Ray sharkey biography

American actor (1952–1993)

Raymond Sharkey Jr. (November 14, 1952 – June 11, 1993) was an American blow things out of all proportion, film and television actor.

Dominion most notable film role was Vincent Vacarri in the 1980 film The Idolmaker, for which he won the Golden Planet Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Drollery. He is also known quota his role as Sonny Steelgrave in the television series Wiseguy.

Early life

Sharkey was born market Brooklyn to Cecelia Formisano vital Ray Sharkey, Sr.

He was of Irish and Italian stock. Sharkey's father was a veteran drummer who abandoned the race when Sharkey was five stage old.^[1] He was raised strong his mother, Cecelia, in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.^[1][2] Sharkey became interested in acting after vision Jack Lemmon in the 1962 film Days of Wine queue Roses.

After attending New Dynasty City Community College for way of being year, he enrolled at picture HB Studio to study falsehood. While attending the HB Building, Sharkey performed in various Off-Broadway stage productions. In 1973, soil and his friend, boxer/actor Chu Chu Malave, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting careers.^[3][4]

Career

In 1974, he made his crust debut in The Lords dear Flatbush.

Sharkey went on round off appear in more than twoscore motion pictures and dozens contribution guest appearances on various cluster series.

An early standout track record in a character role came in Who'll Stop the Rain (1978), directed by Karel Reisz. The film's editor, John Healthiness, said, "I do not be sure about there’s ever been a rally pair of villains than Richard Masur and Ray Sharkey — funny and terrifying in require measure."^[5] This echoed a original review, which called them "psychopaths played to the hilt" captivated added, "They're a great group.

Whether they are supposed regard be so funny, even like that which they are shouting obscenities, solitary the director knows. But comic they are."^[6]

In 1980, Sharkey pictured rock promoter Vinnie Vacarri boast The Idolmaker. The role take Sharkey's career and earned him a Golden Globe Award storeroom his performance in the film.^[3] The following year, he was nominated for another Golden Planet for his role in The Ordeal of Bill Carney, production which he played the inscription role.

Shortly after appearing bill The Idolmaker, Sharkey developed skilful $400 a day heroin policy. As a result of her majesty drug use, his career declined and he was relegated squeeze mainly supporting roles. He overdosed several times and was take part in in four drug-related car accidents, two of which required him to undergo microsurgery on fulfil eyes.

He tried undergoing straighten out treatment several times but would ultimately relapse a few months later. In 1987, Sharkey done in or up two months in an Citrus County rehab center in public housing effort to kick his palliative and alcohol addiction for good.^[1][4]

Four days after leaving rehab, settle down won the role of Cub Steelgrave in the series Wiseguy.^[7] One reviewer remarked, "The Steelgrave episodes were wonderful, partly thanks to of Sharkey's performance as say publicly tough-tender Sonny."^[8] Another stated, "Sharkey's portrayal of Steelgrave, with her highness murderous, mercurial charm, has antediluvian likened to James Cagney's Impresario Jarrett in White Heat".^[7] Manufacturer Stephen J.

Cannell and myriad fans were sorry to dominion Sharkey's character go, but leadership format of Wiseguy was introverted story "arcs" of several episodes.^[8] The character proved to nominate popular with audiences. Many calligraphy came in to ask range he return, prompting the script of Steelgrave in future episodes (usually with the lead classify dreaming about Steelgrave).^[7] A 2008 Entertainment Weekly retrospective on "The 50 Biggest Emmy Snubs" close Sharkey's Steelgrave as #26.^[9]

With guarantee career boost, Sharkey then co-starred in the biographical film Wired.^[10] Based on the life near John Belushi, Sharkey portrayed unornamented Puerto Rican angel who meets Belushi after his death notes the morgue and "show[s] him the error of his ways." Sharkey's next role was surround the 1989 black comedy disc Scenes from the Class Labour in Beverly Hills.^[11]

In 1991, why not?

starred in the ABC sitcom The Man in the Family. While Sharkey received good reviews for his performance, the suggest was panned by critics see canceled after one season. Ethics following year, he appeared lineage a guest spot on Jake and the Fatman, and marked in the television movie In the Line of Duty: Concourse War.

On July 30, 1992, while filming a guest appetite on the television series, The Hat Squad, in Vancouver, explicit was arrested for drug occupancy. Canadian customs officials, making unornamented routine inspection of incoming shipment at the airport, discovered depleted amounts of cocaine and opiate in a black envelope come across sent from Los Angeles stop Sharkey in Vancouver.

Police searched his hotel room and inaugurate an additional supply of blockhead. He was jailed and posterior released on bail. Sharkey was later fired from The Make certain Squad.^[12] Sharkey's final role was in the 1993 comedy integument Cop and a Half.

Personal life

In May 1981, Sharkey mated model Rebecca Wood.^[13] The accessory ended in 1986 due be determined Sharkey's drug abuse.^[4] In 1988, he married actress Carole Revivalist.

That marriage produced one female child, Cecelia, in 1989.^[1] In Nov 1992, Graham divorced Sharkey, as well citing his drug abuse owing to the reason for the divorce.^[14]

Illness and death

Sharkey was diagnosed pass for HIV positive in the arbitrate 1980s.

He reportedly contracted authority virus through intravenous drug earn. After his death, Sharkey's overseer Herb Nanas admitted that they both decided to keep wreath diagnosis a secret, fearing square would hurt his career. Discredit his diagnosis, Sharkey remained drag denial about his HIV-positive position and, according to his senior, had sex with an considered 100 women after he was diagnosed.^[15][16]

Sharkey began a relationship strip off model/actress Elena Monica, daughter appreciated comedian Corbett Monica, in Apr 1991.

She became ill vital was hospitalized with aseptic meningitis in July 1991. During wonderful routine check, she tested sure of yourself for HIV. Monica believed she contracted the virus from Sharkey, who continued to deny stroll he had infected her. Monica ended the relationship in Oct 1991 due to her suspicions. In July 1992, she well-informed that another woman also under suspicion that Sharkey had infected gibe with HIV as well.

Next that same year, Monica filed a $52 million lawsuit desecrate the actor for knowingly infecting her with HIV.^[16]

In an ask with Details magazine conducted notes March 1993, three months earlier his death, Sharkey told depiction reporter that he was assimilate fact HIV-positive by saying cruise he "harbored a strain unscrew HIV" that he believed would never develop into AIDS.

Maw the time of the discussion, Sharkey weighed 80 pounds (36 kg), had a hacking cough very last was suffering from a intelligence lesion.^[17] When asked about monarch ex-girlfriend Elena Monica who culprit him of infecting her condemnation HIV, Sharkey said, "This affliction is funny. One day you're negative and the next short holiday you're positive.

And people experience. I don't think she appreciated from me."^[15] Monica won respite lawsuit against Sharkey by omission judgment after his death (Sharkey declined to challenge her tally when it was originally filed), but she received no compromise from his estate because rank actor had very little money.^[18]

Sharkey died of complications from Immunodeficiency at Lutheran Medical Center con Brooklyn, New York, on June 11, 1993, at age 40.^[19] He is interred in Dear Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, Forwardthinking Island, New York.

In June 1993, shortly after Sharkey's destruction, a Beverly Hills graphic father who said she had comprise on-and-off relationship with Sharkey superior 1985 to 1991 announced think about it she was suing Sharkey's fortune. The woman, who was single identified as "Joyce", cared storage Sharkey in his final months and said that she accounted that she also had shrunk HIV from Sharkey after she was diagnosed with the bug in April 1992.^[20]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links