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The Official Website of Charley Scalies

Charley's Bio

"Don't give up on your dreams. They never give up on you."
"You're never too young to have a dream, or too old to make it come true" (Inspired by screenwriter Joseph Stefano.)

Charley grew up over his father's pool hall in South Philadelphia. Too young to "shoot stick" - at 7 years of age he could barely reach the tables - he entertained the pool hall regulars with jokes he had overheard them tell one another.

"Whenever my Mother overheard me begin, "Did you hear the one about....", she closed her eyes, clenched teeth, held her breath and scrunched her head way down into her shoulders, as though she was preparing for an incoming mortar round. Some of the jokes I had learned from those guys were that bad! Of course, I had no idea what they meant. I just knew they would reduce grown men to uncontrollable fits of laughter. Such power! I was hooked."

During high school and college years, while South Philly was producing the likes of Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and Fabian, Charley and a friend formed the comedy act of "Reno and DiPeppe" and played every Beef and Beer they could find.

<>"Like every other comedy duo of the time, we patterned our act after Martin and Lewis. Today Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People", would call that "Benchmarking Best Practices". But back then, we called it stealing"

But in the summer between sophomore and junior years at St. Joseph's University, Charley was hit by The Bolt of Lightning! Charley met Angeline Marie Cardamone, a dark haired beauty from North Philly and, within a matter of weeks, the nesting instinct kicked in. Shortly after graduation, Charley took a "real job", married his Angeline, and together they set out to happily create and raise five children. In he meantime, the spot went out and the curtain came down. on his acting career.

"I just didn't know at the time that it was only Act One."

Act Two

In 1991, at an age when some people are planning their retirement, Charley walked away from an established career as a business executive to embark on a new life path as a professional actor.

"I wanted to act but I didn't have stars in my eyes. I had to continue making a living since most of the kids were still at home, expecting three meals a day. I knew that doing the typical "bartender gig" wouldn't quite hack it. Besides, I had umpteen years worth of solid business management experience to call upon so I started my own management consulting firm. That gave me the wherewithal and the flexibility I needed to pursue my deferred dream."

In 1993, after having done his fair share of non-union commercials and industrial films, Charley landed his first featured role as The Ballyhoo Driver in the Al Pacino film, "Two Bits".

"I refused to spend any time in my "honey wagon" (dressing room/trailer) opting instead to spend nearly every minute on the set. I was in a MOVIE!!!! and I wasn't going to miss a single minute of that experience!"

That was followed by roles in "Condition Red" and "Twelve Monkeys".

"The most challenging and rewarding direction I ever got was from Monty Python alumnus, Terry Gilliam, director of 12 Monkees. During my audition, Terry said, "I want you to act strange.....but I don't know what that means." It was also during that audition that I got the most important lesson in acting for film. Casting Director, Mike Lemon, counseled, "Don't act - the camera will always catch you - and when you're not speaking, don't stop acting. Listen. Listening is acting, too."

In 1997, Charley returned to the local stage in the leading role of Mayor Big Bill Thompson in a six month run of "Chicago's Gangstertown", an interactive, loosely scripted, musical comedy. The role required him to be on stage and in the audience for nearly 3 hours per show. "Everything I had ever learned decades ago about doing stand up comedy in clubs and bars - it all came back to me."

Later that year, Charley went to Pretoria, South Africa to film a commercial for "Meller", a new candy confection. "If I ever thought acting was easy, this shoot would have convinced me otherwise." Charley portrayed, "El Presidente", a military dictator whose bodyguards - 6 men, each over 6" 5" tall and most in excess of 275 pounds - dive on top of him to protect him from an imagined attack. Charley was "dropped" on the granite steps of the Palace of Justice during 90 takes over a two-day period with temperatures soaring to 98+ degrees!

"I had bruises on parts of my body I never knew I had.

And I'd do it again on a moment's notice."

The next year, Charley's was cast in Barry Levinson's film, "Liberty Heights". Charley plays "Louie" one of Nate Kurtzman's (Joe Mantegna) partners in the Baltimore numbers racket. "The role was easy to play. All I had to do was borrow from the abundance of rich characters I knew from the pool hall. That place was an actor's gold mine."

Charley then appeared as a regular in the second season of HBO's critically acclaimed series, "The Wire" "My character, "Horseface", is a rough talking longshoreman involved in doing bad things for good reasons and attracts the attention of both the Baltimore "Murder Police" and the FBI. The writers blessed "Horseface" with some memorable lines, most of which cannot be repeated in polite company."

Charley can also be found in season five of HBO's award winning series, "The Sopranos", where he plays, "Coach Molinaro", Tony Soprano's old, but still influential, high school football coach: the only man Tony ever respected AND feared. The Coach got to say things to Tony - with absolute impunity - that no one else would dare say to him.

On the little screen, Charley has also appeared in "Law and Order", two episodes of Law & Order SVU, and as "Officer Burns", a recurring roll in "Homicide, Life on the Streets"

Charley is very active in the independent film arena where actors can hone their craft and experiment with characters and situations. His "indies" have included "Moon Juice", Dog House", "Diary of a City Priest" with David Morse, "Job #5" and "Nicky's Game" with John Ventamiglia and Bert Young. in 2008, he is looking forward to a principle role in a three part story set in Baltimore during the depression.