Bruce Vilanch
Birthday: Born in 1948-11-23 in New York, New York
Deathday: Alive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bruce Vilanch (born November 23, 1948) is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winner known to industry professionals in Hollywood and New York as "the fat guy who writes everyone's jokes." He is likely best known for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as both a celebrity participant and head writer for the show. He also performed off-Broadway in his one-man show Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous in 2000. Since 2000, Vilanch has been the head writer for the Oscars, after being an Oscar program co-writer for the previous 10 years. He is a featured writer for the Tonys, Grammys and Emmys. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bruce Vilanch, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
TV Credits
The Simpsons
Character: Bruce Vilanch (voice)
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general....
The Nanny
Character: Bruce Vilanch
Fran, fresh out of her job as a bridal consultant in her boyfriend’s shop, first appears on the doorstep of Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield peddling cosmetics, and quickly stumbled upon the opportunity to become The Nanny for his three children. But soon Fran, with her offbeat nurturing and no-nonsense honesty, touches Maxwell as well as the kids....
Bosom Buddies
Character:
Kip and Henry, two young studs working for a New York ad agency, must disguise themselves as women to live in the one apartment they can afford....
Celebrity Fit Club
Character: Self - Contestant
Celebrities compete to lose weight and get in shape. The celebrities take part in a range of physical and motivational activities designed to shed pounds, increase team spirit, and win prizes. In the end, they face the scales at a weigh-in ceremony where they are individually weighed in by a panel of experts....
Gameshow Marathon
Character:
Game$how Marathon is an American television program which aired on CBS from May 31, 2006 to June 29, 2006. It is based on the UK series Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon which aired on ITV in 2005. The show features contestants competing in some of television's most historically popular game shows, in a single-elimination format until an ultimate winner is found. Both the UK and US versions featured celebrity contestants. The US version was produced by FremantleMedia North America and Granada Amer...
Hollywood Squares
Character: Self - Panelist
On September 14, 1998, a Hollywood Squares revival debuted with Tom Bergeron as its host. In addition to her production duties, Whoopi Goldberg served as the permanent center square, with series head writer Bruce Vilanch, Gilbert Gottfried, Martin Mull, and Caroline Rhea as regular panelists and Brad Garrett, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wallace, Kathy Griffin and various others as semi-regular panelists. Shadoe Stevens returned to announce, although he was not given a square on the...
House Husbands
Character: Franklin Court
House Husbands is a comic webseries that focuses on a messy gay divorce and the ripple effect it has on one rotting Palm Springs social circle. It's a modern satire centered around gay men in Palm Springs loosely based on Clare Luce's "The Women."...
Rachel Gunn, R.N.
Character: Mr. Martino
The lives of head nurse Rachel Gunn and her co-workers at Little Innocence Hospital in Nebraska, where Rachel is often at odds with egotistical surgeon David Dunkel....
The Eric Andre Show
Character: Arnold Schwarzenegger
A comedic talk show from an alternate reality featuring unstable hosts, a variety of celebrities—both real and fake—and unusual studio action....
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Character: Himself (voice)
Penn Zero is not your average kid - every day he's zapped into another dimension with his friends to save the world....
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Character: Bruce Bandersnatch (voice)
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is an American-Canadian stop motion animated sitcom created by Q. Allan Brocka, who also acts as director. It is a spin off from Brocka's 1999 short film of the same name, and debuted on the LGBT focused Logo network in July 2007 and on the Canadian Teletoon's late-night programming block "The Detour" that October. The show premiered in the UK on E4 on 17 September 2008 and in January 2010 on Virgin 17 in France. After the first season aire...
The Proud Family
Character: Tristan the Magician (voice)
Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny, a 14-year-old African American girl who's doing her best to navigate through the early years of teen-dom. Penny's every encounter inevitably spirals into bigger than life situations filled with hi-jinks, hilarity and heart. Her quest to balance her home, school and social lives are further complicated by friends like the sassy Dijonay, Penny's nemesis LaCienega Boulevardez, her loving, if not over-protective parents and her hip-to-the-groove-gran...
Hollywood Squares
Character: Self
On September 14, 1998, a Hollywood Squares revival debuted with Tom Bergeron as its host. In addition to her production duties, Whoopi Goldberg served as the permanent center square, with series head writer Bruce Vilanch, Gilbert Gottfried, Martin Mull, and Caroline Rhea as regular panelists and Brad Garrett, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wallace, Kathy Griffin and various others as semi-regular panelists. Shadoe Stevens returned to announce, although he was not given a square on the...
The Legend of King Kong
Character: Self
You think you know Kong? Think again. Explore the wonders of Skull Island with over 30 interviews compiled by director Tom Grove. With a run time of 250 minutes, this docu-series goes into detail about every aspect of Kong’s cinematic history....
Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror
Character: Self
A four-part documentary telling the story of LGBTQIA+ horror and the relationship between queer audiences and horror, and the queer horror community as a whole....
RuPaul's Drag Race
Character: Self - Guest Judge
Join RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, as the host, mentor and judge for the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations while helping guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge....
RuPaul's Drag Race
Character: Self - Special Guest
Join RuPaul, the world's most famous drag queen, as the host, mentor and judge for the ultimate in drag queen competitions. The top drag queens in the U.S. will vie for drag stardom as RuPaul, in full glamazon drag, will reign supreme in all judging and eliminations while helping guide the contestants as they prepare for each challenge....
The Vivienne Takes On Hollywood
Character:
The Vivienne, UK's first RuPaul's Drag Race Superstar, is joined by her celebrity friends to see what it takes to make it in Hollywood....
Hollywood Squares
Character:
On September 14, 1998, a Hollywood Squares revival debuted with Tom Bergeron as its host. In addition to her production duties, Whoopi Goldberg served as the permanent center square, with series head writer Bruce Vilanch, Gilbert Gottfried, Martin Mull, and Caroline Rhea as regular panelists and Brad Garrett, Bobcat Goldthwait, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wallace, Kathy Griffin and various others as semi-regular panelists. Shadoe Stevens returned to announce, although he was not given a square on the...
Movie Credits
The Ice Pirates
Character: Wendon
In the not too distant future, where by far the most precious commodity in the galaxy is water. The last surviving water planet was somehow removed to the unreachable centre of the galaxy at the end of the galactic trade wars. The galaxy is ruled by an evil emperor presiding over a trade oligarchy that controls all mining and sale of ice from asteroids and comets....
Love Can Be Murder
Character: Bernie
Elizabeth Bentley is a successful lawyer who suddenly has some "punkish" daydreams of being "Rambo" right around the time her clueless boyfriend Brad asks her to marry him. After a therapy session, she quits her job to the surprise of her family and Brad, and goes into the detective business, opening her own private-eye office. Unfortunately, the ghost of the private-eye who owned the office still lingers and Elizabeth's the only one who can see or hear him. At first, she becomes an unwilling pa...
I Brake for Caterpillars
Character: Walter Precup
Misdiagnosed with a terminal illness, a computer nerd dates his hospice worker, while suspecting someone is out to get him....
A Disturbance in the Force: How the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened
Character: Self
In 1978, CBS aired the “Star Wars Holiday Special” the week before Thanksgiving to an audience of 13 million people. Considered one of the worst shows in television history, it aired only once. George Lucas tried to bury it and an infamous camp legend was born. This documentary unravels the mysteries behind the most bizarre Star Wars spin-offs of all time....
Live at Mister Kelly's
Character: Self
The iconic Mister Kelly’s bedazzled the country by launching superstars like Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, and Steve Martin. It smashed color and gender barriers to put controversial voices on stage and transformed entertainment in America in the '50s, '60s, and ’70s....
The Aristocrats
Character: Self
One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville....
Body Electric
Character: Self
With 25% of all body dysmorphic disorders stemming from the LGBTQ+ community, and 42% of all males with eating disorders identifying as gay men, filmmaker Nick Demos examines body image in the LGBTQ+ community, media obsession with youth culture, and his own journey to self-acceptance in his middle age....
Get Bruce!
Character: Self
Affectionate tribute to Bruce Vilanch, who writes material for celebrities who make public appearances, from Oscar hosts and award recipients to Presidents. We meet his mom and see photos of his childhood; in Chicago, he writes for the Tribune and then heads West. Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, and Bette Midler talk with him and to the camera about working with Bruce, and we also watch Bruce help others prepare for Liz Taylor's 60th, Bill Clinton's 50th, and an AIDS awards banqu...
It Nearly Wasn't Christmas
Character: Philpot
Feeling unneeded, a disillusioned Santa Claus (Charles Durning) quits Christmas. Through the selflessness of a little girl looking to reunite her parents for Christmas (and the help of his bumbling chief elf, Philpot (Bruce Vilanch), Santa and the child travel across America and Santa discovers that people really do need him and care about other people....
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
Character: Self
The final volume of Time Warp digs deep into what makes us laugh over and over again as we reveal the greatest cult comedies and campy classics of all-time. From "Fast Time at Ridgemont High" and "Office Space" to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and "Showgirls."...
Studio One Forever
Character: Self
A documentary film about Studio One which, from 1974 to 1994, was the center of queer nightlife in West Hollywood as well as the staging ground for the rise of the LGBTQ rights movement and fight against the AIDS crisis....
Going Down in LA-LA Land
Character: Missy
A fresh face comes to Hollywood to act in movies but only the gay porn studios are eager to provide him with work....
Scrooge & Marley
Character: Fezziwig
A modern day, queer variation on Charles Dickens' classic story of the holidays, "A Christmas Carol." On Christmas Eve, Ben Scrooge, the man who hates the holidays, is given the chance to begin again when he is visited by three spirits - the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Recounted from a gay sensibility with heart, comedy and music....
Sister Mary
Character: Farmer Jake
Homophobic detective Mark Rima must "partner" up with the very gay and flamboyant Detective Chris Riant to stop a serial killing Nun from offing 5 band members otherwise known as "The Ex Choir Boys." But when it is determined that the detectives can't solve the case on their own, expert F.B.I. profiler Agent Peccant (comedian Ant) is assigned to the case. As the details of the case slowly emerge the police determine that that the "nun" may only be a silent witness to the grisly murders. The task...
I Am Divine
Character: Self
Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine (1945-1988) was the ultimate outsider turned underground hero. Spitting in the face of the status quos of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty, Divine succeeded in becoming an internationally recognized icon, recording artist, and character actor of stage and screen. Glenn went from the often-mocked, schoolyard fat kid to underdog royalty, standing up for millions of gay men and women, drag queens and punk rockers, and count...
Inside the Golden Statue
Character: Self
A behind-the-scenes look at the preparations for the live broadcast of the 69th Annual Academy Awards ceremony....
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
Character: Self
From "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to "The Big Lebowski" and everything in between, this fascinating deep-dive documentary begins its celebration of the greatest cult movies of all-time discussing the birth of the midnight movie....
TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons
Character: Self
Investigating why beloved fitness icon Richard Simmons hasn't been seen for over eight years. TMZ speaks to the people closest to him including Bruce Vilanch, Suzanne Somers, Dr. Phil, and Simmons' longtime costume designer, Leslie Wilshire....
The Adonis Factor
Character: Himself - Writer / Actor
Gay men and their pursuit of physical perfection. When it comes to looks and body image, gay men can be a pretty tough crowd. Men are visually programmed. And gay men have an appreciation for beauty in all aspects, whether it's other male bodies or just antiques. There's no doubt that attractiveness is key to a man's self-esteem and his impression on others, especially in gay life. The pressure to look good is even more intense in an image- driven culture where near-naked images of masculine pe...
Breathless
Character: Man with Purse
Jesse, a small-time criminal, high-tails it to Los Angeles to rendezvous with a French exchange student. Stealing a car and accidentally killing a highway patrolman, he becomes the most wanted fugitive in L.A....
Vito
Character: Himself
In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He went on to write "The Celluloid Closet", the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990....
And the Oscar Goes To...
Character: Self - Interviewee
The story of the gold-plated statuette that became the film industry's most coveted prize, AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... traces the history of the Academy itself, which began in 1927 when Louis B. Mayer, then head of MGM, led other prominent members of the industry in forming this professional honorary organization. Two years later the Academy began bestowing awards, which were nicknamed "Oscar," and quickly came to represent the pinnacle of cinematic achievement....
The World According to Allee Willis
Character: Self
Take one look at award-winning songwriter / artist Allee Willis and you see someone unafraid to be themselves. Dressed in a cacophony of prints and colors, her signature asymmetrical haircut and famed parties at her real-life Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Allee didn’t waste any opportunity to tell you what she was about. But privately, Allee struggled with not fitting established gender and sexual norms. She buried herself in her work, until true love manifested her ultimate masterpiece - self-acceptanc...
Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon
Character: Self
The outrageous story of 1970s porn icon Jack Wrangler, and how he rose to the top of the gay, and then straight, adult film industry....
Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution
Character: Self
This rapturous documentary steps into the dynamic world of queer stand-up and examines the powerful cultural influence it has had on social change in America. The film combines rare archival materials, stand-up performances, and interviews with a show-stopping lineup to present a definitive history of queer comedy....
Queer Duck: The Movie
Character: Bruce Vilanch (voice)
Queer Duck and his partner of 18 months (a lifetime in gay years), Stephen Arlo "Openly" Gator, hit a relationship crisis when the fey fowl is wooed by a brassy Broadway broad. Queer Duck wonders if he'd be happier being straight, while Gator the waiter spills his problems to a compassionate Conan O'Brien....
The Morning After
Character: Bartender
Failed actress Alex Sternbergen wakes up hungover one morning in an apartment she does not recognize, unable to remember the previous evening -- and with a dead body in bed next to her. As she tries to piece together the events of the night, Alex cannot totally rely on friends or her estranged husband, Joaquin, for assistance. Only a single ally, loner ex-policeman Turner Kendall, can help her escape her predicament and find the true killer....
Silent but Deadly
Character: Uncle Bruce
Senior citizens are being offed by a masked killer in their small retirement community....
Spring Breakdown
Character: Celebrity Judge
Three women in their thirties head to a popular Spring Break destination and try to relive the Spring Break they never had....
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Character: Bruce Vilanch
An Israeli counterterrorism soldier with a secretly fabulous ambition to become a Manhattan hairstylist. Zohan's desire runs so deep that he'll do anything -- including faking his own death and going head-to-head with an Arab cab driver -- to make his dreams come true....
Mahogany
Character: Dress Manufacturer
An aspiring designer from the slums of Chicago puts herself through fashion school in the hopes of becoming one of the world's top designers. Her ambition leads her to Rome spurring a choice between the man she loves or her newfound success....
Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville
Character: Writer
An all-star cast lead by Richard Dreyfus perform sketches celebrating the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, including new animation done by Disney....
Limelight
Character: Garrett Raynes
In a society obsessed with fame, validation, and social media, one small-town narcissist pulls out all the stops in his pursuit of absolute stardom....
Tru Loved
Character: Uncle Daniel
Recently relocated from San Francisco to conservative suburbia by her lesbian mothers, Tru struggles like all teens to fit in and find love, but her quest is complicated by sexual politics, closed minds, and closeted friends as she seeks to establish her school's first Gay-Straight Alliance....
Circuit
Character: Theater Stage Manager
The hunky John is a closeted small-town cop who moves to L.A., where he is quickly seduced into the gay life of workouts and dusk-to-dawn parties. With actual circuit party footage and mounds of glistening and chiseled flesh, the pulsating Circuit is bound to get your juices flowing....
Pride: The Gay & Lesbian Comedy Slam
Character: Himself - Host
Gay & Lesbian Comedy Show Hosted by the Oscars resident writer for the past 17 years and comedy satirist Bruce Villanch, "Pride" the Gay & Lesbian Comedy show brings together four of today's funniest Gay and Lesbian comedians; starring outrageously funny comics Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty), Sandra Valls (Latin Divas Comedy), Poppy Champlin (Logo), and Scott Kennedy....
Call Me Claus
Character: Himself
When Lucy Cullins, a successful but cranky producer at a home shopping network hires an actor named Nick to play Santa Claus on the network, she gets more than she bargained for....
The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years: A Long Road to Freedom
Character: Self
Documentary exploring The Advocate's role at the forefront of the LGBT movement in the U.S....
The Drifter
Character: Cook
A suspensefilled thriller about a successful single woman who, on a deserted road, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker. Once back in the city, "The Drifter" follows her every move. Every attempt to free herself of his harassment fails until the shocking conclusion is revealed!...
Waiting in the Wings: Still Waiting
Character: Chef
The stripper Tony and the naive enthusiast Anthony, two entertainers, destined for the big time, who are mismatched in a casting office from two very different online contests....
The Divine Bette Midler
Character: Self
Follow the career of the Divine Miss M -- singer and actress Bette Midler -- from the bathhouses to Broadway to starring film roles. This A&E biography tells the story of the Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe winner through interviews with friends, family, colleagues and the superstar herself. See clips from stage performances and films, and learn how the star of such films as The Rose, Beaches, and Down and Out in Beverly Hills has stayed on top....
Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!
Character: Uncle Max
Nelson and Angelo, a gay couple, decide to come out to their parents. However, when they do so, their parents find it difficult to cope with the news...
Annul Victory
Character: Self
Annul Victory is a documentary on the fight for marriage equality and the Proposition 8 election battle. The film documents the roller coaster ride of emotions in California after the historical state Supreme Court decision in May of 2008, finding it unconstitutional to deny gays and lesbians the right to be married in the state, and then the passage of Proposition 8 in November, denying gays and lesbians marriage rights, and “annulling” thousands of marriages. The story is told through the life...
Fucking with the Stars
Character: Judge
"Fucking with the Stars" fares less well as a send-up of the similarly-named TV show than as an opportunity for Coco LaChine and Chi Chi LaRue to do their comic turns. LaChine and crew go for absolute broke and end up being as much a part of the fun as the actual fucking. As far as prizes go, a chunky, silver spray-painted dildo that's studded with gewgaws may not be worth coveting. But the notoriety that comes along with being crowned star fucker is another matter....
10 Attitudes
Character: Self
A Jewish man discovers his boyfriend of 10 years has been cheating on him, and decides to embark on a dating spree....
Michael Lucas' Dangerous Liaisons
Character: Self - Non-sexual Role (uncredited)
Lust, betrayal, murder, and deceit all come alive in Michael Lucas' most anticipated film to date. Michael Lucas' Dangerous Liaisons, based on Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 classic Les Liaisons Dangereuses (famously made into an Oscar winning film starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich), is a new modern-day twist on one of literature's most intriguing tales of wicked revenge and twisted seduction. Instead of 18th Century France, this X-rated version takes place in modern day New York. Featuring app...
The Fabulous Allan Carr
Character: Self
Armed with a limitless Rolodex and a Benedict Canyon enclave with its own disco, Allan Carr threw the Hollywood parties that defined the 1970s. A producer, manager, and marketing genius, Carr built his bombastic reputation amid a series of successes including the mega-hit musical film "Grease," until it all came crashing down after he produced the 1989 Academy Awards, a notorious debacle....
Jackie's Back!
Character: Bruce Vilanch
A British documentarian profiles washed-up diva Jackie Washington as she prepares for her comeback concert....