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Oct 19, 2023 · The Oscar -nominated actor passed away on 8 October in Los Angeles, his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser told the New York Times who reported his death on Wednesday (18 October). Young was well...
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Oct 19, 2023 · Burt Young, who played Paulie in six of the “ Rocky ” films starring Sylvester Stallone, drawing an Oscar nomination for supporting actor for his performance in the 1976 original, has died, his...
Oct 19, 2023 · News of Young’s death was first reported by the New York Times, citing his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser. Young was best known for his role as Rocky Balboa’s brother-in-law Paulie in the...
- Overview
- Evolution of "Paulie"
- Diverse career
Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor who played Paulie, the rough-hewn, mumbling-and-grumbling best friend, corner-man and brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone in the "Rocky" franchise, has died.
Young died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, told The New York Times on Wednesday. No cause of death was given. He was 83.
Young had roles in acclaimed films and television shows including "Chinatown," "Once Upon a Time in America" and "The Sopranos."
But he was always best known for playing Paulie Pennino in six "Rocky" 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's "Rocky," he's 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 Instagram on Wednesday night.
Along with a photo of the two of them on the set of the first film, Stallone wrote "you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much."
"Rocky" 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 "All the President's Men."
As the movies went on, Young's Paulie softened, as the sequels themselves did, and he became their comic relief. In 1985's "Rocky IV," 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's resilience brought big laughs.
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's "Chinatown," he plays a fisherman who throws a fit when Jack Nicholson's private detective Jake Gittes shows him pictures proving his wife is cheating on him.
Young also appeared in director Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster epic "Once Upon a Time in America" with Robert De Niro, the 1986 comedy "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield, and the 1989 gritty drama "Last Exit to Brooklyn" with Jennifer Jason Leigh.
In a striking appearance in season three of "The Sopranos" 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 in many other TV series including "M*A*S*H," "Miami Vice" and "The Equalizer."
Oct 19, 2023 · His death was confirmed Wednesday by his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, according to The New York Times. Young, who died at the age of 83 earlier this month, starred opposite Stallone as his...
Oct 19, 2023 · Anne Morea Steingieser, his daughter, confirmed his death. Young was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Paulie in the Rocky franchise and appeared in over 160 movies and TV shows.
Oct 19, 2023 · Young's death on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, first reported by the New York Times on Wednesday citing the actor's daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, was confirmed to Reuters by his Los...
