What happens when you die?
That’s a question theologians, philosophers and academics have been asking for centuries. The afterlife is also one of the major themes in the 1991 film “Defending Your Life,” which stars Albert Brooks and Meryl Streep.
Brooks, actually born Albert Einstein, is the son of comedian Harry Einstein and dancer Thelma Leeds. Born in Los Angeles and raised around Hollywood royalty with Milton Berle, Jack Benny and George Burns as frequent houseguests, Brooks quickly developed a career as a quirky, self-deprecating funny man.
After starring in 1987’s “Broadcast News,” which earned Brooks an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, he spent more than two years working on the script for “Defending Your Life,” which he would not only star in but direct.