Bruce Vilanch's first television appearance was in 1988 on Hollywood Today, where he was interviewed by Chris Aable. The show aired in 43 cities on Century Cable and the Manhattan Neighborhood Cable Network. Bruce Vilanch is openly gay and is notable for breaking the Hollywood stereotype of a homosexual man. His trademark appearance includes long blonde hair, a big, bushy beard, and glasses. He has a penchant for wearing wacky t-shirts and purports to have the largest collection in the world.

He is known to be a provider of topical joke material for Academy Award hosts, notably Billy Crystal, and for comedy personalities on the road such as Bette Midler. He commands high fees in Hollywood for emergency script rewrites.

He has a musical comedy background, and claims to have done every Stubby Kaye role written. In 2005 he starred on Broadway as Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray. He was on the show Celebrity Fit Club 3 and lost almost 20 pounds over the course of the show.