[ad_1]
Tony Ganios, the comic actor known for his portrayal of fan-favorite Meat in Bob Clark’s “Porky’s” and Perry in Philip Kaufman’s 1979 coming-of-age comedy-drama “The Wanderers,” died on February 18 after surgery at a hospital. In New York. He was 64 years old.
Ganios’ fiancée shared the news on social media, posting a tweet showing a photo of the two holding hands with the caption: “I love you so much, my love. “I’m broken.” She later continued with a tweet which contains a photo of Ganios and the caption: “The last words we said to each other were: “I love you.” Love is a euphemism. You’re everything to me. My heart, my soul and my best friend.”
Ganios was known for his roles in teen comedies and action films of the 1980s. He gained prominence for his portrayal of tough, muscular characters that often caused him to turn to character acting to play roles that required physical presence and toughness.
Making his film debut in Kaufman’s “The Wanderers,” Ganios played Perry, one of the Bronx’s Italian-American street thugs in the 1963 film based on Richard Price’s novel. Ganios would reunite with co-star Ken Wahl for a recurring role as a mob lawyer on Wahl’s 1987-90 crime series “Wiseguy.”
His best-known role, however, was as Meat in the 1981 raunchy comedy series “Porky’s” about a group of high school friends who seek revenge against a sleazy nightclub owner named Porky after having been humiliated in his establishment.
Although the film was panned by critics, it would become the sixth highest-grossing film of 1982 and spawn two sequels.
Other film credits include “Porky’s II: The Next Day” (1983) and “Die Hard 2” (1990). Ganios partially retired from acting after working on the film “Rising Sun,” with brief appearances in three films between 1991 and 1993.
When asked by Cult Faction in 2015 why he decided to return to acting during those brief stints.Ganios said: “It’s a strange thing. While he missed acting, he didn’t miss the entertainment industry or most of the people involved in it. But as time went on, I constantly ran into fans who were really disappointed to hear that I had left the business. Despite their votes of confidence, I think few of my friends and fans realized how difficult it would be for me to return to an industry in which I was barely successful to begin with.”
Ganios was born in Brooklyn. He is survived by his fiancée, Amanda.