Wire Sopranos Actor Dies at 84
Charley Scalies, ‘The Wire’ and ‘Sopranos’ Actor, Dies at 84
charley Scalies, a character actor known for his roles as stevedore Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa on the second season of HBO’s acclaimed series, The Wire, and as Tony Soprano’s high school football coach in a dream sequence on the Sopranos, has died. He was 84.
Scalies passed away Thursday in a Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, nursing facility after a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease, according to his daughter, Anne Marie Scalies.
‘Horseface’ on The Wire
During the second season of The Wire in 2003, Scalies appeared in all 12 episodes as Horseface, a former incarcerated longshoreman from the Port of baltimore’s IBS Local 1514. His character was devoted to the corrupt union boss, Frank Sobotka, played by Chris Bauer.
In a 2019 interview, Scalies reflected on the role, stating, “As with all the other characters I’ve been blessed to portray, Horseface lives inside of me. I invite him out to play as needed.”
Coach Molinaro on The Sopranos
The following year, Scalies appeared in ”The Test Dream,” a fifth-season episode of The Sopranos, as Coach Molinaro. In a dream sequence, his character confronts tony soprano, played by James gandolfini, accusing him of “taking the easy way out” by embracing a life of crime and wasting his potential.
Early Life and Career
Charles Joseph Scalies Jr.was born in Philadelphia on July 19, 1940, the youngest of three children. He grew up in South Philadelphia, living above his father’s pool hall, where he entertained patrons with jokes and impressions of Al Jolson.
Scalies and a friend formed a stand-up comedy act during high school and at St. Joseph’s College. “Like every other comedy duo of the time,we patterned our act after [Dean] Martin & [Jerry] Lewis,” he recalled in a 2015 interview,noting they performed at local venues.
After college, Scalies worked as director of sales and contracts at Clifton precision before establishing his own consulting firm specializing in auditing and quality management systems.
Return to the Stage
In the early 1990s,Scalies returned to acting in community and dinner theater productions. He played roles such as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls, Billy Flynn in Chicago, and the Fearful Lion in The Wizard of oz for the St. Francis Players in Springfield,Pennsylvania.
Film and Television Roles
Scalies’s pursuit of casting calls led to minor roles in the 1995 films Condition Red,Two Bits starring Al Pacino,and Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys. He also portrayed a police officer in two 1996 episodes of NBC’s homicide: Life on the Street, wich was produced by The Wire creator David simon.
His filmography includes roles in Liberty Heights (1999), directed by Homicide producer Barry Levinson, and Kevin Smith’s Jersey Girl (2004). He also made guest appearances on Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and Cold Case.
Scalies also wrote a screenplay titled It Takes Balls, inspired by his father’s pool hall.
Survivors and Donations
Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years, Angeline; his children, Chuck, Angeline, Tony, Christa, and Anne Marie; and his grandchildren, Charles IV, christopher, Domenic, and Amelia. His family noted that “His favorite audience was always seated around the dinner table.”
Memorial donations can be made to the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association or to the PCS Theater in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
Charley Scalies: Remembering the Actor from ‘The Wire’ and ‘The Sopranos’
Charley Scalies was a character actor, best known for his roles on the critically acclaimed HBO series The Wire and The Sopranos. According to the provided article, he passed away at the age of 84.
Scalies is remembered for his role as stevedore Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa in the second season of The Wire and as Coach Molinaro in a dream sequence in The Sopranos. The article also mentions his roles in a number of other films and television shows, including 12 Monkeys and Law & Order, demonstrating the breadth of his career.
In The Wire, Scalies played Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa during the second season (2003).The article specifies that Horseface was a former incarcerated longshoreman from Baltimore’s IBS Local 1514, and was devoted to the corrupt union boss, Frank Sobotka. The article notes that in a 2019 interview, Scalies reflected on the role, stating, “As with all the other characters I’ve been blessed to portray, Horseface lives inside of me. I invite him out to play as needed,” (Source: Provided article).
In The Sopranos, Scalies appeared in a dream sequence in a fifth-season episode titled “The Test Dream.” He portrayed coach Molinaro, who confronts Tony Soprano. The provided article explains that he accused tony of “taking the easy way out” by embracing a life of crime, highlighting the dramatic nature of the scene.
According to the article, Charley Scalies passed away on Thursday in a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
The article details that Charles Joseph Scalies Jr. was born in Philadelphia on July 19, 1940. He grew up in South Philadelphia, and his early career involved performing stand-up comedy with a freind.After college, he transitioned into business before returning to acting in community theater. (Source: Provided article).
Besides The Wire and The Sopranos, charley Scalies had roles in several films and television shows. The supplied article mentions roles in the 1995 films Condition Red, Two Bits and 12 Monkeys. He also appeared in episodes of homicide: Life on the Street, the film Liberty Heights and Jersey Girl. Additionally, he made guest appearances on Law & Order, Law & order: SVU, and Cold case. (Source: Provided article).
Yes, the article mentions that Scalies wrote a screenplay titled “It Takes Balls”, inspired by his father’s pool hall. (Source: Provided article).
Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years, Angeline; his children, Chuck, Angeline, Tony, Christa, and anne Marie; and his grandchildren, Charles IV, Christopher, Domenic, and Amelia. (Source: Provided article).
Memorial donations can be made to the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association or to the PCS Theater in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. (Source: Provided article).