Ray Sharkey

Actor

About

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Birth Place

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Born

November 14, 1952

Died

June 11, 1993

Cause of Death

Complications From Aids

Biography

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Lead and character player who began his career on TV in the 1970s and achieved his movie breakthrough in "The Idolmaker" (1982), Taylor Hackford's stinging look at exploitation in the music business. Sharkey has appeared in several Paul Mazursky films, notably as Phil D'Amico in the engaging "Willie and Phil" (1980). He excelled in tough, urban roles and is known for his role as mob boss...

Filmography

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Stephen Verona: Self Portrait (1995)

Urban Crossfire (1994)

Cop And A Half (1993)

Round Trip to Heaven (1992)

In the Line of Duty: Street War (1992)

Victor Tomasino

Chrome Soldiers (1992)

Photos & Videos

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Stunts (1977) -- (Movie Clip) All Cameras Stand By

Stunts (1977) -- (Movie Clip) He Was One Of Us

Family & Companions

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Ornella Muti

Companion

Actor. Had relationship when they acted together in "Love and Money" in 1981.

Rebecca Wood

Wife

Model. Married for two years in the mid-1980s; reportedly broke up because of Sharkey's drug use.

Carole Graham

Wife

Actor. Married in October 1988; filed for divorce in 1990.

Biography

Lead and character player who began his career on TV in the 1970s and achieved his movie breakthrough in "The Idolmaker" (1982), Taylor Hackford's stinging look at exploitation in the music business. Sharkey has appeared in several Paul Mazursky films, notably as Phil D'Amico in the engaging "Willie and Phil" (1980). He excelled in tough, urban roles and is known for his role as mob boss Sonny Steelgrave in the popular TV series, "Wiseguy."

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Stephen Verona: Self Portrait (1995)

Urban Crossfire (1994)

Cop And A Half (1993)

Round Trip to Heaven (1992)

In the Line of Duty: Street War (1992)

Victor Tomasino

Chrome Soldiers (1992)

Zebrahead (1992)

Caged Fear (1991)

Relentless 2: Dead On (1991)

Act of Piracy (1990)

The Take (1990)

Good Cops, Bad Cops: The Biggest Heist in History (1990)

The Rain Killer (1990)

Angel Velasquez

The Revenge of Al Capone (1989)

Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989)

Private Investigations (1987)

Wise Guys (1986)

No Mercy (1986)

Behind Enemy Lines (1985)

Master Sergeant Max Zierman

Body Rock (1984)

Hellhole (1984)

duBEAT-e-o (1984)

Some Kind Of Hero (1982)

Love and Money (1982)

The Ordeal of Bill Carney (1981)

Willie & Phil (1980)

Heart Beat (1980)

The Idolmaker (1980)

Who'll Stop The Rain? (1978)

Paradise Alley (1978)

Hot Tomorrows (1977)

Stunts (Do Not Use) (1977)

Music (Feature Film)

The Idolmaker (1980)

Cast (Special)

27 Wagons Full of Cotton (1990)

Best Friends (1977)

Lionel "Big O" Lapidus; The Bully

Cast (TV Mini-Series)

The Neon Empire (1989)

Life Events

1973

In November, moved to L.A.

1976

Film acting debut in "Hot Tomorrows" (American Film Institute graduate film directed by Martin Brest)

1977

Appeared in the unsold CBS pilot "Best Friends"

1978

Garnered attention for performance as a killer in "Who'll Stop the Rain"

1979

Cast as an Alan Ginsberg-like poet in "Heart Beat"

1980

Starred with Margot Kidder and Michael Ontkean in the triangular romantic film "Willie and Phil"

1981

Had title role of a paraplegic in the CBS drama "The Ordeal of Bill Carney"

1981

Breakthrough screen role as "The Idolmaker"

1987

Offered memorable turn as the mobster Sonny Steelgrave in the CBS drama "Wiseguy"

1989

Played the famed Chicago gangster in the NBC telepic "The Revenge of Al Capone"

1991

Headlined the ABC sitcom "Man in the Family"; aired for seven episodes during the summer

1992

Last TV-movie "In the Line of Duty: Street War" (NBC)

1993

Last feature film, "Cop & ½"

Videos

Stunts (1977) -- (Movie Clip) All Cameras Stand By After credits in which we saw the tie-line to the helicopter tampered with, the first scene finds stunt man Billy (Gary Charles Davis), with Earl (Malachi Throne) directing, undertaking the big stunt, Ray Sharkey the driver, in Stunts, 1977, the first feature from Robert Shaye’s New Line Cinema.

Stunts (1977) -- (Movie Clip) He Was One Of Us We’ve learned that Glen (Robert Forster), who’s taking over as stunt coordinator after his brother was killed on a movie shoot, is giving a lift to writer B.J. (Fiona Lewis), whose car broke down, both greeted by Patti (Joanna Cassidy), Chuck (Bruce Glover) and Paulie (Ray Sharkey), in Stunts, 1977.

Stunts (1977) -- (Movie Clip) I Thought She'd Love It The FX man and director (Richard Lynch, Malachi Throne) set up stunt man Glen (Robert Forster) for the next shot, whereupon he picks up adversarial journalist B.J. (Fiona Lewis), who doesn’t know cameras are rolling, in Stunts, 1977, from New LIne Cinema and director Mark L. Lester.

Family

Cecelia Sharkey

Mother

Raised son as a single parent with assistance from her parents.

Cecelia Bonnie Sharkey

Daughter

Born on March 25, 1989; mother, Carole Graham.

Companions

Ornella Muti

Companion

Actor. Had relationship when they acted together in "Love and Money" in 1981.

Rebecca Wood

Wife

Model. Married for two years in the mid-1980s; reportedly broke up because of Sharkey's drug use.

Carole Graham

Wife

Actor. Married in October 1988; filed for divorce in 1990.

Bibliography

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