Bootleg Betty
New Video Interview: Bruce Vilanch on Bette Midler, Hocus Pocus & Winnie Sanderson Podcast
By We Think It’s Funny Podcast
Feb 13, 2026
Join us for an unforgettable conversation with legendary comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, as he shares his incredible journey through Hollywood, Broadway, and beyond. From working with icons like Bette Midler, Jerry Lewis, and Katharine Hepburn, to hilarious personal stories, Bruce gives us a rare glimpse behind the curtain of show business.
? Chapters: 00:00 – 03:40 | Intro, Bette Midler, Hocus Pocus Winnie Sanderson language & early banter 03:40 – 07:00 | Welcome Bruce + no-pants hotel story, naked neighbor & Milton Berle jokes 07:00 – 11:30 | Bruce’s birth story, adoption, Jewish parents, DNA search & finding birth family 11:30 – 16:00 | Lenny Miller reveal, drag queen / Birdcage connection, cross-dressers & “tranny” discussion 16:00 – 22:00 | Childhood talent, child actor days, reading movie ads & meeting Lou Costello 22:00 – 28:00 | Groucho & Harpo Marx stories, early Hollywood encounters & unemployment office tale 28:00 – 34:00 | Starting with Bette Midler (55 years), writing Hocus Pocus & singing “Buckets of Rain” with her 34:00 – 40:00 | Hello Dolly, greatest Broadway musicals, West Side Story debate & Elaine Stritch subtext joke 40:00 – 48:00 | Jerry Lewis (“don’t pet the panther”), Katharine Hepburn memories & Cher stories 48:00 – 56:00 | Bruce’s weight loss journey, lap band experience & peak weight stories 56:00 – 1:04:00 | Writing the Oscars (Billy Crystal, Whoopi, Letterman, Uma/Oprah, Jack Palance push-ups)
