Biography
Joel Oliansky (1935–2002) was an American screenwriter and director who worked extensively in film and television. He wrote and directed episodes of the series Kojak and directed episodes of Cagney & Lacey and Quincy, M.E..
Oliansky graduated from Hofstra University in 1959 and earned a master's degree from Yale, where he served as playwright-in-residence. He moved to Hollywood in 1964. His screenplay for the 1988 film Bird and his work on the 1980 film The Competition, which he also directed, are among his best-known contributions. He wrote the miniseries Masada (1981) and The Law (1975).
Oliansky won a Primetime Emmy Award for writing The Senator (1970) and received a Writers Guild of America Award for Masada. He was married to Patricia Godfrey; they later divorced.
