'Rocky' Star Burt Young Died at 83 Sylvester Stallone Pays Tribute to His 'Dear Friend'

Publish date: 2024-06-16

Veteran star Burt Young has passed away, and his family recently confirmed the news several days later. His former co-star also took to social media and paid a heartfelt tribute to him. The actor was best known as a tough guy in Hollywood films such as "Chinatown," "Once Upon a Time in America" and most notably in the "Rocky" movie franchise.

The iconic film follows a small-time Philadelphia boxer known as Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), who gets a rare opportunity to go head-to-head with a world champion.

Young starred as Paulie Pennino in the movie, a role which earned him an Academy Award nomination. The star admitted that he was "surprised" to get a nod for the prestigious award, adding he did not expect to get paid for being an actor. Young revealed in an October 2017 interview:

"I was the only actor that didn't audition in the first 'Rocky.' And I got the most money for it."

The New York native explained that Stallone approached him and asked him to join the globally successful franchise. The action movie star introduced himself and told Young that he had written the film "Rocky" and convinced him to feature in it.

Young praised Stallone for his writing skills in a January 2019 interview, saying he writes beautifully. He had starred as his best friend and brother-in-law in the movie.

Young met Stallone in 1975, and several years later, the "Expendables" star paid homage to him on social media after he received his Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Stallone recalled Young's role in "Rocky" in 2016 and divulged that he brought so much "passion" to the role that he deserved an Oscar Award, adding that the painter influenced his writing for the film. The New York native expressed his love for Young and congratulated him on the honorary award.

Young Died at 83

Young's daughter Anne Steingieser confirmed that her famous father died in Los Angeles on October 8, 2023. The cause of death is not yet known. The actor's manager, Lynda Bensky, also confirmed his death on October 18, 2023, and said, "Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry, and he could scare you to death."

Meanwhile, Stallone paid tribute to his co-star in an Instagram post on October 19, 2023. The famed filmmaker shared a throwback black and white picture of him and Young in a scene from the sports movie "Rocky" and captioned his post:

"To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man and artist. I and the World will miss you very much...RIP."

Young's other co-star, actor James Woods, who starred alongside him in the film "Once Upon a Time in America," along with Robert De Niro, also honored him on Twitter.

Woods called the now-late star a "unique" and "authentic" actor. "[…] When he played a role, you couldn't imagine anyone else. RIP, my friend," he penned. Young, who was also an author and a painter, died at 83.

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