“Rocky” star Burt Young (1940-2023) has died at the age of 83. He died on October 8th in Los Angeles, his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser told the New York Times on Wednesday. A cause of death was not given in the newspaper.
The actor became known as Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) friend and brother-in-law Paulie Pennino. He also played hundreds of roles in film and television throughout his career. Burt Young was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Rocky. Sylvester Stallone remembers his former co-star as a “dear friend.” “You were an incredible man and artist, I and the world will miss you very much,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a black and white photo of the two.
The film “Rocky” became a sensation in 1976. It received a total of ten Oscar nominations and won three awards, including Best Picture. Burt Young reprized his role as Paulie in all five original Rocky sequels. He was last seen in this role in 2006.
Burt Young’s other films include “Chinatown” (1974), “The Godfather of Greenwich Village” (1984) and “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984). He has also made numerous guest appearances on television in series such as “M*A*S*H”, “Detective Rockford – Call Enough”, “The Sopranos”, “Miami Vice”, “Columbo” and “Law
In his later years, Burt Young, who came from New York and took acting lessons at “The Actors Studio” with Lee Strasberg, made a name for himself as a painter. The actor’s works have been exhibited in galleries around the world, according to US media reports.
