Burt Young, who played Paulie in the “Rocky” film series, has died at the age of 83.
October 18, 2023, 10:34 p.m. ET
• 5 minutes reading
Burt Young, the Oscar-nominated actor known for his timeless role as Paulie in the “Rocky” film series, has died at age 83, his manager confirmed to ABC News.
“Burt was an actor with enormous emotional range. He could make you cry and scare you to death. But the real pathos I experienced was the emotion of his soul. That’s where it came from,” said his manager Lynda Bensky. the veteran actor said in a statement.
According to the New York Times, which first reported the news, Young died in Los Angeles earlier this month.
Young had a long Hollywood career that spanned six decades.
Burt Young and Sylvester Stallone attend the “Rocky” Broadway opening night at the Winter Garden Theater on March 13, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
He played Curly in 1974’s Chinatown alongside Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston.
That same year, Young also appeared alongside James Caan as Carmine in The Gambler, a film about a professor who gets into trouble because of his gambling debts.
Young took on various roles on television in the 1970s, including the 1975 TV movie Hustling and 1976’s Serpico and The Rockford Files.
Actor Burt Young attends the premiere of “20th Century Women” at the 54th New York Film Festival on October 8, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)Photo by Mireya Acierto/Getty Images
He was perhaps best known for his career-defining role as Paulie, the cantankerous but lovable brother-in-law of Sylvester Stallone’s character in the “Rocky” franchise, appearing in all six films up to 2006’s “Rocky Balboa.”
Young was nominated at the 1977 Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the first film.
“To my dear friend BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man and artist, I and the world will miss you dearly… RIP,” Stallone wrote on Instagram on Wednesday evening, reacting to the message.
American actors Sylvester Stallone (l), in workout clothes, and Burt Young chat outdoors in a still from the 1976 John G. Avildsen film “Rocky.” (Photo by United Artists/Courtesy of Getty Images) Photo by United Artists/Courtesy of Getty Images
Young is also known for his role in the 1978 cult classic “Convoy,” directed by Sam Peckinpah.
The actor, who also painted, has worked steadily over the decades and recently appeared as Joe in two episodes of the Netflix series Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne.