudge. He respected Richard too much. He saw him as an artist, one who could not always fit into the structure of a movie set. But he also saw the damage that came with that freedom. Six. Anne Braftoft. Mel Brooks often said that the most difficult actor he ever worked with was also the one he loved the most, his wife Anne Braftoft. She was not just a worldclass actress. She was strong, sharp, and never afraid to speak her mind. And when they worked together on to be or not to be, things got very real, very fast. Anne and Mel were married for over 40 years. Their love was deep and lasting, but that didn’t mean they were easy on each other when the cameras rolled. In fact, working together brought out sides of them that most people never saw.
To be or not to be was their big project as co-stars. Mel produced and starred in it, and Anne played the female lead. The film was a remake of the 1942 classic set during World War II. It mixed comedy, drama, and political themes. It was a bold film, and so were the arguments. Mel later said that directing Anne was harder than directing anyone else. Not because she lacked talent. She had more talent than most actors he had ever met. The problem was that she treated him like her equal, not like her director. On set, Anne didn’t hold back. If she didn’t like a line, she said so. If she thought a scene felt wrong, she made her case. She didn’t care if Mel had written it or planned it out. She had her own ideas and she made them known. Mel said Anne never let him get away with anything. If his direction didn’t make sense, she told him right away. If he asked for more emotion in a scene, she would raise an eyebrow and ask, "What kind of emotion? and then she’d wait, arms crossed, until he came up with a real answer. He admitted that she scared him sometimes, not because she was mean, but because she was sharp and always one step ahead.
He joked that she was the only actress who made him second-guess every note he gave. They clashed often during filming. Their fights were never loud or cruel, but they were intense. Mel would ask for a certain line delivery and Anne would argue that it wasn’t true to the character. He’d want more energy and she’d want more depth. The crew quickly learned to step back when the two of them got into it. But despite all that tension, the scenes turned out beautifully. Anne brought a strength and elegance to her role that lifted the entire film. Her timing, her expressions, and her chemistry with Mel made the story work. Mel said that Anne had an uncanny ability to find the truth in every line. Even when the dialogue was silly, she made it feel grounded. She didn’t play for laughs. She played for honesty. And that honesty often made the funny parts even better. Offset, things cooled down. They didn’t carry their arguments home. Mel once said that as soon as they left the studio, they became a married couple again. He would make her tea. She would ask about his day. But once they stepped back onto set, it was game on. Mel liked to joke about how difficult she was. He called her the toughest actress he ever directed.
He also said she was the most beautiful, the most brilliant, and the one who could break him with a single sentence. He told stories about how she would read a line he had written, look at him, and say, "Really?" And then she’d give him a look that made him doubt every word. But then she’d rewrite it in her head, and say it perfectly. Every time Anne pushed Mel to be better. She challenged him in ways no one else could. And while that made filming hard, it also made the movie stronger. Their work on to be or not to be may have been full of tension. But it also showed how much trust they had in each other. Mel knew Anne wasn’t trying to take control. She just wanted the film to be the best it could be. And Mel wanted the same thing. When Mel Brooks says he hated working with certain actors, he’s not being cruel, he’s being Mel. It’s not hate in the real sense. It’s more like the kind of frustration that comes from working with people who are so good they drive you crazy. Mel built his career on creative chaos. He never wanted quiet, controlled sets. He thrived in madness, in scenes that took wild turns, and actors who brought raw, unpredictable energy. The people on his hate list were the ones who pushed him the hardest.
They questioned his choices, ruined takes, showed up late, or argued over lines, but they also gave him unforgettable performances. Take Domoise who couldn’t stop laughing or Maline Khan who challenged every script page. Chloris Leechman argued about every detail. Gene Hackman took everything too seriously. Richard Prior nearly became the lead but brought genius to the writing room. And Anne Braftoft, his wife, never let him win an argument on set. These weren’t clashes between enemies. They were the growing pains of great collaborations. Mel didn’t hate these actors. He respected them. He admired them. And in many cases, he loved them. But they made his job harder. They pushed back. And that push made the work better. So when Mel calls them the actors he hated, what he really means is these were the ones he’ll never forget. They left a mark. They helped him make comedy history. Which actor on this list surprised you most? Drop your pick in the comments. Like, subscribe, and pray you never end up on Mel Brooks’s bad side. He never forgets a frustrating
