Peter Scolari

Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor.

In 1972, he enrolled at Occidental College in Los Angeles as a theater arts major, but left a year later and returned to New York after his father died.

He joined the Colonnades Theatre Lab, a repertory theatre in Manhattan, working with actors such as Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Jeff Goldblum and Michael O'Keefe.

Scolari was also working on a degree in comparative literature at City College of New York.

During this time, Scolari appeared in multiple off-Broadway plays and met Finnish actor Paavo Tammim, who taught him to juggle.

He also studied mime and learned to ride a unicycle.

His performance in a 1974 production of "Reflections" received a rave review from The New York Times.

In 1979 he returned to Los Angeles.

Scolari was signed to do an NBC pilot in 1979 titled The Further Adventures Of Wally Brown, a show that did not get picked-up.

He was best known for his roles as Henry Desmond on Bosom Buddies (1980–1982), Michael Harris on Newhart (1984–1990), and Wayne Szalinski on Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997–2000).

He starred in the short-lived 1980 sitcom Goodtime Girls as Benny, the juggling neighbor of the title characters.

Bosom Buddies was canceled in 1982 and in 1984 Scolari joined the cast of Newhart as Michael Harris, a preppily-dressed, wannabe yuppie, and local TV producer of the fictional talk show "Vermont Today".

Harris was a recurring character in the show's second season and the character was so popular with audiences that executive producer Barry Kemp signed Scolari to be a regular cast member in the show's following season, before it was even confirmed that there would be a third season.

His next starring role was in the 1983 sitcom Baby Makes Five.

His big break came when he was cast with Tom Hanks the sitcom, Bosom Buddies.

Scolari and Hanks play a couple of advertising copywriters who disguise themselves as women in order to live in an affordable New York apartment — a women's-only residence called the Susan B. Anthony Hotel.

A different actor had initially been cast alongside Hanks, but things didn't work out.

Scolari happened to be playing a guest role on an adjacent sound stage and was auditioned for the role.

The show's pilot was shot a few days later.

Scolari played Henry Desmond, whose female pseudonym was Hildegard, and Hanks played Kip Wilson, who went by the name Buffy.

His role earned Scolari three Emmy nominations for best supporting actor in a comedy and remained with the show until its conclusion in 1990.

During this time, Scolari also got to showcase his vaudevillian talents during three episodes of the annual television special, Circus of the Stars, including juggling with knives and fire, as well as juggling on a tightrope.

In 1993, Scolari starred in the series Family Album about a couple who move with their children back to their hometown of Philadelphia to be closer to their aging parents.

Actress Gina Hecht was initially selected to play the wife of Scolari's character, but was replaced by Pamela Reed just two days before the show's pilot was shot.

Scolari told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 1993 that he and Reed had "instant rapport", however the show lasted one season.

Two years later he starred in the series Dweebs, which centers around the employees of a software firm.

Scolari plays Warren Mosbey, the company's eccentric, socially-inept, tech-genius owner.

The show was cancelled after one season.

Scolari starred in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show over the show's three seasons.

Scolari plays inventor Wayne Szalinski, the role originally played by Rick Moranis in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids series of films.

During the show's run, he also played astronaut Pete Conrad in the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, co-produced by Hanks, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.

Scolari received three Emmy nominations for his work on Newhart and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his recurring role as Tad Horvath on Girls in 2016.

Scolari was born in New Rochelle, New York, to Arthur and Barbara (née Fay) Scolari, and was raised in Scarsdale along with an older sister and two younger brothers.

His father was of Italian descent and played semi-professional baseball before becoming a lawyer.

His mother was a singer prior to meeting Scolari's father and later worked with the Alcohol Rehabilitation arm of the Tidewater Psychiatric Institute in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

In an interview with the Toronto Star Scolari said that his father was a psychologically abusive, "rageful man", and that his mother struggled with alcoholism.

Scolari added that his parents "stayed together for the kids and also because they were hopelessly in love with each other, but they were totally incompatible."

At the age of 13 Scolari did some animation voice acting work and performed in plays while attending Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, where he also participated in football, baseball and track.

At 16 years of age he starred as Finch in a high school production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and came to the realization that he wanted to be an actor professionally.

He later had a recurring role as Tad Horvath, the father of Lena Dunham's character on HBO's Girls, for which he won an Emmy in 2016.