Burt Young Death: How Many ‘Rocky’ Movies Did Sly Stallone Sidekick Appear In?
Burt Young, the gravely-voiced actor who played Sylvester Stallone‘s brother-in-law, Paulie Pennino, in Rocky, has died at 83. Young became beloved by moviegoers for his interpretation of the down-on-his-luck character who helped champion Rocky Balboa’s rise to boxing stardom. The film franchise would total nine installments over almost 50 years, but how many Rocky movies and sequels did Young appear in?
Burt Young played Paulie Pennino alongside Sylvester Stallone in ‘Rocky’ and its sequels
As Paulie Pennino, Burt Young played the devil character sitting atop one of Rocky Balboa‘s shoulders in the original Rocky film, written and starring Sylvester Stallone. His sister Adrian, played by Talia Shire, was the angel, and both pulled him in different directions emotionally.
Paulie had a temper, drank too much, complained often, and was a pain in the neck. However, he was beloved by Rocky, who could see beyond his tough exterior.
However, the one aspect of Paulie’s character was loyalty, and it was that trait Young took to the bank in his portrayal. This positive primal trait made Paulie beloved by Rocky fans and kept him an integral part of the franchise for years.
Paulie showed moviegoers that friends can be imperfect, moody, and stubborn. But a good friend never abandons those he loves.
So, how many Rocky movies did Burt Young appear in? There are a total of nine, including the Creed spinoffs, and Young appeared in six of the nine films.
Young played Paulie in the films Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), and Rocky Balboa (2006). The actor did not bring the character to the Creed series of films, which number three.
Was Burt Young nominated for an Oscar for ‘Rocky?’
Rocky was nominated for 10 Oscars. It ultimately won three statuettes for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing in 1977.
Burt Young was nominated for Best Supporting Actor that same year. He shared the honor with his Rocky co-star, Burgess Meredith, who played Rocky’s trainer Mickey Goldmill. The actors shared the ballot with Jason Robards for All the President’s Men, Ned Beatty of Network, and Laurence Olivier for Marathon Man.
One key scene in the original movie showcasing Young’s acting prowess showed Paulie’s anger and jealousy toward Rocky and Adrian’s relationship. After years of being meek toward Paulie’s powerful personality, Adrain stood up for herself for the first time, with Rocky stepping in only after Adrian began crying uncontrollably.
Sylvester Stallone pays tribute to his longtime friend
Shortly after Burt Young’s death announcement, Sylvester Stallone took to Instagram to pay tribute to his longtime collaborator. The men were friends for almost 50 years.
The actor/director posted a black-and-white scene still from the original 1976 Rocky film. In the caption, he shared a comment regarding his friend’s death.
“To my Dear Friend, BURT YOUNG, you were an incredible man’s [sic] and artist. I and the World will miss you very much…RIP.”
In an interview with The Rumpus, Young recalled his first meeting with Stallone. Young said, “[Stallone] comes up to me at MGM. I’m having a meeting with somebody.”
Young continued, “He kneels down next to me. He says, “Mr. Young, I’m Sylvester Stallone. I wrote Rocky.” I said, “F****** congratulations. You did a great job. “But you’ve got to do it, please. You gotta,” Young says Stallone told him.
Burt Young was born Gerald Tommaso DeLouise in New York in 1940. He died on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. His daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed his death.
Besides the Rocky series of movies, Young appeared in dozens of films and television shows. He played key roles in Chinatown (1974), The Gambler (1974), The Killer Elite (1975), Convoy (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), and Bottom of the 9th (2019).
