S.F. Kolzak; Chose ‘Cheers’ Cast

Stephen F. Kolzak, best known for casting the Emmy-winning television series “Cheers,” has died of complications of AIDS. He was 37.

He died Wednesday at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital.

Kolzak, a native of Hartford, Conn., and a graduate of Harvard, had been senior vice president of casting and talent at Columbia Pictures Television until his illness forced him to quit in 1987. He then became an avid activist for AIDS awareness in Hollywood.

In 1984, Kolzak received the Artios Award from the Casting Society of America for his work on “Cheers.”

During his career, Kolzak supervised casting for such popular television programs as “Starsky and Hutch,” “Facts of Life,” “Silver Spoons,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Jeffersons” and “Who’s the Boss.”

He later worked with major Hollywood studios to develop plans for dealing with AIDS in the workplace and was featured in a TV Guide cover story two years ago on AIDS in the television industry.

Kolzak was arrested at the U.S. Supreme Court building in October, 1987, during a march for gay and lesbian rights. A year later, he was arrested at the Food and Drug Administration during a demonstration protesting government drug policy.

He is survived by his companion, Los Angeles writer Paul Monette; his mother, Dolores C. Snow; his father, Theodore Kolzak, and two sisters.

Services are planned for 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. The family has asked that memorial contributions be made to the groups Northern Lights Alternative or Aid for AIDS.