Albert Wolsky
Albert Wolsky | |
|---|---|
 Wolsky in 2016 | |
| Born | November 24, 1930 Paris, France |
| Died | May 23, 2026 (aged 95) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Years active | 1967–2022 |
| Partner | James Mitchell (died 2010) |
Albert Wolsky (November 24, 1930 – May 23, 2026) was an American costume designer.[1] He had worked both on stage shows as well as for film, and has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design seven times, winning two awards for his work on the films All That Jazz (1979) and Bugsy (1991).
Early life, military service and early career
[edit]Wolsky was born in Paris, France, on November 24, 1930, but during World War II, he and the rest of his family fled to the United States to escape the German occupation.[1][2] After graduating from the City College of New York, he served in the army from 1953 to 1956, spending most of his enlistment in Japan.[3] Once he returned to the United States, he began working in his father's travel agency.[1] However, he decided to change careers and took an assistant's job with notable costume maker Helene Pons.[4][5] His first show with Pons was Camelot.[5][1] After a year and a half working together, they went separate ways. The two continued to be friends for years to come.[1]
Career
[edit]Wolsky became a costume designer, working both on Broadway and in the motion picture industry.[2]
He began his career as costume designer for the theatre by assisting costume designer Ann Roth on A Case of Libel (1963);[1] he later assisted Roth on The Odd Couple (1965), Patricia Zipprodt on Fiddler on the Roof (1964), and Theoni Aldredge on Illya Darling (1967).[6][7] The first play Wolsky did on his own was Generation in 1965.[5] He went on to serve as principal costume designer for both plays and musicals, including The Sunshine Boys (1972) and Sly Fox (1976). Wolsky was announced as the designer for the 2012 Broadway production of The Heiress.[8]
The first film Wolsky worked on was The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.[5][9] He had been recommended to the film by Theoni Aldredge.[1] Wolsky worked on many films including Harry and Tonto, The Turning Point, Grease and Manhattan.[5] He worked with Bob Fosse, a leading Broadway director, on All That Jazz and won his first Academy Award.[5][1] Wolsky went on to work with Fosse twice more. He won his second Academy Award for Bugsy in 1991 and has been nominated five other times, most recently for his work on Julie Taymor's Beatles-inspired musical Across the Universe (2007) and Sam Mendes's Revolutionary Road (2008).[1][10][6][11]
In 2010, Wolsky donated his costume design sketches to the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[12]
Memberships
[edit]Wolsky was a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[13]
Personal life and death
[edit]Wolsky's partner of 39 years was actor James Mitchell who died in 2010.[1][14][15]
Wolsky lived in the Hollywood Hills and died at home on May 23, 2026, at the age of 95.[2]
Film credits
[edit]Honors and awards
[edit]- Academy Awards
- Winner: All That Jazz, 1980; Bugsy, 1992
- Nominee: Sophie's Choice, 1983; The Journey of Natty Gann, 1986; Toys, 1993; Across the Universe, 2008; Revolutionary Road, 2009
- Hollywood Film Award, Costume Designer of the Year, 2004
- Costume Designers Guild, Career Achievement Award, 1999
- TDF/Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award, 2010[1][16][17]
- Antoinette Perry Award
- 2013 Best Costume Design of a Play for The Heiress (nominee)
- Drama Desk Award
- 1976 Outstanding Costume Design for They Knew What They Wanted (nominee)
- 1976 Outstanding Costume Design for A Memory of Two Mondays / 27 Wagons Full of Cotton (nominee)
- 1977 Outstanding Costume Design for Sly Fox (nominee)
Bibliography
[edit]- Chaneles, Sol & Wolsky, Albert (1974) The Movie Makers: the lives and films of more than 2,500 stars, supporting actors, and directors who have made motion picture history. Secaucus, NJ: Derbibooks
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kilbourne-Kimpton, Cheryl. "Albert Wolsky: May with the "Fire"". Manhattan Wardrobe Supply. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bartlett, Rhett (May 26, 2026). "Albert Wolsky, Oscar-Winning Costume Designer for 'All That Jazz' and 'Bugsy,' Dies at 95". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- ↑ Boris Wolsky, My Life in Three Worlds (Miami Beach, FL: Wolsky, 1979), 133-34.
- ↑ Deborah Nadoolman Landis, "Albert Wolsky," Costume Design (Burlington, Massachusetts: Focal Press, 2003), page 163.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Phillips, Arianne; Langmead, Jeremy (August 28, 2024). "Phantom Threads Albert Wolsky". Hollywood Authentic. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- 1 2 "Lee, Wolsky et al. to be honored at 2010 TDF/Irene Sharaff Awards, 4/23". Huffpost. May 9, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ "Albert Wolsky". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on October 6, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ Lipton, Brian Scott (July 9, 2012). "The Heiress to Play Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre; Judith Ivey Joins Cast". Theater Mania. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ "Albert Wolsky costume design drawings, 1977-2007". Margaret Herrick Library. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ Snead, Elizabeth (February 18, 2009). "Albert Wolsky's 'Revolutionary' style". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 27, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ Hetrick, Adam (April 23, 2010). "Wolsky, Lee, Vietti and Ridge receive Irene Sharaff awards April 23". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ "Academy Library Celebrates New Collections". Broadway World. May 19, 2010. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ↑ "Newbie Quartet Joins AMPAS as Governors". Screendaily. July 10, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ↑ "All My Children Star James Mitchell Dead at 89". Advocate. January 23, 2010. Archived from the original on January 25, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ "James Mitchell obituary | Soap opera | The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ↑ Awards for Costume and Set Designers
- ↑ Probst, Andy.Ming Cho Lee, Albert Wolsky, et al. to Receive Irene Sharaff Awards" theatermania.com, March 9, 2010
Further reading
[edit]- "Wolsky, Albert." Contemporary Theater, Film, and Television. Vol. 36. Ed. Thomas Riggs. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2001. 379–80.
External links
[edit]- Albert Wolsky at IMDb
- Albert Wolsky at the Internet Broadway Database
- Interview, March 17, 2009
- Albert Wolsky costume design drawings, 1977–2007, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Albert Wolsky discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
- 1930 births
- 2026 deaths
- 20th-century American LGBTQ people
- 21st-century American LGBTQ people
- American gay artists
- Best Costume Design Academy Award winners
- City College of New York alumni
- Costume Designers Guild Award winners
- Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award recipients
- French emigrants to the United States
- United States Army soldiers
