b
Burt Yong author, painter, and friend. Burt Young passed away on October 8, 2023, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of memorable performances and artistic achievements.
Burt Young was born on April 30, 1940, in New York City, as Gerald Tommaso DeLouise. He grew up in Corona, Queens, a working class neighborhood where he learned to be tough and resilient. He joined the Marines at the age of 16, after his father helped him lie about his age. He served from 1957 to 1959, and became a skilled boxer, winning 32 of 34 bouts.
Burt Young discovered his passion for acting in his twenties, when he enrolled in the Actors Studio under the guidance of Lee Strasberg. He said that acting had everything he was fishing for, and that Strasberg’s great gift to him was relaxation. He made his debut in 1969, in an episode of The Doctors, and soon established himself as a versatile character actor who could play rough-edged working class Italian-American characters with authenticity and depth.
Burt Young’s breakthrough role came in 1976, when he played Paulie Pennino, Rocky Balboa’s brother-in-law and best friend, in the Oscar-winning film Rocky. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance, and reprised his role in all six sequels of the Rocky franchise. He became one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, and worked with some of the finest directors and actors of his generation.
Burt Young appeared in such films as Chinatown (1974), The Gambler (1974), The Killer Elite (1975), Convoy (1978), Uncle Joe Shannon (1978), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984), A Summer to Remember (1985), Back to School (1986), Last Exit to Brooklyn (1990), Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), Transamerica (2005), Win Win (2011), and Bottom of the 9th (2019).
Burt Young also had a successful career on television, appearing in shows like The Rockford Files, Baretta, Law & Order, Walker, Texas Ranger, All In The Family, MAS*H, and Miami Vice. He had a memorable guest role on The Sopranos as Bobby Baccalieri’s father, who came out of retirement to execute a hit on his godson.
Burt Young was not only an actor, but also an author and a painter. He wrote two novels: Endings (2011) and Catching Minnows (2013). He also exhibited his paintings in several galleries around the world. His paintings reflected his colorful personality and his love for life.
Burt Young was a man of many talents and passions. He was a generous and kind-hearted person who touched many lives with his humor and warmth. He was a devoted husband to his late wife Gloria DeLouise, who died in 1974. He was a loving father to his daughter Anne Morea Steingieser. He was a loyal friend to many colleagues and fans.
Burt Young will be dearly missed by all who knew him and admired him. He will live on in our hearts and memories through his work and legacy. He was a true legend and an inspiration to us all.
