Bruce Vilanch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Vilanch
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Vilanch in 2012
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Bruce Gerald Vilanch
November 23, 1947 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1974–present |
Bruce Gerald Vilanch (born November 23, 1947) is an American writer, songwriter, and actor known for his comedy. He has won two Emmy Awards, which are big awards for television shows.
Many people know Bruce Vilanch from his time on the TV show Hollywood Squares. He was a celebrity guest on the show for four years. What many didn't know is that he was also the main writer for the show behind the scenes! In 2000, he performed his own one-man show called Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous.
From 2000 to 2014, Vilanch was the head writer for the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. Before that, he helped write the Oscar show for ten years. He has also been a featured writer for other major award shows like the Tony Awards (for theater), Grammy Awards (for music), and Emmy Awards (for TV).
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Bruce Vilanch's Early Life and School
Bruce Vilanch was born in New York City. He grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, and went to Eastside High School. When he was just four days old, he was adopted by Jonas and Henne Vilanch. His father was an eye doctor, and his mother stayed home.
Bruce's mother loved theater and helped him start his career early. She got him a job as a child model for a clothing company's "Charming Chub" line. After high school, Bruce went to Ohio State University. He studied theater and journalism there. He acted in school plays and wrote reviews, hoping to become a playwright, someone who writes plays. He once said he wanted to be like famous playwright Neil Simon.
Bruce Vilanch is Jewish. He went to Hebrew school, was part of a youth group called United Synagogue Youth, and had a bar mitzvah ceremony.
Becoming a Comedy Writer
Bruce Vilanch started his career writing articles for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. As an entertainment writer, he spent time with many famous people. This is how he met Bette Midler, who was a singer just starting out. They became good friends.
Later, Bruce wrote funny material for Bette Midler's Broadway show in 1974. He also helped write her movie Divine Madness in 1980.
Writing for TV Shows
After moving to Los Angeles, Bruce helped write for several TV shows. These included The Donny & Marie Show, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and the Star Wars Holiday Special in 1978. He also wrote for the short-lived Brady Bunch Variety Hour.
After these shows, he wrote jokes for many famous comedians and actors. These included Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, Paul Reiser, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, and Robin Williams.
One memorable moment was when Bette Midler sang a farewell song to Johnny Carson on his last The Tonight Show. Bruce Vilanch wrote the lyrics for that song, and it later won an Emmy Award. For four years, Bruce was the main writer and a celebrity guest on Hollywood Squares. He sat next to his friend Whoopi Goldberg.
Since 1980, Bruce has also been a reporter and writer for The Advocate magazine. He writes both funny and serious articles. A collection of his writings, Bruce!: My Adventures in the Skin Trade and Other Essays, was nominated for an award in 2000.
Writing for Music and Stage
Bruce Vilanch also writes songs. He helped write "Where Is My Man", a popular song sung by Eartha Kitt in 1983.
In 2008, he co-wrote a show called The Showgirl Must Go On with Bette Midler. This show opened in Las Vegas and was very popular. In 2010, Bruce teamed up with actress Florence Henderson (from The Brady Bunch) for a show called An Evening with Friends. Bruce had been friends with Florence for a long time and had written for her one-woman show and some Brady Bunch Variety Hour episodes.
Writing for the Academy Awards
Bruce Vilanch wrote for the Academy Awards (the Oscars) from 1989 to 2014. He created funny jokes for the hosts of the show. In the 1990s, he worked with hosts like Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, and Billy Crystal. He became the head writer for the Oscars in 2000 and stayed in that role until 2014.
One of his jobs was to come up with new jokes on the spot if something unexpected happened during the live show. For example, at the 1992 Oscars, 73-year-old actor Jack Palance did one-armed push-ups during his acceptance speech. Bruce quickly wrote jokes for host Billy Crystal to tell throughout the night about it.
In an interview, Bruce said that writing for the Oscars is like playing in the Super Bowl for football players. He loves it because it's the biggest show in the world.
Bruce Vilanch's Acting Roles
Bruce Vilanch has also had a career as an actor.
Film Appearances
In 1975, Bruce made his first movie appearance in Mahogany, starring Diana Ross. He played a dress manufacturer. He also wrote material for Diana Ross's stage performances.
In the 1980s, he had small roles in TV shows like Bosom Buddies and a movie called Breathless with his friend Richard Gere. In 1984, he was in the comedy and science-fiction movie The Ice Pirates. In the 1990s, he appeared on the TV show Law & Order.
He played himself in the 2008 movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan and in Walk a Mile in My Pradas, a 2011 romantic comedy film. In 2012, he played Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in an episode of The Eric Andre Show.
Stage and TV Appearances
In 2000, Bruce performed his one-man show Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous in New York City.
In 2005, Bruce starred on Broadway in the musical Hairspray. He played the role of Edna Turnblad, a character who is a mother. He had already played this role for two years in the show's national tour.
Bruce Vilanch first appeared on TV as himself in 1988 on a show called Hollywood Today. He also played himself in an episode of The Simpsons in 2001 called "Pokey Mom".
In 2006, he was on the TV show Celebrity Fit Club, where he lost 21 pounds. He has also appeared as a guest judge or coach on RuPaul's Drag Race several times, sometimes dressed as Santa Claus.
In 2008, Bruce filmed a funny commercial where he tried to jump over a car, making fun of a famous athlete's commercial. In his version, he gets distracted and is run over by a truck!
In 2012, he appeared on the TV show Shark Tank. In 2015, he had a guest voice role on the animated series Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero. In 2022, he voiced two characters in an audio drama series called Around the Sun.
Documentaries About Bruce Vilanch
Bruce Vilanch was the main subject of a documentary film in 1999 called Get Bruce. This film included interviews with many of his famous friends like Bette Midler, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Whoopi Goldberg. Bruce's mother, who he says helped him develop his sense of humor, also appeared in the film.
He also appeared in other documentaries, including Laughing Matters...The Men (2007), which was about comedy in America. He was also a commentator in The Adonis Factor (2010), a documentary about male body image.
Helping Others: Charity Work
Bruce Vilanch is very active in charity work. He performs at many benefit events to help raise money for good causes. He has served on the board of Aid For AIDS and was often the host for their big annual fundraiser, "Best In Drag Show".
He also hosted events for "Dancers Responding to AIDS" in 2009 and 2010, which is part of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In 2010, he helped write and host a fundraiser for PAWS (an animal welfare organization) called "An Evening with Tab Hunter".
In 2017, Bruce hosted a celebrity roast for Michael Musto, which raised money for the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. Many famous people participated in this event, and it raised a lot of money.
Awards and Recognition
Bruce Vilanch has won several awards for his work.
- He won two Emmy Awards in a row for writing the Academy Award telecasts.
- He won four more Emmys for Outstanding Variety Show.
He has also received awards for his support of charities that help people with AIDS and for his work supporting LGBTQ rights. These awards include:
- Los Angeles Shanti Foundation's Daniel P. Warner Service Award (1990)
- GLAAD Media's Stephen F. Kolzak Award (1997)
- Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center's Rand Schrader Distinguished Achievement Award (1998)
- Outfest Honors Award for contributions to visibility (2002)
- AIDS Project Los Angeles Hero Award (2003)
Bruce Vilanch's Unique Look
Bruce Vilanch is known for his special look. He often has long blonde hair (sometimes with a beard), wears unique glasses with bright frames, and has a collection of T-shirts with funny, clever sayings. He often jokes that for many years, people compared him to a Wookiee (a furry creature from Star Wars), especially after he helped write the Star Wars Holiday Special.
See also
In Spanish: Bruce Vilanch para niños
