Rocky actor Burt ‘Paulie’ Young dies at 83, Sylvester Stallone pens a stirring tribute for his ‘dear friend’

Burt Young, renowned for playing gritty, complex characters in hit projects like Roman Polanski’s Chinatown(1974 ), John Avildsen’s Rocky (1976), and Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America (1984), died on 8th October in LA. His daughter Anne confirmed his death, though the cause is still not known. He is also survived by a brother Robert, as well as a grandson. His wife Gloria had passed away in 1974.

Condolence posts and heart-warming comments poured in, with a special tribute from Sylvester Stallone. The Rocky star took to Instagram and penned a simple yet stirring post, “To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much...RIP.” Touched, fans took to commenting on his post and shared sweet messages like,

“RIP Pauly! An amazing actor. You will be missed Burt!”

“Rocky taught me that a friend can be imperfect, moody and stubborn, but a good friend never abandons us, like Paulie. Thanks for being part of my childhood, Burt! Greetings from Argentina.”

“I can’t believe it! Rest in peace Burt! You will always be our Paulie.”

Born and raised in Queens, then trained at the Marine Corps with a dash of boxing training, Burt Young entered the film industry with brawn as well as brains. As for talent, he had honed himself under method-acting legend Lee Strasburg for two years. What he had been missing in life, he found it in acting.

Though Rocky got him his Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, he was by no means defined only by that project. Young had appeared in more than 160 television shows and movies, and was also a famed painter in his later years.