Sylvester Stallone's Heartfelt Farewell to Beloved ‘Rocky’ Co-Star Burt Young: A Touching Tribute

Sylvester Stallone and Burt Young. MEGA

On Thursday, October 19, Sylvester Stallone took to Instagram to pay a heartfelt tribute to his late friend Burt Young, who passed away at the age of 83. Stallone, 77, expressed his admiration for Young's immense talent and described him as an extraordinary individual. He concluded his message by expressing that both he and the world will greatly miss Young. Rest in peace.

Stallone uploaded a nostalgic photo of the two of them in the original Rocky movie, released in 1976. Young portrayed the character Paulie Pennino, Rocky Balboa's best friend and Adrian's older brother. His exceptional performance earned him a nomination for best supporting actor at the 1977 Academy Awards. Young reprised this role in all five subsequent sequels of the franchise, with his last appearance being in Rocky Balboa in 2006.

On Wednesday, October 18, Young's daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser, confirmed her father's passing. He died in Los Angeles on October 8, although the cause of his death has not been disclosed yet.

After the public announcement of Young's death, numerous other celebrities, including Rocky star Carl Weathers, paid tribute to the late actor. Weathers tweeted on Wednesday, "RIP, Burt Young! A soul that was both beautiful and talented. He played an essential role in the Rocky family. 'You want the bird? Go get the bird.' Paulie will always be remembered!"

Aside from his portrayal of Paulie in the Rocky series, Young appeared in Chinatown, Once Upon a Time in America, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Mickey Blue Eyes, Win Win, and Transamerica. He also had a role on The Sopranos as the father of Bobby Baccalieri (Steve Schirripa) and had a recurring part in season 2 of Russian Doll alongside Natasha Lyonne.

Sylvester Stallone and Burt Young in ‘Rocky V.’ Cover Images

Young was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Long Beach International Film Festival in 2016. Stallone marked this special moment by sending a prerecorded message, expressing his admiration for Young's exceptional qualities. Stallone described Young as an anomaly: a remarkable individual who possesses strength, bravery, worldly knowledge, intelligence, artistic talent, and profound insight. Stallone concluded by stating that these qualities make Young a true renaissance man.

Stallone expressed his belief that Young deserved an Oscar for his performance in Rocky. He recalled the amazing experience of working with Young, who not only acted in the film but also provided valuable suggestions and had a strong grasp on dialogue and scene improvement. Young's originality, pacing, and unique phrasing of sentences inspired Stallone to rewrite the script. Stallone considered himself fortunate to have successfully captured the essence of Burt Young on film, which lasted for many years.