Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law to in the 鈥淩ocky鈥� franchise, has died.
Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told the on Wednesday. No cause was given. He was 83.
Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including 鈥淐hinatown,鈥� 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in America鈥� and 鈥淭he Sopranos.鈥�
But he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six 鈥淩ocky鈥� movies. The short, paunchy, balding Young was the sort of actor who always seemed to play middle-aged no matter his age.
When Paulie first appears in 1976鈥檚 鈥淩ocky,鈥� he鈥檚 an angry, foul-mouthed meat packer who is abusive to his sister Adrian (Talia Shire), with whom he shares a small apartment in Philadelphia. He berates the shy, meek Adrian for refusing at first to go on a Thanksgiving-night date with his buddy and co-worker Rocky Balboa, and destroys a turkey she has in the oven.
The film became a phenomenon, topping the box office for the year and making a star of lead actor and writer Stallone, who paid tribute to Young on on Wednesday night.
Along with a photo of the two of them on the set of the first film, Stallone wrote 鈥測ou were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much.鈥�
鈥淩ocky鈥� was nominated for 10 Oscars, including best supporting actor for Young. It won three, including best picture. Young and co-star Burgess Meredith, who was also nominated, lost to Jason Robards in 鈥淎ll the President鈥檚 Men.鈥�
As the movies went on, Young鈥檚 Paulie softened, as the sequels themselves did, and he became their comic relief. In 1985鈥檚 鈥淩ocky IV鈥� he reprograms a robot Rocky gives him into a sexy-voiced servant who dotes on him.
Paulie was also an eternal pessimist who was constantly convinced that Rocky was going to get clobbered by his increasingly daunting opponents. His surprise at Rocky鈥檚 resilience brought big laughs.
鈥淚t was a great ride, and it brought me to the audience in a great way,鈥� Young said in a 2020 interview with Celebrity Parents magazine. 鈥淚 made him a rough guy with a sensitivity. He鈥檚 really a marshmallow even though he yells a lot.鈥�
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Young served in the Marine Corps, fought as a professional boxer and worked as a carpet layer before taking up acting, studying with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
On stage, in films and on television, he typically played small-time tough guys or down-on-their luck working class men.
In a short-but-memorable scene in 1974鈥檚 鈥淐hinatown,鈥� he plays a fisherman who throws a fit when Jack Nicholson鈥檚 private detective Jake Gittes shows him pictures proving his wife is cheating on him.
Young also appeared in director Sergio Leone鈥檚 1984 gangster epic 鈥淥nce Upon a Time in America鈥� with Robert De Niro, the 1986 comedy 鈥淏ack to School鈥� with Rodney Dangerfield, and the 1989 gritty drama 鈥淟ast Exit to Brooklyn鈥� with Jennifer Jason Leigh.
In a striking appearance in season three of 鈥淭he Sopranos鈥� in 2001, he plays Bobby Baccalieri, Sr., an elderly mafioso with lung cancer who pulls off one last hit before a coughing fit leads to him dying in a car accident.
He guest-starred on many other TV series including 鈥淢(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H,鈥� 鈥淢iami Vice鈥� and 鈥淭he Equalizer.鈥�
Later in life he focused on roles in the theater and on painting, a lifelong pursuit that led to gallery shows and sales.
His wife of 13 years, Gloria, died in 1974.
Along with his daughter, Young is survived by one grandchild and a brother, Robert.
Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press
