Peter Scolari

Biography

Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor, director, and producer, born in New Rochelle, New York. He developed an interest in acting during his school years and later trained at the Colonnades Theatre Lab in Manhattan, where he worked alongside performers including Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and Jeff Goldblum.

He began his professional acting career in the late 1970s and gained recognition for playing Henry Desmond in the television sitcom Bosom Buddies (1980–1982), alongside Tom Hanks. He subsequently became widely known for his portrayal of Michael Harris in the sitcom Newhart (1984–1990), a performance that earned him three consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Scolari also played Wayne Szalinski in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997–2000). His film appearances included The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984), That Thing You Do! (1996), and The Polar Express (2004), in which he voiced Billy, the Lonely Boy.

Later in his career, he portrayed Tad Horvath in the HBO comedy-drama series Girls (2012–2017). His performance earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016. He also appeared in Gotham (2015), The Good Fight (2018), and Evil (2019–2021). In addition to television and film, he performed on Broadway and in theatrical productions, including Hairspray, Magic/Bird, and Wicked.

He died on October 22, 2021, in Manhattan, New York City, at the age of 66, following a battle with leukemia.