Star of Rocky passes away aged 83
Burt Young, the actor best known for his role as Paulie in the Rocky movies, has passed away.
The sad news was confirmed by his daughter, who told the New York Times he died while surrounded by his friends and family on October 8th at the age of 83.
Following the news of his death, his fellow Rocky co-star Sylvester Stallone paid tribute to his life-long friend.
"To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man's and artist, I and the World will miss you very much...RIP."
Young's portrayal of Paulie in the Rocky franchise earned him an Academy Award nomination in 1976 for the original film, as his impressive work as a character actor often welcomed widespread praise.
Despite appearing in many critically-panned films, Young's performances were always notable, such as his roles in 1977's film adaptation of Joseph Wambaugh's The Choirboys novel, 1978's Convoy, the 1986 comedy Back to School, 1999's Mickey Blue Eyes and many others.
Burt Young was born in New York's Queens in 1940 to parents of Italian heritage, and dropped out of school to join the Marines when he was 15.
He served from 1957 to 1959, before being trained at the Actors Studio by Lee Strasberg, making his acting debut with an uncredited role in 1969's The Doctors.
Young, whose wife Gloria died in 1974, was also a painter, with his works appearing in galleries in New Jersey and Florida.
He's survived by his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser.
Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram