Albert Wolsky Dies: Oscar-Winning Costume Designer For ‘All That Jazz’, ‘Bugsy’, ‘Grease’, ‘Manhattan’ ‘Sophie’s Choice’ & Broadway Productions Was 95
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- Albert Wolsky died on May 23 at his Hollywood home at age 95.
- Albert Wolsky was born on November 24, 1930, in Paris, moved to the United States, attended City College of New York, and at age 30 switched from the travel industry to costume design.
- Albert Wolsky won Academy Awards for costume design on All That Jazz (1979) and Bugsy (1991) and earned nominations for Sophie’s Choice (1983), The Journey of Natty Gann (1986), Toys (1993), Across the Universe (2007), and Revolutionary Road (2008).
- Albert Wolsky served four terms on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors representing the costume designers branch.
- Albert Wolsky designed costumes for a wide range of films, including Grease, Manhattan, Birdman (for which he won a Costume Designers Guild Award in 2015), and Ad Astra.
Why it matters: The film and theater costume design community loses a veteran mentor, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loses a seasoned board member who helped shape costume design policies.
