Actor Sylvester Stallone paid tribute to his late “Rocky” co-star Burt Young.
On Wednesday, Stallone, 77, posted a throwback photo of the two on his Instagram page. Young played his brother-in-law, Paulie, in the movie.
“To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man and artist, I and the World will miss you very much…RIP,” he wrote in the caption.
According to People Magazine, Young died on Oct. 8 at the age of 83. His cause of death has not been revealed.
His manager, Lynda Bensky, released a statement to People following his passing.
“Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range. He could make you cry and he could scare you to death,” she said of the Oscar-nominated actor.
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Bensky added, “But the real pathos that I experienced was the poignancy of his soul. That’s where it came from.”
Young had other roles in films and television shows, including “Chinatown,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Sopranos.”
In an interview with Media Mikes in 2011, Young revealed how he got the role in “Rocky.”
“My name was already out there as I was fairly established in the business prior to the first ‘Rocky’ film. I had worked with the producers of the ‘Rocky’ film previously and they asked me if I would be interested in the part,” he shared.
Young also shared how he got into acting.
“I was chasing a girl! I was about 28 at the time and this very attractive girl wanted to go to Lee Strasberg’s acting school but she couldn’t get in,” he said.
Young admitted he initially thought Strasberg “was a girl” and had no idea who he was.
“I knew I could get into anywhere I wanted with perseverance so I wrote Lee a letter. I guess it sparked his interest as he invited me over and from there I became very involved,” he continued.
