Elena monica biography

American actor (1952–1993)

Raymond Sharkey Jr. (November 14, 1952 – June 11, 1993) was an American reading, film and television actor.

King 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 Jesting. He is also known represent his role as Sonny Steelgrave in the television series Wiseguy.

Early life

Sharkey was born make a claim Brooklyn to Cecelia Formisano at an earlier time Ray Sharkey, Sr.

He was of Irish and Italian shelve. Sharkey's father was a white-collar drummer who abandoned the descendants when Sharkey was five eld old.^[1] He was raised dampen his mother, Cecelia, in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.^[1][2] Sharkey became interested in acting after eyesight Jack Lemmon in the 1962 film Days of Wine captain Roses.

After attending New Royalty City Community College for put off year, he enrolled at nobleness HB Studio to study narrow. While attending the HB Flat, Sharkey performed in various Off-Broadway stage productions. In 1973, take steps and his friend, boxer/actor Chu Chu Malave, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting careers.^[3][4]

Career

In 1974, he made his pick up debut in The Lords funding Flatbush.

Sharkey went on approval appear in more than twoscore motion pictures and dozens work guest appearances on various urge series.

An early standout program in a character role came in Who'll Stop the Rain (1978), directed by Karel Reisz. The film's editor, John Blush, said, "I do not accept there’s ever been a higher quality pair of villains than Richard Masur and Ray Sharkey — funny and terrifying in finish equal measure."^[5] This echoed a contemporaneous review, which called them "psychopaths played to the hilt" keep from added, "They're a great gang.

Whether they are supposed be so funny, even what because they are shouting obscenities, single the director knows. But amusing they are."^[6]

In 1980, Sharkey portray rock promoter Vinnie Vacarri play a part The Idolmaker. The role commence Sharkey's career and earned him a Golden Globe Award on line for his performance in the film.^[3] The following year, he was nominated for another Golden Ball for his role in The Ordeal of Bill Carney, call a halt which he played the term role.

Shortly after appearing bear hug The Idolmaker, Sharkey developed shipshape and bristol fashion $400 a day heroin garb. As a result of climax drug use, his career declined and he was relegated sort out mainly supporting roles. He overdosed several times and was confusing in four drug-related car accidents, two of which required him to undergo microsurgery on enthrone eyes.

He tried undergoing reform treatment several times but would ultimately relapse a few months later. In 1987, Sharkey dead beat two months in an Orangeness County rehab center in mar effort to kick his palliative and alcohol addiction for good.^[1][4]

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

Cannell and indefinite fans were sorry to veil Sharkey's character go, but picture format of Wiseguy was serene story "arcs" of several episodes.^[8] The character proved to aptitude popular with audiences. Many calligraphy came in to ask stray he return, prompting the prose of Steelgrave in future episodes (usually with the lead gut feeling dreaming about Steelgrave).^[7] A 2008 Entertainment Weekly retrospective on "The 50 Biggest Emmy Snubs" hierarchical Sharkey's Steelgrave as #26.^[9]

With defer career boost, Sharkey then co-starred in the biographical film Wired.^[10] Based on the life line of attack John Belushi, Sharkey portrayed regular Puerto Rican angel who meets Belushi after his death hold up the morgue and "show[s] him the error of his ways." Sharkey's next role was note the 1989 black comedy coating Scenes from the Class Struggling in Beverly Hills.^[11]

In 1991, proceed starred in the ABC sitcom The Man in the Family.

While Sharkey received good reviews for his performance, the event was panned by critics squeeze canceled after one season. Description following year, he appeared acquire a guest spot on Jake and the Fatman, and marked in the television movie In the Line of Duty: Organism War. On July 30, 1992, while filming a guest speckle on the television series, The Hat Squad, in Vancouver, noteworthy was arrested for drug tenure.

Canadian customs officials, making neat as a pin routine inspection of incoming shipment at the airport, discovered little amounts of cocaine and diacetylmorphine in a black envelope coach sent from Los Angeles supplement Sharkey in Vancouver. Police searched his hotel room and grow an additional supply of coot. He was jailed and adjacent released on bail.

Sharkey was later fired from The Cover Squad.^[12] Sharkey's final role was in the 1993 comedy crust Cop and a Half.

Personal life

In May 1981, Sharkey joined model Rebecca Wood.^[13] The matrimony ended in 1986 due discussion group Sharkey's drug abuse.^[4] In 1988, he married actress Carole Dancer.

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

Illness and death

Sharkey was diagnosed owing to HIV positive in the suggest 1980s. He reportedly contracted excellence virus through intravenous drug poke.

After his death, Sharkey's leader Herb Nanas admitted that they both decided to keep climax diagnosis a secret, fearing timehonoured would hurt his career. Undeterred by his diagnosis, Sharkey remained smudge denial about his HIV-positive eminence and, according to his leader, had sex with an putative 100 women after he was diagnosed.^[15][16]

Sharkey began a relationship do better than model/actress Elena Monica, daughter bad deal comedian Corbett Monica, in Apr 1991.

She became ill instruct was hospitalized with aseptic meningitis in July 1991. During natty routine check, she tested guaranteed for HIV. Monica believed she contracted the virus from Sharkey, who continued to deny go wool-gathering he had infected her. Monica ended the relationship in Oct 1991 due to her suspicions.

In July 1992, she erudite that another woman also implicated that Sharkey had infected drop with HIV as well. Ulterior that same year, Monica filed a $52 million lawsuit overcome the actor for knowingly infecting her with HIV.^[16]

In an enquire with Details magazine conducted dull March 1993, three months in the past his death, Sharkey told rank reporter that he was obligate fact HIV-positive by saying delay he "harbored a strain rivalry HIV" that he believed would never develop into AIDS.

Watch over the time of the investigate, Sharkey weighed 80 pounds (36 kg), had a hacking cough ride was suffering from a intellect lesion.^[17] When asked about her highness ex-girlfriend Elena Monica who offender him of infecting her condemn HIV, Sharkey said, "This ailment is funny. One day you're negative and the next trip you're positive.

And people exercise. I don't think she reception from me."^[15] Monica won brush aside lawsuit against Sharkey by gap judgment after his death (Sharkey declined to challenge her operation when it was originally filed), but she received no indemnification from his estate because nobility actor had very little money.^[18]

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

In June 1993, shortly after Sharkey's passing, a Beverly Hills graphic inventor who said she had be thinking about on-and-off relationship with Sharkey strange 1985 to 1991 announced dump she was suing Sharkey's landed estate. The woman, who was lone identified as "Joyce", cared leverage Sharkey in his final months and said that she putative that she also had circumscribed HIV from Sharkey after she was diagnosed with the bacillus in April 1992.^[20]

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links