Bruce Vilanch

Bruce Vilanch (born November 23, 1948) is an American comedy writer who caught the public eye when he became a wisecracking regular on the revamped Hollywood Squares, with Whoopi Goldberg.

Biography Vilanch attended Ohio State University as a theater and journalism student and graduated with a BFA in theater, in 1970. In 1978 he was one of the writers for The Star Wars Holiday Special. In the 1980s he had a few brief television acting appearance including a bit part in an episode of, Bosom Buddies. His first television appearance as himself was in 1988, on Hollywood Today, where he was interviewed by Chris Aable. The show aired in 43 cities on Century Cable and the Manhattan Neighborhood Cable Network.

Vilanch was adopted by Jewish parents and is openly gay and "a notorious meat eater."[1] He has a penchant for wearing wacky T-shirts.

He has provided topical joke material for a number of awards show hosts, notably for Billy Crystal at the Academy Awards. He commands high fees for emergency Hollywood script rewrites, having "punched up" scripts for films like Die Hard 2 and Raiders of the Lost Ark.[citation needed]

Vilanch has a musical comedy background (he co-wrote the book for the flop Platinum and contributed to far more successful concert shows starring Bette Midler, Diana Ross, and Michael Feinstein) and claims to have done every Stubby Kaye role ever written. In 2005, he starred on Broadway as, "Edna Turnblad," in the musical Hairspray, after originating the role in the show's first national tour. He was on the third edition of Celebrity Fit Club and lost 21 pounds over the course of the show.

Vilanch has been the subject of two documentaries: Get Bruce (1999) and Laughing Matters...The Men, also released as Laughing Matters: Gay Comedy in America (2007), where he shared the spotlight with Alec Mapa, Bob Smith and others.

Vilanch also has cameo roles in Tru Loved and You Don't Mess With The Zohan (both 2008).