Actor Burt Young dies at 83

"Rocky" actor Burt Young died on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. Famous for his role as Paulie, Rocky's (Sylvester Stallone) best friend in the legendary film, died at the beginning of October, although the news had not been announced until now.

It was his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, who confirmed the news to The New York Times, though she did not reveal the cause of her father's death. Shortly after, Young's representative, Lynda Bensky, provided a statement to Fox News Digital confirming the actor's death: "Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry and he could scare you to death. But the real pathos that I experienced was the poignancy of his soul. That’s where it came from," said Bensky.

Hours later, Stallone published a post on Instagram in remembrance of his "dear friend, Burt Young," ensuring that "I and the world will miss you very much":

Young's acting career

Although he will be remembered mainly for his role as a performer, few people know that Burt Young also served in the United States Navy between 1957 and 1959. Ten years later, in 1969, Burt Young began his acting career. He did so with a small role in the television series "The Doctors." He was never officially credited for this role, although it does appear as one of his first roles on Young's official IMDB page.

After this, he participated in more than 160 projects, although his most recognized role is that of Paulie in "Rocky." His performance as Curly in "Chinatown" (1974) also stands out, where he shared the screen with Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, as well as his performance in "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984) where he played Joe. His last role was in 2021, playing a detective in "The Final Code."