Burt Young had a long career on the stage and the silver screen, but played the most notable film roles of the 1970s, including in Roman Polanski's classic "Chinatown".
But it was for the role of Rocky's best friend Paulie that Burt Young became best known. The 1976 film about the boxer who gets the chance to fight in a world championship was the big breakthrough for Sylvester Stallone, who both played the lead role and wrote the screenplay.
"You were an amazing man and artist. I and the whole world will miss you very much," Stallone wrote on Instagram.
The film won three Academy Awards, and although Burt Young was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he was left without a golden statuette.
Burt Young appeared in all five sequels to "Rocky" and also guest-starred in television series such as "Mash" and "The Sopranos." On film, he played major roles in the films "Once Upon a Time in America" and "End Station Brooklyn"