Burt Young (born April 30, 1940) is an American actor, painter and author.
Young was born Jerry De Louise in Queens, New York to parents Josephine and Michael. He was trained by Lee Strasberg at the world-famous Actor's Studio. Young was married, until her death and only has one daughter, Anne Morea. Young owns a restaurant in The Bronx, New York.
Young made his name playing rough-edged, working class Italian-American characters, the best known example being his signature role, as Sylvester Stallone's brother-in-law Paulie in Rocky, in 1976, for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. He is one of three actors (Sylvester Stallone and Tony Burton being the other two) who have appeared in every Rocky film.
He has played similar roles in Chinatown, Convoy, The Pope of Greenwich Village, Once Upon A Time In America, Last Exit to Brooklyn, and Downtown: A Street Tale. Young has also appeared in many television programs, including Baretta, Law & Order, M*A*S*H, guest-starred in a Miami Vice episode and a highly memorable appearance on The Sopranos as an old mobster dying with cancer who comes out of retirement to execute a hit on a godson whom he hates.
Young is a painter whose art has been displayed in galleries throughout the world and can be bought from his website. He is also a published author whose works include two filmed screenplays and 400-page historically-based novel called Endings.
He has also written two stage plays: SOS and A Letter to Alicia and the New York City Government From a Man With a Bullet in His Head.
