LOS ANGELES, Peter Scolari has died. He was a versatile actor who played many roles on television, including a yuppie producer in “Newhart” as well as a closeted father on “Girls.” Scolari also appeared on Broadway with his long-time friend Tom Hanks’ “Lucky Guy” role. He was 66.
According to Ellen Lubin Sanitsky his manager, Scolari, Scolari, who had been fighting cancer for two decades, died in New York Friday morning.
His first exposure was as Hanks’ costar in 1980-82 sitcom, “Bosom Buddies,” where their characters disguised as women to rent affordable housing for females.
They worked together on projects such as Hanks’ 1996 film directorial debut, “That Thing You Do!”; and Nora Ephron’s play, “Lucky Guy” (2013).
Scolari has also appeared on Broadway in “Wicked” and “Hairspray,” as well as 2014’s “Bronx Bombers,” where he was the Yogi Berra of baseball.
Bob Newhart stated that “we were friends and coworkers for more than 40 years” in a statement to The Associated Press. He stated that the “essential” part of the success of “Newhart” was the contribution of Scolari and Julia Duffy, an on-screen couple.
He was a wonderful person and it was a pleasure to work with him in life. Newhart, 92, said that he will be missed greatly and that 66 was too young.
Scolari was recently cast as Bishop Thomas Marx in the supernatural series “Evil.” Robert King, series creator, referred to him Tuesday as “just amazing.”
He was “one the most funny, sneakily funny” actors we have ever worked with. King stated on Twitter that he always took a scene from nothing and found new ways to twist it and add odd pauses to make it jump.
He was Duffy’s husband, Stephanie, and a colleague to Newhart’s owner of an inn. Also, he was a local TV host.
Duffy tweeted, “No better partner,” along with a broken heart emoji. Also included was a photo of Scolari and Duffy dancing a tango.
He won an Emmy Award in 2016 for his role as Ted Horvath (father to Hannah Dunham) in “Girls.” During the Dunham-directed drama, Ted comes out and leaves his wife to pursue fulfillment.
Dunham posted an Instagram message saying that she couldn’t have been raised by a better TV “papa”. We are so sorry Scolari.
Harvey Fierstein, the star of “Hairspray”, tweeted that there was “no sweeter man on this planet.”
Scolari’s career spanned more than four decades and included many guest roles on shows like “ER”, “White Collar,” and “Blue Bloods.”
He is a New Yorker, his previous marriages ending in divorce. His wife Tracy Shayne, an actor, survived him. She played Berra’s wife in the film “Bronx Bombers” and was also his children Cali, Joseph, Keaton and Nicholas.
