Jack Scalia
Jack Scalia (born Giacomo Tomaso Tedesco; November 10, 1950) is an American actor of Italian descent, recognized for his extensive work in television soap operas, prime-time dramas, and made-for-TV films spanning over four decades.[1][2] Born in Brooklyn, New York, Scalia initially pursued athletics, earning All-American honors in high school and playing briefly as a professional baseball player for the Montreal Expos before transitioning to modeling for the Ford Agency, including campaigns for Jordache jeans.[3][2] His acting career began in the late 1970s with roles in soap operas such as All My Children, where he portrayed Jake Martin and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in 2002, and Days of Our Lives.[4][5] Scalia's prominence grew in the 1980s through recurring and starring roles in prime-time series, including Nicholas Pearce on Dallas, a detective on T.J. Hooker, and appearances on Remington Steele and Falcon Crest; he headlined or featured in nearly a dozen series during this period, often portraying tough, charismatic characters that capitalized on his athletic build and screen presence.[4][6] Beyond television, he appeared in films like The Last Dragon (1985) and produced and directed projects, while later engaging in advocacy for veterans as an advisory board member for the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes.[3][7]Early Life
Birth and Family Background
Jack Scalia was born Giacomo Tomaso Tedesco on November 10, 1950, in Brooklyn, New York City.[8][9] He was raised in a family of Italian and Irish descent.[10] His father, Rocky Tedesco, had been a professional baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the minor leagues before pursuing other careers.[8][2] Scalia's parents divorced during his childhood, after which his mother remarried and legally changed his surname from Tedesco to Scalia.[10] Limited public details exist on his mother or any siblings, with biographical accounts focusing primarily on his paternal lineage and early name change.[8]Education and Athletic Achievements
Scalia graduated from Brentwood High School in Brentwood, New York, in 1969, where he earned All-American honors as an athlete.[8] During his high school years, he excelled in multiple sports, including basketball, in which he received All-American recognition, and football, where he was named All-League.[11] His athletic prowess at Brentwood led to the accumulation of sixty full scholarships by age 20.[11] Following high school, Scalia attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, playing three sports at the collegiate level.[2] As a freshman pitcher for the university's baseball team, he set a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) record with 21 strikeouts in a seven-inning game.[12] In the January phase of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft, Scalia was selected third overall by the Montreal Expos as a pitcher, marking him as the team's top choice in that winter draft round.[3] An arm injury shortly thereafter derailed his professional baseball prospects.[8] Beyond team sports, Scalia competed in four triathlons and six marathons, demonstrating sustained physical endurance.[8]Entry into Entertainment
Modeling Career
Scalia transitioned to modeling in 1975 following a shoulder injury that ended his brief professional baseball career as a pitcher for the Montreal Expos' minor league affiliates.[13] Initially rejected by agencies in Palm Beach, Florida, for being "too heavy," he persisted by approaching Mannequin Manor in Sacramento, California, using baseball photos, and soon signed with a San Francisco agency owned by Jimmy Grimme, who arranged a transformative Vidal Sassoon haircut to enhance his marketability.[13] Through these early connections, Scalia secured steady work on the West Coast and in Europe, including London and Milan, building a portfolio that capitalized on his muscular physique and Italian-American features.[13] He later joined the Ford Modeling Agency, represented by agent Joe Hunter, which elevated his profile in high-fashion and commercial campaigns.[13][14] Scalia gained prominence as the "Jordache Man" in advertisements for Jordache jeans, notably posing with model Finele Carpenter in shoots around 1981 that emphasized rugged masculinity.[14][15] He also modeled for Armani, Eminence underwear—appearing in late-1970s print ads photographed by Francesco Scavullo—and Sabra Liqueur, with his images often captured by influential photographers like Bruce Weber for posters.[13][15][16] During this period, Scalia mentored emerging models, such as Kim Alexis, guiding her through her first job where they collaborated.[17] His modeling success provided financial stability amid personal struggles with addiction, including a 1980s intervention by Hunter that prompted rehabilitation, but it ultimately served as a bridge to acting auditions by the late 1970s.[13]Initial Acting Roles
Scalia transitioned from modeling to acting in January 1980.[3] His screen debut came in the 1981 television movie The Star Maker, where he played a supporting role alongside Rock Hudson, who portrayed a Hollywood agent discovering talent in a Midwestern town.[18] [19] In 1982, Scalia landed his first leading role in a television series as Nick Corsello in the NBC crime drama The Devlin Connection, which aired for one season and followed a wealthy businessman investigating his parentage with the aid of a detective.[20] That same year, he appeared in episodes of Remington Steele, playing a recurring character in the popular detective series starring Pierce Brosnan.[21] These early roles established Scalia in television, leveraging his modeling background for rugged, charismatic parts, though The Devlin Connection was canceled after 13 episodes due to low ratings.[20] By 1983, he continued with guest spots and short-lived series like High Performance, building toward more prominent soap opera and primetime appearances.[20]Acting Career
Prime-Time Television Success
Scalia gained significant visibility in prime-time television during the 1980s through recurring roles in high-profile soap operas and dramas. In Falcon Crest, he played the character Tony Rinaldi across multiple episodes in the 1983–1984 season, contributing to the series' ensemble dynamics amid its vineyard intrigue narratives.[2] His portrayal added to the show's appeal as a staple of CBS prime-time programming, which drew audiences with its family rivalries and power struggles. Scalia's most notable prime-time success came with Dallas, where he portrayed Nicholas Pearce, a cunning businessman and romantic interest for Sue Ellen Ewing (played by Linda Gray), from 1987 to 1988.[21] Appearing in 29 episodes of the eleventh season, Pearce's arc involved corporate maneuvering against J.R. Ewing and a dramatic demise, which heightened the series' tension and contributed to its sustained ratings dominance on CBS.[22] For this role, Scalia received a Soap Opera Digest nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Prime Time Serial, recognizing his impact on the long-running Ewing family saga.[18] Preceding Dallas, Scalia served as a regular cast member in the final season of Remington Steele in 1987, stepping into a key role alongside Pierce Brosnan's titular detective, which helped bridge the series' transition before its conclusion.[21] These appearances solidified his status as a versatile leading man in 1980s prime-time fare, often cast in intense, charismatic characters that capitalized on his rugged appeal and Italian-American heritage.[8]Film Appearances
Scalia's feature film roles span action thrillers, sci-fi horror, and independent dramas, often portraying tough, authoritative characters in supporting or lead capacities within low-to-mid budget productions. His debut screen appearance came in the crime drama The Star Maker (1981), marking an early foray into cinema before his television prominence.[21] Subsequent credits include the urban thriller Fear City (1984), where he played a pimp navigating New York's underworld alongside established stars like Tom Berenger and Melanie Griffith. In the sci-fi horror The Rift (1990), Scalia portrayed Lt. Wick Hayes, leading a team investigating underwater anomalies based on H.P. Lovecraft-inspired lore.[23] He took on the role of Mike Yarnell, a detective entangled in corruption, in the erotic thriller Illicit Behavior (1992).| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Amore! | Gino |
| 1996 | Dark Breed | Nick Saxon |
| 1996 | The Silencers | Rafferty |
| 1997 | Under Oath | Anthony Addison |
| 1998 | Act of War | Jack Gracy |
| 2000 | Ground Zero | Michael Sandler |
| 2001 | Boys Klub | Sid |
| 2002 | Shattered Lies | Capt. Sterling |
| 2005 | End Game | President |
| 2006 | The Genius Club | Harry Trumane |
| 2012 | Jersey Shore Shark Attack | Capt. Graham Macklin |