Albert Wolsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albert Wolsky
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Wolsky in 2016
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| Born | November 24, 1930 Paris, France
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| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Partner(s) | James Mitchell (till his death) |
Albert Wolsky (born November 24, 1930) is a famous American costume designer. He creates the clothes and outfits for actors in movies and plays. He has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design seven times. He won two of these awards for his work on the films All That Jazz (1979) and Bugsy (1991).
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Albert Wolsky's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Albert Wolsky was born in Paris, France. During World War II, his family moved to the United States to escape the war. After finishing college at the City College of New York, he joined the army. He served from 1953 to 1956, mostly in Japan.
When he returned to the U.S., he first worked in his father's travel agency. But he soon decided to try something new. He took a job helping a well-known costume maker named Helene Pons. This was the start of his exciting career in costume design.
Designing Costumes for Stage and Screen
Albert Wolsky became a highly respected costume designer. He worked on many shows for Broadway (live plays in New York City) and for the movie industry.
He started his theater career by helping other designers. He worked with Ann Roth on plays like A Case of Libel (1963) and The Odd Couple (1965). He also assisted Patricia Zipprodt on Fiddler on the Roof (1964). His first play as the main costume designer was Generation in 1965. He designed costumes for many other plays and musicals, including The Sunshine Boys (1972) and Sly Fox (1976).
Wolsky's first movie was The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter in 1968. He designed costumes for many popular films. These include Harry and Tonto, The Turning Point, and the very famous musical Grease. He also worked on Manhattan.
He won his first Academy Award for All That Jazz (1979). He worked with the director Bob Fosse on this film. Wolsky won his second Academy Award for the movie Bugsy in 1991. He has been nominated for this award five more times. His recent nominations were for Across the Universe (2007) and Revolutionary Road (2008).
In 2010, Albert Wolsky gave his costume design sketches to the Margaret Herrick Library. This library is part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It helps preserve the history of movies.
Albert Wolsky's Film Work Highlights
Albert Wolsky has designed costumes for many movies. Here are some of his notable film credits:
- The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
- Grease (1978)
- Manhattan (1979)
- All That Jazz (1979) – Won Academy Award
- Sophie's Choice (1982)
- Bugsy (1991) – Won Academy Award
- The Pelican Brief (1993)
- You've Got Mail (1998)
- Galaxy Quest (1999)
- Road to Perdition (2002)
- The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
- Across the Universe (2007)
- Revolutionary Road (2008)
- Birdman (2014)
- Ad Astra (2019)
Awards and Recognitions
Albert Wolsky has received many awards for his amazing costume designs:
- Academy Awards
- Winner: All That Jazz (1980), Bugsy (1992)
- Nominee: Sophie's Choice (1983), The Journey of Natty Gann (1986), Toys (1993), Across the Universe (2008), Revolutionary Road (2009)
- Hollywood Film Award, Costume Designer of the Year (2004)
- Costume Designers Guild, Career Achievement Award (1999)
- TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- Antoinette Perry Award (Tony Award)
- Nominee: Best Costume Design of a Play for The Heiress (2013)
- Drama Desk Award
- Nominee: Outstanding Costume Design for several plays in 1976 and 1977
Professional Groups
Wolsky is a member of the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This is the group that gives out the Academy Awards.
Personal Life
Albert Wolsky shared his life with actor James Mitchell for many years. Mitchell passed away in 2010.
