Peter Scolari, 'Bosom Buddies' and 'Newhart' star, dead at 66
Entertainment

Peter Scolari, Tom Hanks’ pal and ‘Bosom Buddies’ co-star, dead at 66

Actor Peter Scolari died Friday morning at the age of 66 after a two-year battle with cancer.

The “Bosom Buddies” actor’s passing was confirmed to The Post by his manager Ellen Lubin Sanitsky of Wright Entertainment.

Scolari starred, alongside legendary actor and lifelong friend Tom Hanks, in the 1980s ABC sitcom in one of his early TV roles.

He had a 40-plus-year career in Hollywood, starring in iconic films and shows such as “Fosse/Verdon,” “Madoff,” “The Good Fight,” “Murphy Brown,” “The West Wing,” “ER,” “Gotham,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Ally McBeal.” One of his most recent parts was a recurring role as Bishop Thomas Marx in the CBS series “Evil.”

Peter Scolari poses with his 2016 Emmy for HBO's "Girls." Inset: With co-star and lifelong friend Tom Hanks in the 1980s ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies."
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One of Peter Scolari's more recent roles was a recurring part as Bishop Thomas Marx in the CBS series "Evil."
One of Peter Scolari’s more recent roles was the recurring part of Bishop Thomas Marx in the CBS’ “Evil.” CBS via Getty Images

For his role as producer Michael Harris on Bob Newhart’s long-running 1980s comedy “Newhart,” Scolari scored three Emmy nominations. For his portrayal of the father of Lena Dunham’s character on the HBO series “Girls,” he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

He also made memorable cameo appearances in Hanks’ films “The Polar Express” and 1996’s “That Thing You Do!”

Scolari also starred in several Broadway productions and appeared in numerous plays and musicals. He starred in 2003’s “Hairspray,” as the Wizard of Oz in “Wicked,” “Sly Fox” in 2004, “Magic/Bird” in 2012 and “Bronx Bombers” in 2014.

Hanks and Scolari shared the spotlight again in 2013 at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre for the 2013 production of “Lucky Guy.”

The “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show” star was an avid juggler, who told The Post in 2016 — shortly after his Emmy win — 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,” he said at the time. “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 his children, Nicholas, Joseph, Keaton and Cali.