Actor Tony Ganios, best known for his role as the fan-favorite character "Meat" in the Porky's films, died at age 64.
The news was confirmed Monday by his fiancée, Amanda Serrano-Ganios, who said he died Sunday after surgery for a spinal infection.
"The last words we said to each other were, 'I love you,'" Serrano-Ganios wrote on social media. "Love is an understatement. You are everything to me. My heart, my soul and my best friend. #I love you #tonyganios."
In a separate post, she wrote: "It's just unreal to me right now. It was so fast. He hadn't felt well and hid it from me for days. When he finally told me, and was taken to the hospital, his spinal cord was severely infected. They did surgery, next morning, his heart stopped. I'm crushed."
Serrano-Ganios also confirmed the news in a statement to People.
"I'm just completely empty inside now. He was my best friend, my soulmate. I just love him so much," she said.
Ganios, from Brooklyn, stepped into the spotlight with his debut role as Perry in the 1979 coming-of-age movie "The Wanderers," which also featured Ken Wahl, according to Entertainment Weekly. Their on-screen collaboration continued when they reunited in Wahl's '80s crime series "Wiseguy."
Wahl took to social media Monday to share his condolences.
"Rest In Peace, Buddy ..... I love you," he wrote alongside a throwback photo of them.
After "The Wanderers," Ganios appeared in three films in 1981: "Back Roads," "Continental Divide," and "Porky's," the latter of which would bring him widespread recognition.
"Porky's" evolved into a successful teen comedy franchise, leading to two sequels, "Porky's II: The Next Day" (1983) and "Porky's Revenge" (1985), in which Ganios appeared.
His credits comprise various films including "Body Rock" (1984), "Die Hard 2" (1990), "The Taking of Beverly Hills" (1991), and "Rising Sun" (1993).
On television, he also appeared in the TV movie "Ring of the Musketeers" and had roles in series like "The Equalizer" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King."