Character actor Charley Scalies, known for his roles in HBO’s “The Wire” and “The Sopranos,” passed away Thursday, May 1, at a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. He was 84 years old.
Scalies succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease after a lengthy illness, his daughter Anne Marie confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born Charles J. Scalies Jr. on July 19, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was raised in South Philadelphia above his father’s pool hall, where he honed his skills in entertainment by performing impressions and jokes for patrons.
Prior to acting, Scalies worked as the director of sales and contracts at Clifton Precision, a precision manufacturing company. He later founded his own consulting firm that specialized in ISO 9000 auditing and quality management systems.
Scalies returned to his passion for performance in the early 1990s, starting with community and dinner theater before moving into film and television. He made his film debut in 1995 in “Two Bits,” directed by James Foley and set in his native South Philadelphia, featuring Al Pacino.
His acting credits extended to roles in Terry Gilliam’s “12 Monkeys” with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, as well as “Liberty Heights,” “The Doghouse,” and Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Girl.” On television, Scalies appeared on shows such as “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Law & Order,” and “Cold Case.”
Scalies gained notable recognition for his portrayal of Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa, a dockworker and union member, in the second season of “The Wire” in 2003. The character highlighted the challenges faced by Baltimore’s blue-collar workers amidst the decline of the shipping industry.
In “The Sopranos,” he appeared in the fifth season as Coach Molinaro, Tony Soprano’s former high school football coach, who confronted Soprano in a dream. This role allowed Scalies to depict a character who criticized the mob boss for his criminal choices over legitimate opportunities.
“Working on these shows was humbling,” Scalies once said of his experience on HBO productions, expressing pride that his descendants would be able to see his work.
Aside from his screen roles, Scalies continued to engage in stage productions with the St. Francis Players in Springfield, Pennsylvania. He also wrote a screenplay titled “It Takes Balls,” drawing inspiration from his father’s pool hall where he spent much of his youth.
Scalies was committed to family values, emphasizing the importance of guiding children toward self-reliance, loving their mother, and instilling respect and work ethic as key aspects of fatherhood.
Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years, Angeline M. Scalies, their five children—Chuck, Angeline, Tony, Christa, and Anne Marie—and four grandchildren. The family has requested donations to the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in his memory.
A funeral service is scheduled for May 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. local time in Trappe, Pennsylvania. The family remembers him as a devoted family man and storyteller whose legacy extends beyond his acting career.
