Burt Young — the Oscar-nominated actor who portrayed Paulie Pennino in the Rocky movies — has died. He was 83 years old.
In a statement to The New York Times (via Deadline), Young’s daughter — Anne Morea Steingieser — confirmed that the actor passed away on Sunday, October 8.
Young was born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise in New York City on April 30, 1940. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1957 to 1959. Young was a boxer during his time in the Marines. When his tour of duty ended, he held a boxing record of 32-2.
Young made his on-screen acting debut as a bartender in a 1969 episode of the long-running NBC soap opera The Doctors. Under the stage name John Harris, he made his big-screen debut in the 1970 horror film Carnival of Blood.
Of course, Young’s most iconic role came in 1976 — when he starred as Paulie opposite Sylvester Stallone in the iconic boxing drama Rocky. Young’s performance earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the 49th Academy Awards. He reprised his role as Paulie in all five subsequent Rocky films from 1979 to 2006.
That’s far from the whole story, mind you. Young racked up well over 100 acting credits over the course of his decades-long career. Some of his other film appearances include Chinatown (1974), Amityville II: The Possession (1982), and She’s So Lovely (1997). His other television credits include M*A*S*H; The Equalizer, Columbo; Walker, Texas Ranger; Law & Order; and Russian Doll.
ComingSoon sends condolences to Young’s friends and family at this time.
