Burt Young, the actor known as Paulie in the Rocky movies, has died at 83. He was known for the role in which he was the titled character’s best friend. He went on to play the character for the six mainline films, but due to his character’s death, he was not there for the Creed movies that saw the return of Sylvester Stallone. The 1977 classic earned the supporting actor an Oscar nomination.
The supporting character was a loyal yet problem magnet for the lead. Balboa’s best friend would back him up through his troubles. Sometimes, those problems across the six films were caused by Paulie, from a street fight to bankruptcy for the leading boxer.
Paulie Actor in Rocky Movies, Burt Young, Died, His Daughter Confirms
Burt Young’s daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed to The New York Times that the Rocky actor had died on October 8 in Los Angeles. No cause of death was given.
The Oscar-nominated star was born in Queens on April 30, 1940. His father was a former sheet metal mechanic who went into teaching high school shop class. His mother was a dressmaker. His parents put him into the military at 16, lying about his age, to get away from the trouble he was getting in school.
How he got into acting was a long road. After serving in the U.S. military, he went into carpet selling and installation. He studied acting under Lee Strasberg as his mentor. In 1969, he made his acting debut as a bartender in The Doctors. Then he made his reputation for tough guys in 1971’s The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.
Beyond Burt Young in the Rocky franchise, the actor had a history of playing tough characters, many of whom were on the other side of the law. Some of his most recognizable characters were the tough client, Curly, in Chinatown; “Bed Bug” Eddie, a ruthless mobster in The Pope of Greenwich Village; and a getaway driver for The Killer Elite.
Rocky’s Burt Young is survived by his daughter, his brother Robert, and a grandson.
