Burt Young spent more than 50 years in Hollywood making TV and films, but the actor, who sadly passed away on Wednesday at the age of 83, will always be known first and foremost as Paulie, the brother-in-law to Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa. His on-screen family is now paying tribute to Young as Stallone and others are speaking out following his death.
Burt Young, born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise, was known for playing mobsters and other Italian-American tough guys in films and television, appearing in classics like Chinatown, and Once Upon a Time in America, but it would be his work in all six of the original Rocky movies with Stallone as Paulie, the difficult but loving brother to Talia Shire’s Adrian, that would make him recognizable in most people’s eyes. Stallone took to Instagram to say goodbye to his friend.
Burt Young appeared in all six of the Rocky movies but did not appear in the Creed franchise. His absence is explained by Paulie’s death a few years previously.
He walked a fine line as Paulie that showed his range as an actor. The character was frequently the cause of problems in the life of Rocky and Adrian. His anger leads Adrian to go into premature labor, he inadvertently causes the Balboa family to go into bankruptcy, he has an unhealthy obsession with a robot that even Stallone is now tired of. And by the end, he’s an unemployed burden to Rocky. And yet, the character would have a heart that would ultimately endear him to the other characters on screen as well as the audience.
Young would earn an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for playing Paulie in the first Rocky movie. He would be nominated alongside his co-star Burgess Meredith, but both would lose out to Jason Robards in All the President’s Men. Rocky would only win three of its 10 Oscar nominations, though it would be named Best Picture.
Burt Young continued to work on the big and small screen up until his death. While it had been a couple of years since we had seen him in anything, IMDB lists several projects he was in that were still in production at the time of his death, so we may still see him again.
Stallone wasn’t the only Rocky alum to say farewell to Young. Carl Weathers, who played antagonist turned friend Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films before Apollo is famously killed off, posted to Twitter, calling the actor a “beautiful and talented soul.” The pair worked together in Rocky Balboa's corner in Rocky III.
RIP, Burt Young! A beautiful and talented soul. He was such an integral part of the Rocky family. “You want the bird? Go get the bird.” Paulie will be with us forever! #BePeaceOctober 19, 2023
Burt Young is survived by a daughter, Anne Morea. Our thoughts go out to the actor’s family and friends. Movie fans everywhere will miss Paulie.
