Burt Young, who played Stallone’s brother-in-law in Rocky, has died at 83

2023-10-19 09:43:51

By Le Figaro with Reuters

Published 1 hour ago, Updated now

Actor Sylvester Stallone and his partner Burt Young before the premiere of the film Rocky Balboa in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 18, 2006. Tim Shaffer / REUTERS

Known and nominated for an Oscar for his role as brother-in-law and butcher friend of the most famous boxer in the seventh art, the actor, who had become a painter, has passed away as confirmed by his manager.

The death of Burt Young on October 8 in Los Angeles, first reported by the New York Times Wednesday October 18, citing the actor’s daughter, was confirmed to Reuters by his manager Lynda Bensky, based in Los Angeles.

Born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise in the New York borough of Queens, the actor served in the United States Marine Corps in the 1950s and later studied at Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio. He then made a career playing mostly tough guy and Italian-American roles in television and film.

Ami de Rocky Balboa

He is best remembered for his role in the original film Rocky from 1976, where he played Paulie Pennino, the alcoholic butcher and friend of Stallone’s main character, Rocky Balboa, who punched meat carcasses in the shop where Paulie worked. The role of Paulie, who was also Adrian’s brother, Rocky Balboa’s future wife (she would marry Balboa in Rocky II), earned Young an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

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The original film Rockywhich caused a sensation, earned ten Academy Award nominations and won three awards, including Best Picture, for its portrayal of a small-time boxer from Philadelphia who is offered an unlikely chance to win the world heavyweight title.

Young reprized the role of Paulie in the original six sequels of Rocky. His other films include Chinatown, The Pope of Greenwich Village et Once upon a time in America. He has also made numerous television appearances in series such as M*A*S*H, The Rockford Files, Baretta et Law & Orderr. Burt Young later made a name for himself as a painter, whose works have been exhibited in galleries around the world.