Hollywood comedy writer Bruce Vilanch

Vilanch sits left-of-center on "The Hollywood Squares"

Vilanch shows off a couple of his Emmy awards

Hard at work

Web posted on:
Wednesday, August 11, 1999 1:50:23 PM EST

From Sherri Sylvester
CNN Entertainment News Correspondent

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- You may not know Bruce Vilanch, but Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal and Robin Williams do. He's the guy who gets them a lot of their laughs.

"Part of the way that people view me," says Goldberg, "is because of how Bruce has written for me."

"For years," says Bette Midler, "I never said a word that Bruce didn't charge me for."

Vilanch is in such demand that he's the subject of an upcoming documentary, aptly titled "Get Bruce."

"There are stars all over this town," says Lily Tomlin, "and probably out of it, too -- at this very moment -- who are clinging to their cellulars, hoping that Bruce will call with that priceless quip."

Vilanch says he appreciates the recognition.

"They all have so much invested in their images," he says. "To go on camera and say that there's a collaboration afoot, and 'there's this guy who is a part of the process that makes me who I am' -- I thought it was unbelievably generous of them."

Vilanch says he caters his material specifically to each performer.

"I'm writing words for them," he says, "the way a costume designer is creating a costume, the way a hairdresser is creating hairdresses -- it's funny, I've chosen all the gay professions."

Vilanch uses Williams as an example of the specificity of his work: "You don't really write for Robin," he says, "you write at Robin. You just take the material, you throw it in the cage and you hope some of it lands near him."

Vilanch has written punch lines for the past nine Academy Award ceremonies, including those song parodies sung by Billy Crystal.

"One of the entrances we were going to do," he says, "was 'The Crying Game' for the 1993 Oscars. "That, they wouldn't let us do -- we thought he'd come out in drag but have an Oscar hanging between his legs."

Crystal gladly passes on the credit for that one: "That was your idea."

Vilanch's wit has earned him a spot in front of the camera, too. He sits next to Goldberg on "Hollywood Squares" and now is being recognized by regular Joes.

And in the final analysis, part of what gets Vilanch's creative juices flowing, he says, may be the fear of being "unfunny."

"What gives me nightmares?" Bruce Vilanch asks. "Well, obviously, the bombing -- having stuff go down in flames."