Couples
Inside Late ‘Rocky’ Actor Burt Young’s Very Private Marriage: Everything to Know About Wife Gloria
Burt Young, best known for his role as Paulie Pennino in the Rocky franchise, died on October 8, 2023, in Los Angeles, his family announced. The Oscar-nominated actor, who was a loving dad and grandfather, rarely opened up about his marriage to his wife, Gloria DeLouise.
Who Was Burt Young?
In addition to his work in the Rocky franchise, Young earned more than 160 acting credits in other films and television shows, including Back to School, The Sopranos and The Equalizer. Outside of acting, Young was a painter, having his work displayed in galleries all over the world.
The New York native was 83 at the time of his death. No official cause of death was immediately provided.
“Burt was an actor of tremendous emotional range,” his manager, Lynda Bensky, said in a statement to People on October 19, 2023. “He could make you cry, and he could scare you to death. But the real pathos that I experienced was the poignancy of his soul. That’s where it came from.”
Tributes poured in from his friends, fans and former costars, including Rocky’s Sylvester Stallone.
“To my dear friend, Burt Young, you were an incredible man and artist, I and the world will miss you very much … RIP,” he captioned a photo with his late costar.
Who Was Burt Young’s Wife, Gloria DeLouise?
Young was married to Gloria DeLouise for 13 years before her death in 1974, per multiple outlets. Little information is available about their relationship. In a rare interview, the Roomies actor once opened up about facing a rough patch in his marriage while attending the Actor’s Studio in the ‘60s.
“I wasn’t too happy at home with this lady I was married to. And I met this other girl. You know, when things ain’t working with somebody and you think, ‘Oh, if I was with that other lady, things would be wonderful,” Young admitted in an August 2006 interview with Bright Lights Film Journal. “I made a campaign to get close to her. I wasn’t a wolf; I didn’t go cheating around on my wife. But I was really nuts to see her. As a last resort, I started talking about her being an actress, and she lit up.”
He continued, “She said she’d always wanted to study with Lee Strasberg, but couldn’t get in,” adding, “I didn’t know who Lee Strasberg was. I thought it was a girl. But I figured maybe if I could help her out, I could hold hands with her.”
Young ended up studying with Strasberg for two years before landing his breakout role in Rocky in 1976.
“Acting had everything I was fishing for,” the military veteran continued. “In my life till then, I’d used tension to hold myself upright. Lee’s great gift to me was relaxation.”
Who Is Burt Young’s Daughter?
Young was a dad to one daughter, Anne Morea Steingieser. She has one son of her own, per The New York Times.
