Peter Scolari, the actor who was known for many roles and starred along side Tom Hanks in “Bosom Buddies”, died Friday morning at the age of 66 after a two-year battle with cancer.
His manager Ellen Lubin Sanitsky of Wright Entertainment confirmed his death to The Post, saying, “It is with great sadness I confirm the passing of Peter Scolari.”
Scolari appeared in one of his first TV appearances on the 1980s ABC comedy series, alongside legendary actor and lifelong friend Tom Hanks.
He began his career in film and television in the 1970s, when he starred in movies like “Fosse/Verdon” and “Madoff.” He has had a 40-year career in Hollywood, with roles on popular shows like “Madoff,” and “The Good Fight
Scolari has been nominated for three Emmys as a producer on the Bob Newhart long-running 1980s comedy “Newhart.” He was named Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work as Lena Dunham’s father on HBO’s “Girls.”
He also appeared in Hanks’ movies “The Polar Express” (2004) and “That Thing You Do!””
Scolari appeared in many Broadway shows and musicals, including “Hairspray,” which he starred in in 2003, as the Wizard of Oz in “Wicked” (2004), “Sly Fox” (2004), and “Magic/Bird” (2012). He performed in a number
In 2013, Hanks and Scolari reunited on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre for “Lucky Guy.”
The “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show” star was a serious juggler who claimed in 2016 — shortly after his Emmy award — where he likes to juggle in New York City.
“I’m a good juggler. If you want to court a woman, you need to be able to juggle five balls, fire and knives,” stated back then. “Before the dog park [was added to] Washington Square Park, I used to go there. Now I go to Riverside Park with my wife and a bag of props and juggle for an hour and a half or two hours, depending on my hands. Afterward, we like to go to the Boat Basin Café. You have to rehydrate after juggling, so I get a Pellegrino water with lime. I never drink alcohol.”
Scolari was married four times and is survived by his fourth wife, Tracy Shayne, and their children, Nicholas, Joseph, Keaton, and Cali.
The show Bosom Buddies stared Peter Scolari and Tom Hanks as two single men who share an apartment and dress as women to avoid paying double rent. The show was viewed as a comedy that focused on the life of the two men dressing as women, but there were more serious parts of the show that broached issues such as homophobia and AIDS. The series made it onto the airwaves in 1982 and was cancelled after 82 episodes in 1984.
On the show, Hanks and Scolari shared a kiss in one episode of the show towards the end. Trachtenberg commented that this was groundbreaking at the time because it wasn’t often seen between two men on television, but since then it has become much more common to see same-sex kisses on television. The “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show” star was a serious juggler who claimed in 2016 — shortly after his Emmy award — where he likes to juggle in New York City.
