Burt Young, Oscar-Nominated ‘Rocky’ Actor Who Played Paulie Pennino Alongside Sylvester Stallone, Dead at 83

Burt Young, best known for his role in the Rocky franchise, has died. He was 83.

Young — who was born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise — died on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed to The New York Times on Wednesday.

Young is best known for playing Paulie Pennino, the best friend and brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa in the Rocky franchise.

Young was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Paulie in the original Rocky, released in 1976.

He built a career out of playing tough, working-class and often troubled characters with deep complexity and moral ambiguity. His career-making performance in Rocky solidified this character trope, and he wound up appearing in all six Rocky films.

Young’s additional notable film credits include Chinatown (1974), The Gambler (1974), Once Upon a Time In America (1984), Back to School (1886), Last Exit to Brooklyn (1990), and Transamerica (2005), among countless others.

Young worked until his final days and is set to appear in four films currently in post-production that will be released posthumously.

No cause of death has yet been disclosed. Young is survived by his daughter and a grandson.

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