Burt Young was an American actor best known for playing Rocky Balboa’s brother-in-law and closest friend, Paulie Pennino, in the Rocky film series. Additionally, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the first film. He passed away in Los Angeles on October 8, 2023, at the age of 83. Here is what we know about the cause of Burt Young’s demise.
Burt Young Cause of Death
Burt Young’s death was not made public until his daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed it to the New York Times on October 18, 2023. She did not specify the cause of death but stated that her father had been ill for some time and died peacefully at home. She also stated that the family had kept his death hidden in order for them to mourn in peace.
Here is the IGN official tweet:
Burt Young, the prolific character actor who played Paulie in six of the Rocky films starring Sylvester Stallone, has died aged 83. pic.twitter.com/404td1rdeg
— IGN (@IGN) October 19, 2023
According to some stories, Burt Young died of age-related diseases, since he had been suffering from a variety of health concerns in his later years. He had also been out of the public spotlight for some years, with his most recent cinematic role being in 2018 in the film Vault.
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Burt Young’s Career
Gerald Tommaso DeLouise was born on April 30, 1940, in Queens, New York. In the 1950s, he served in the United States Marine Corps before becoming a professional boxer under the name John Vitale. He subsequently went on to study acting at Lee Strasberg’s Actors Studio.
Burt Young made his cinematic debut in 1970 with The Carnival of Blood. After that, he appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Chinatown (1974), Serpico (1973), The Gambler (1974), and MAS*H (1975). Burt Young’s breakout role occurred in 1976 when he played Paulie Pennino in Rocky, Sylvester Stallone’s underdog boxing story.
He received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his depiction of the alcoholic and abusive yet loving and supportive brother-in-law. He reprised his role in all six Rocky sequels, becoming one of the series’ most beloved characters.
Burt Young has collaborated with a number of well-known actors and directors, including Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen. Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), Back to School (1986), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), and Win Win (2011) are among his significant films.
Burt Young was a painter as well as a writer. He displayed his paintings in galleries all over the world and wrote two books: Endings (2010), a novel, and Brando’s Smile (2012), a collection of short stories.
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Burt Young Personal Life
Burt Young was married twice. He married Gloria DeLouise in 1961 and divorced her in 1975. Anne Morea Steingieser is their only child. Victoria Forde-Young, his second wife, whom he married in 1985 and remained with until her death in 2008, was also involved with a number of charitable organizations and causes.
He gave to organizations such as Amnesty International, USA Harvest, Music for Relief, Compass House, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, MusiCares, WhyHunger, and others.
He has appeared at benefit concerts for Hurricane Katrina relief (2005), AIDS awareness (2006), autism research (2007), breast cancer research (2010), Sandy Hook victims (2013), COVID-19 relief (2020), and racial justice (2020).
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