Charley Scalies, the cherished character actor best known for his role in Sopranos and as Horseface in The Wire, has passed away at the age of 84 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The actor died peacefully on Thursday at a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, his daughter Anne Marie Scalies confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
A beloved figure in both the entertainment industry and among his tight-knit family and community, Charley’s career spanned decades, but it was the gritty, working-class characters he brought to life that left a lasting impression on viewers.
Charley portrayed Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa, a stevedore and union checker, in 12 episodes of HBO’s The Wire—a performance so authentic, it earned the respect of real-life dockworkers.
“The only time I’ve even been on the docks is when I worked on The Wire,” he once said in a 2019 interview with Chesapeake Bay Magazine. “And the only time I met a stevedore was shortly after I was cast as Horseface.”
It was a role that seemed to find him, rather than the other way around. Shortly after securing the part, Charley happened to meet a group of real-life stevedores and union representatives from the International Longshoremen’s Association.
© Platform X“I told them I had just been cast as a union ‘checker’ on a TV show,” he recalled fondly. “Their response was immediate and unanimous: ‘He looks like a checker.’”
That kind of recognition became a hallmark of his career, playing everyday men with quiet dignity, emotional depth and just the right dose of humour. And The Wire, widely considered one of the greatest television dramas of all time, offered Charley a role that felt deeply personal.
“As with all the other characters I’ve been blessed to portray, Horseface lives inside of me,” he told the magazine. “I invite him out to play as needed.”
© LinkedInBut The Wire wasn’t the only iconic series on Charley’s résumé.
He also made a memorable appearance in The Sopranos, HBO’s other seminal drama, in a dream sequence that revealed the inner turmoil of mob boss Tony Soprano. Charley played Coach Molinaro—Tony’s high school football coach—in a surreal therapy-inspired scene that delved into the mobster’s guilt and insecurity.
Charley’s legacy
While his screen credits were few compared to Hollywood’s leading men, Charley’s work was steeped in integrity and nuance. He made his mark not by chasing stardom, but by grounding his characters in truth.
According to an obituary published by Legacy.com, Charley’s greatest role, by far, was the one he played at home. “Best known first and foremost as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend,” the tribute read. “His favourite audience was always seated around the dinner table.”
That devotion to family was woven through every aspect of his life. Though he rubbed shoulders with the likes of James Gandolfini and Wendell Pierce, Charley remained deeply rooted in his Pennsylvania community, cherishing time with his loved ones above all else.
© Platform XBorn and raised in Pennsylvania, Charley came to acting later in life. Though he began his professional life in sales and business, it was the stage that ultimately called to him. He trained in theatre, performed in regional productions, and slowly began making his way into television during the 1990s.
His salt-of-the-earth demeanour made him a natural fit for roles that demanded grit, loyalty, and depth. Whether playing a union man, a coach, or a neighbour, Charley brought every line to life with heart. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.
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