Biography
He came to acting through Lee Strasberg and appeared on the off-Broadway stage before making the leap to film in 1970. Numerous supporting roles as losers, thugs and tough guys preceded his memorable role in "Rocky" (1976) as Sylvester Stallone's ill-mannered brother-in-law, Paulie Pennino. He would reprise the role in all of the subsequent "Rocky" sequels while enjoying turns in a wide variety of films and television series, most notably a …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
2006 | Reprised role of Paulie in "Rocky Balboa," the sixth film in the Rocky series | |
2005 | Starred opposite Felicity Huffman in the indie-drama "TransAmerica" | |
2005 | Reunited with Sylvester Stallone for the reality series "The Contender" | |
2000 | Had recurring role in the HBO series "The Sopranos" | |
1999 | Sixth film with Caan, "Mickey Blue Eyes" | |
1998 | Narrated HBO documentary, "City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal" | |
1997 | Portrayed Mr. Ippolito in "Before Women Had Wings", an ABC movie aired under the banner 'Oprah Winfrey Presents' | |
1997 | Played yet another gangster in the CBS miniseries "The Last Don" | |
1997 | Co-starred in "She's So Lovely" | |
| Had recurring role on "Walker, Texas Ranger" (CBS) | ||
1996 | Fifth film with Caan, "North Star" | |
1993 | Reprised his role in the sequel "Vendetta II: The New Mafia" (syndicated) | |
1991 | Appeared in the syndicated miniseries "Vendetta: Secrets of a Mafia Bride" | |
1990 | Reteamed again with Shire as her brother in "Rocky V" | |
1989 | Played Big Joe in "Last Exit to Brooklyn" | |
1988 | Wrote, directed and starred in the one-man stage production "S.O.S." | |
1987 | Created and co-starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom "Roomies"; played a forty-something former drill sergeant returing to college who rooms with a teenage genius | |
1986 | Co-starred on stage with Robert De Niro in "Cuba and His Teddy Bear" | |
1985 | Had a fourth go at Paulie in "Rocky IV" | |
1984 | Portrayed Bedbug Eddie in "The Pope of Greenwich Village" | |
1982 | Again played Paulie in "Rocky III" | |
1979 | Reprised his role of Paulie in "Rocky II" | |
1978 | Sole film as writer, "Uncle Joe Shannon"; also starred | |
1978 | Wrote and starred in the CBS TV-movie "Daddy, I Don't Like It Like This" | |
1976 | Breakthrough screen role as Talia Shire's brother in "Rocky"; received Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor | |
1975 | Had featured role in support of Jill Clayburgh and Lee Remick in "Hustling" (ABC) | |
| Appeared as Robert Blake's brother in episodes of "Baretta" (ABC); wrote first teleplay for the series | ||
1974 | Second film with Caan, "The Gambler" | |
1974 | Played Curly in Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" | |
1973 | Early TV-movie credit, "The Connection" (ABC) | |
1973 | Portrayed Master-At-Arms in second feature, "Cinderella Liberty", starring James Caan | |
1971 | Film acting debut in "The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight" | |
| Worked first as a carpet cleaner, then as a carpet salesman and installer in the 1960s | ||
1957 | Served in the US Marine Corps | |
Awards
1976 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Rocky |