R.I.P. Burt Young: ‘Rocky’ Actor Dead At 83

Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for playing Paulie in all six Rocky movies, has died. He was 83.

Young’s daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed to The New York Times that her father died Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. Following the news of Young’s death, his manager Lynda Bensky released a statement to People praising his acting abilities.

“Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry and he could scare you to death,” she said. “But the real pathos that I experienced was the poignancy of his soul. That’s where it came from.”

Born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise in 1940, Young — who served in the Marine Corps — starred in movies like Chinatown with Jack Nicholson, Once Upon a Time in America with Robert De Niro, and Last Exit to Brooklyn with Jennifer Jason Leigh. He also made appearances in television shows like The Rockford Files, M*A*S*H and The Sopranos.

However, most would recognize him as Paulie Pennino — Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) best friend and future brother-in-law — from the Rocky franchise. His performance as the gritty meat packer in the first installment, which was released in 1976, earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. While the film won three of its 10 nominations — including Best Picture — Young ultimately lost the award to Jason Robards in All the President’s Men.

Still, he went on to star in all six films in the franchise alongside Stallone, Stu Nahan and Tony Burton. He did not appear in the 2015 film Creed, as it was revealed that his character had died in 2012.

“It was a great ride, and it brought me to the audience in a great way,” Young said of his time playing Paulie in a 2020 interview with Celebrity Parents magazine, per ABC News. “I made him a rough guy with a sensitivity. He’s really a marshmallow even though he yells a lot.”

In light of Young’s death, Stallone took to Instagram to pay tribute to his former co-star and longtime friend with a black-and-white throwback photo.

“To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man’s and artist, I and the World will miss you very much…RIP,” Stallone captioned the post.

Young’s wife of 13 years died in 1974. He is survived by his daughter, one grandchild, and a brother, Robert.