(DailyDig.com) – Burt Young, a cinematic tough guy who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the boxing movie “Rocky,” died on October 8 in Los Angeles at 83.
Anne Morea Steingieser, Young’s daughter, shared the news of her father’s death on October 18. They didn’t say what caused his death.
Sylvester Stallone, who wrote and starred in “Rocky,” remarked that his old buddy was an extraordinary artist and man. Both he and the rest of the world will mourn his death.
On April 30, 1940, Gerald Tommaso DeLouise, known as Burt Young, was born in Queens, New York. While serving in the Marines, he took up boxing and eventually trained under the renowned Cus D’Amato. His record was 17-1.
Then he arranged a meeting between a lady and the famous acting coach, Lee Strasbeg. Young was inspired and spent two years learning from Strasberg.
Young has been in over 160 movies and TV shows, such as “The Pope of Greenwich Village,” “Once Upon a Time in America,” and “Chinatown.” He was a professional boxer and ex-Marine who used his tough exterior to launch a successful acting career in Hollywood.
Acting roles on television shows like “M*A*S*H.” Movies like “Last Exit to Brooklyn,” “Cinderella Liberty,” “Back to School,” and “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” are among his many credits. And in “Uncle Joe Shannon,” he not only acted in but also wrote the movie.
But in “Rocky,” he really came into his own. He played Paulie, the butcher and a brother of Adrian, played by Talia Shire. Adrian went from being a single introvert to being Rocky’s girlfriend by the conclusion of the movie. Paulie also showed Rocky his unconventional heavy boxing bag, which consisted of hanging slabs of meat.
Young was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award at the Academy Awards, while the film “Rocky” as a whole got 10 nominations, including Best Picture.
Young’s daughter, grandchild, and brother Robert survived him. In 1974, his wife, Gloria, died.
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