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Albert Wolsky
Albert Wolsky 2016.png
Wolsky in 2016
Born (1930-11-24) November 24, 1930 (age 93)
Paris, France
Occupation Costume designer
Years active 1967–present
Partner(s) James Mitchell (till his death)

Albert Wolsky (born November 24, 1930) is an American costume designer. He has 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

Wolsky was born in Paris, France, but during World War II, he and the rest of his family fled to the United States to escape the German occupation. 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. Once he returned to the United States, he began working in his father's travel agency. However, he decided to change careers and took an assistant's job with notable costume maker Helene Pons.

Career

Wolsky became a well regarded costume designer, working both on Broadway and in the motion picture industry.

The first film Wolsky worked on was The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. He worked on many films including Harry and Tonto, The Turning Point, Grease and Manhattan. He worked with Bob Fosse, a leading Broadway director, on All That Jazz and won his first Academy Award. 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).

He began his career as costume designer for the theatre by assisting costume designer Ann Roth on A Case of Libel (1963); he later assisted Roth on The Odd Couple (1965), Patricia Zipprodt on Fiddler on the Roof (1964), and Theoni Aldredge on Illya Darling (1967). His first work as lead costumer was Generation (1965). He went on to serve as principal costume designer for both plays and musicals, including The Sunshine Boys (1972) and Sly Fox (1976). Wolsky has been announced as the designer for the 2012 Broadway production of The Heiress.

In 2010, Wolsky donated his costume design sketches to the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Film credits

Year Title Director
1968 The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Robert Ellis Miller
1969 Popi Arthur Hiller
1970 Loving Irvin Kershner
Lovers and Other Strangers Cy Howard
Where's Poppa? Carl Reiner
1971 Little Murders Alan Arkin
Born to Win Ivan Passer
Lady Liberty Mario Monicelli
1972 The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Gordon Davidson
Last of the Red Hot Lovers Gene Saks
Up the Sandbox Irvin Kershner
1974 Harry and Tonto Paul Mazursky
The Gambler Karel Reisz
Lenny Bob Fosse
1976 Next Stop, Greenwich Village Paul Mazursky
1977 Thieves John Berry
The Turning Point Herbert Ross
1978 Fingers James Toback
An Unmarried Woman Paul Mazursky
Grease Randal Kleiser
Moment by Moment Jane Wagner
1979 Manhattan Woody Allen
Meteor Ronald Neame
All That Jazz Bob Fosse
1980 Willie & Phil Paul Mazursky
The Jazz Singer Richard Fleischer
1981 Paternity David Steinberg
1982 Tempest Paul Mazursky
Still of the Night Robert Benton
Sophie's Choice Alan J. Pakula
1983 Star 80 Bob Fosse
To Be or Not to Be Alan Johnson
1984 Moscow on the Hudson Paul Mazursky
1985 The Falcon and the Snowman John Schlesinger
The Journey of Natty Gann Jeremy Kagan
1986 Down and Out in Beverly Hills Paul Mazursky
Legal Eagles Ivan Reitman
Crimes of the Heart Bruce Beresford
1987 Nadine Robert Benton
1988 Moon over Parador Paul Mazursky
1989 Chances Are Emile Ardolino
Cookie Susan Seidelman
She-Devil
Enemies, A Love Story Paul Mazursky
1990 Funny About Love Leonard Nimoy
1991 Scenes from a Mall Paul Mazursky
Bugsy Barry Levinson
1992 Toys
1993 The Pickle Paul Mazursky
Fatal Instinct Carl Reiner
The Pelican Brief Alan J. Pakula
1994 Junior Ivan Reitman
1995 The Grass Harp Charles Matthau
1996 Up Close and Personal Jon Avnet
... Andrew Bergman
1997 Red Corner Jon Avnet
The Jackal Michael Caton-Jones
1998 You've Got Mail Nora Ephron
1999 Runaway Bride Garry Marshall
Galaxy Quest Dean Parisot
2000 Lucky Numbers Nora Ephron
2002 Road to Perdition Sam Mendes
Maid in Manhattan Wayne Wang
2004 The Manchurian Candidate Jonathan Demme
2005 Jarhead Sam Mendes
2006 Ask the Dust Robert Towne
2007 Across the Universe Julie Taymor
Charlie Wilson's War Mike Nichols
2008 Revolutionary Road Sam Mendes
2009 Duplicity Tony Gilroy
2011 Larry Crowne Tom Hanks
2014 Birdman Alejandro González Iñárritu
2016 Rules Don't Apply Warren Beatty
2019 Ad Astra James Gray
2021 The Woman in the Window Joe Wright
2022 Amsterdam David O. Russell

Honors and awards

  • 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
  • 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)

Memberships

Wolsky is a member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Personal life

His partner of thirty-nine years was actor James Mitchell who died in 2010.

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