caption birth_place imagesize birth_date yearsactive image article_title name occupation
vilanch at the 2009 outfest legacy awards new york city , new york , u.s. 165px 23 november 1948 1974 -- present brucevilanch.jpg bruce vilanch
 bruce vilanch writer , songwriter , actor
bruce vilanch

bruce vilanch -lrb- born november 23 , 1948 -rrb- is an american comedy writer , songwriter and actor .
he is a six-time emmy award-winner .
vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on `` hollywood squares '' , as a celebrity participant ; behind the scenes he was head writer for the show .
in 2000 , he performed off-broadway in his self-penned one-man show , `` bruce vilanch : almost famous '' .
since 2000 , vilanch has been the head writer for the oscars , after being an oscar program co-writer for the previous ten years .
he is a featured writer for the tonys , grammys and emmys .
