Tony Ganios death: Porky’s fan favourite dies aged 64

The actor was known for his roles in The Wanderers and Die Hard 2

(Youtube/Movie Prop Collector)

Porky’s actor Tony Ganios has died of a heart attack, aged 64.

The actor, known for playing the fan favourite role of Meat in the 1981 comedy, died on Sunday (18 February) after suffering a cardiac arrest following surgery at a hospital in New York.

The news was confirmed by his fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, on Tuesday (20 February).

She wrote on X/Twitter: “The last words we said to each other were “I love you.” Love is an understatement. You are everything to me. My heart, my soul and my best friend. #I love you #tonyganios.”

“I love you so much, my love. I’m broken,” she added in a separate post.

Ganio, who also starred in Die Hard 2, made his film debut in Philip Kaufman’s 1963 film The Wanderers, as Perry, an Italian-American teenager. The movie was based on the novel by Richard Price.

His most well-known role was in the 1981 coming-of-age comedy series Porky’s, which garnered a cult following among fans.

It became the sixth highest-grossing movie of 1982 and two sequels were subsequently created.

Other credits included Continental Divide in 1981, which starred John Belushi, and In 1990’s Die Hard 2, alongside Bruce Willis.

Fans took to his fiancé’s post on social media to pay tributes to the actor.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. It was such a pleasure to “meat” Tony and let him know how much I loved his acting. My condolences are with you,” one wrote.

Ganios’s fellow Porky’s cast member, Jack Mulcahy, wrote: “I am so very sad to hear the news of his passing. Sending love and deepest condolences.”

“Thank you so much, Jack. My heart is completely broken. Bless you for your kind words,” Serrano-Ganios replied.

Ganios part-retired from acting after working on the film Rising Sun, with short appearances in three films between 1991 and 1993. 

In a 2015 interview with Cult Faction, he was asked why he returned back to acting for those brief appearances.

“It’s a strange thing. While I did miss acting, I didn’t miss the entertainment industry or most of the people in it,” he said.

“But as time went by, I would constantly run into fans who were genuinely disappointed to know that I had quit the business. Their votes of confidence notwithstanding, I think few of my friends and fans realised how difficult it would be for me to get back into an industry where I was hardly successful in the first place.”