He was the head of the Oregon State Hospital in 1975 when the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was filmed there, which is why he appeared in the movie. He starred as Dr. John Spivey M.D.. Brooks was the superintendent of Oregon State Hospital for 27 years from 1955 to 1982. Brooks was first licensed in Oregon to practice psychiatry in 1950. He retired from the practice of Psychiatric Medicine in 1999.