Another dark day for Hollywood as they mourn the loss of Veteran actor Burt Young who passed away at the age of 83 years.
Following the news of his sad passing, Sylvester Stallone an old pal and former Co-star of the deceased took to his Instagram to express his heartbreak and penned a moving tribute in memory of the Hollywood icon.
He posted the tribute along with a photo of himself and young together which reads; “To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man’s and artist, I and the World will miss you very much…RIP.”
Sylvester the lead star of the film series Rocky, was supported by his friend and side kick played by Burt Young,
In the movie, Young was a tough-talking butcher and close friend to Rocky. His meat locker was like an unofficial gym location for Rocky as young opened it up to allow Rocky practice hammering the hanging slabs of beef in an unorthodox but effective training method.
Although he was what you would dab a loyal friend, Young’s character Paulie was a huge source of trouble to Rocky in the movie with him being jealous and trying to inflict his pain on others. That being said: Young’s temperamental, jealous but nonetheless loyal and caring Paulie Pennino was truly Rocky’s best friend as he would defend the Italian Stallion if someone insulted him. But he was a problematic friend who shouts at Adrian during her pregnancy, resulting in the premature birth of Rocky’s son; draws Balboa into a street fight; and in 1990’s “Rocky V,” and is the cause of the Balboas’ bankruptcy.
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In 2006’s “Rocky Balboa,” Paulie is back where he started, working at the meat-packing plant, but he’s laid off and loses his skepticism about Rocky’s return to the ring and serves as his cornerman. Young did not appear in 2015’s “Creed,” as Paulie is said to have died in 2012.
The pair appeared together in Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago, Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa,
The role of Paulie, who was also the brother of Rocky's painfully shy love interest and soon-to-be wife, Adrian (she marries Balboa in "Rocky II"), earned Young an Academy Award nomination for best-supporting actor.
Following the tribute paid by Sylvester stallion, fans of the actor took to the comments section to express their shock on hearing about his demise.
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While offering their condolences to his grieving family, fans also paid respect to his memory and iconic role in the Rocky movie. One fan wrote; "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!"
"I will always remember Burt with the character of Paulie and his famous phrase: Rocko if I could be anyone in life, I would like to be you," said another.
"Unforgettable actor there's a Paulie in every family or hood. rest peacefully sir," wrote another.
Apart from Rocky, Burt young has also been known to star in some hit movies during his younger days. Young played one of the truckers in Sam Peckinpah’s Convoy movie in 1978 starring Kris Kristofferson, and played the chauffeur and bodyguard of the Rodney Dangerfield character in the 1986 comedy Back to School.
He was also in the Uli Edel’s 1990 film Last Exit to Brooklyn, where he played Big Joe, one of many who’s thrown out of work by the strike at the heart of the movie. He is violent, none too bright and yet somehow a decent man concerned about his family a classic Burt Young character.
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Some of the other films to his name include Chinatown, The Pope of Greenwich Village, and Once Upon a Time in America. He also made numerous guest appearances on television on such series as M*A*S*H, The Rockford Files, Baretta and Law & Order.
With over 10 iconic roles under his belt, it is obvious that Burt young will be greatly missed by Hollywood and fans alike. As his family passes through these tough times, like Sylvester stallon, other actors have also taken to social media to express their condolences at his passing.
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