Glenn Scarpelli

Glenn Scarpelli
Born
Glenn Christopher Scarpelli

(1966-07-06) July 6, 1966 (age 58)
Occupation(s)Actor, singer
Years active1975–present
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Spouse(s)John Ricci, Jr. (2023–present)

Glenn Christopher Scarpelli (born July 6, 1966) is an American actor and singer. He played Alex Handris from 1980 to 1983 on the sitcom One Day at a Time.

Early life

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Glenn is of Italian Jewish descent and was born in the Staten Island borough of New York City. He is the son of long time Archie Comics artist Henry Scarpelli. Glenn attended private Catholic school St. Joseph Hill Academy from kindergarten to the 8th grade.

Glenn was featured in issue No. 330 of Archie, dated July 1984.[1]

Career

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In 1977, at the age of 10, Scarpelli made his Broadway debut, appearing in the play Golda with Anne Bancroft. He returned to the stage in 1979 with the role of Richard, Duke of York in the Broadway revival of Richard III starring Al Pacino.

Scarpelli's role as Alex Handris (1980–83) on the long-running television situation comedy One Day at a Time is his most prominent. After learning that for the show's 9th season he would be reduced to only appearing in six episodes, he chose to leave the series to appear in the NBC sitcom Jennifer Slept Here. Other television appearances include 3-2-1 Contact, Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories, MacGyver and The Love Boat. He was also a co-host in summer 1983 of the NBC game show/human interest show Fantasy.

He released a self-titled pop album in 1983, which included the single "Get a Love On".[2]

More recently, Scarpelli had a cameo role in the Netflix revival of One Day at a Time during its third season, released in 2019.

Personal life

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Scarpelli came out as gay in adulthood.[3] In 1986 when he was 20 years old, he started dating Gary Scalzo, a 30-year-old talent agent, and the two became partners. In 1987, Scalzo was diagnosed with AIDS. He died at age 36 on July 29, 1992. Scarpelli resides in Sedona, Arizona,[3] where he and his then-partner Jude Belanger established the Sedona Now Network, a community television station, in 2003.[4] Scarpelli and Belanger were married in California in 2008, but filed for divorce in 2012.[5]

He remained close friends with One Day at a Time co-stars Mackenzie Phillips[6] and Bonnie Franklin until her death in 2013.[3]

In 2021, he began dating television producer John Ricci Jr. whom he met during a benefit for the Hollywood Museum.[7] On April 19, 2023, Scarpelli announced via Instagram that he and Ricci had eloped.[8][non-primary source needed] They share time between Sedona and Los Angeles, along with their dog, Poco.

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Forced Entry Glenn Ulman Alternative title: The Last Victim
1978 Nunzio Georgie
1980 One-Trick Pony Acappella Singer
1981 Rivkin: Bounty Hunter Keith
1981 They All Laughed Michael Niotes
1989 The Favorite Mustafa Alternative title: Intimate Power
2016 Sacred Journeys Marco Short film
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1980 3-2-1 Contact Cuff Episode: "Noisy/Quiet: Production & Processing of Sound"
1980–83 One Day at a Time Alex Handris 60 episodes
Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series (1982–84)
1983 The Love Boat Mark Hammond
Alan Stevens
Episode: " Vicki's Dilemma"
Episode: "Youth Takes a Holiday"
1983–84 Jennifer Slept Here Marc 13 episodes
Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a New Television Series
1985 The Love Boat Boomer Panner Episode: "Getting Started"
1986 Amazing Stories Jeffrey Gelb Episode: "Mirror, Mirror"
1990 MacGyver Tony Milani Episode: "Live and Learn"
1995 ABC Afterschool Special Eddie Laporte Episode: "Fast Forward"
2005 The One Day at a Time Reunion Himself TV special
2012 Interns: The Web Series Suit Episode: "Accepted"
2019 One Day at a Time Hotel clerk Episode: "The First Time"

Stage productions

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Broadway

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Year Title Role Theatre
1977–78 Golda Menachem as a Boy / Nahum Morosco Theatre
1979 Richard III Richard, Duke of York Cort Theatre

Discography

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Year Title Label
1983 Glenn Scarpelli Estate Record Corporation / CBS

References

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  1. ^ "Archie #330". Grand Comics Database. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "Glenn Scarpelli". Discogs.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Shapiro, Eddie (February 12, 2006), "One Gay at a Time", Out, archived from the original on July 22, 2012, retrieved September 1, 2007
  4. ^ About Us Archived February 24, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Sedona Now Network
  5. ^ Cohen, Neil. His current partner is former game show producer Jerry Gilden. "Reel Thoughts Interview: One Day in Sedona" Archived June 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, Movie Dearest blog, February 15, 2012.
  6. ^ TV Land Award, April 29, 2012
  7. ^ Tweedle, Sam (May 31, 2021). "Travelling with Glenn: A Journey with Glenn Scarpelli". samtweedle.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
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