Burt Young has died, the actor was 83 years old. In his long career he played the role of his brother-in-law Paulie Pennino alongside Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa) in the six films of the Rocky saga and received an Oscar nomination for supporting actor. Burt Young, pseudonym of Gerald “Jerry” Tommaso DeLouise, son of an Italian-American, died on October 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser told the New York Times today.
Young was a real tough guy who usually played tough guys on screen. He played a corrupt client of detective Jack Nicholson in Chinatown (1974), was gangster Bed Bug Eddie in The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), and played Rodney Dangerfield’s pimp. Chauffeur Lou in Daddy’s School (1986). Sergio Leone had chosen him for the role of Joe in the film Once Upon a Time in America (1984).
Young was born on April 30, 1940 in Queens, New York. While he worked as a carpet cleaner, salesman and fitter, he began studying at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg, who would later become his mentor. He made his first appearance as an actor at the age of 28 in a theater comedy. His first films were stories that revolved around crime: The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot (1971), My Man’s a Scoundrel (1971) and Stealing from the Mafia Is Suicide (1972). As a stage name, the actor chose the name made up of his favorite actors and singers Burt Lancaster and Neil Young.
Young was particularly active in the 1973-74 two-year period, starring in Mark Rydell’s Fifty-Dollar Love, Karel Reisz’s $40,000, Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, Marvin J. Chomsky’s The Indian Gem and Sam Peckinpah’s Killer Elite “.
As grumpy semi-amateur boxer Paulie Pennino, older brother of Adrian (Talia Shire), the wife of Rocky’s best friend, Young has been a cornerstone of Stallone’s saga since the first film in 1976. After training the boxer in a cold room at a Philadelphia slaughterhouse where Italian-American Paulie Peera was employed, the actor was an integral part of every film until Rocky Balboa (2006).
Over 100 films in his career
In total, Burt Young appeared on the big screen in about a hundred films and was particularly notable for his interpretation of proletarian Italian-American characters, who often had a rugged and angular character. He appeared in “Convoy” (1978) by Sam Peckinpah (1978), “California Dolls” (1981) by Robert Aldrich, “Over the Brooklyn Bridge” (1984) by Menahem Golan (1984), “Blood Ties” (1989) by Peter Masterson and “Last Stop Brooklyn.” (1989) by Uli Edel, Game of Thrones (1999) by Nick Stagliano (1999), Pluto Nash (2002) by Ron Underwood (2002).
Young has been directed several times by Italian directors: Amityville Possession (1982) by Damiano Damiani, Americano Ross (1991) by Alessandro D’Alatri (1991), Bad Girls (1992) by Marina Ripa di Meana (1992), Perfect Alibi (1992) by Aldo Lado, Berlin ’39 (1994) by Sergio Sollima, Burnt Earth (1999) by Fabio Segatori, The Man of Fortune (2000) by Silvia Saraceno, The Hideout (2007) by Pupi Avati (2007), up to the latest ” See you Tomorrow” (2013) by Andrea Zaccariello with Enrico Brignano.
In addition to cinema, he appeared in several television series, including “Law & Order”, “Walker Texas Ranger”, “Mash” and “Miami Vice”. He played the retired gangster father of Steve Schirripa’s character on “The Sopranos.”
Young has maintained a passion for painting throughout his life, which has only been reinforced since he won an easel and paint box in a school competition at the age of 11. He worked with the writer Gabriele Tinti, for whom he designed the cover of the poetry collection All over and illustrated the art book A man.