Friday, March 20, 2009

Burt Young dishes on Stallone and 'Rocky'

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Now we know why Burt Young played Sylvester Stallone’s dyspeptic bother-in-law Paulie so convincingly in the penultimate Rocky picture: He was peeved at the he-man.

Interviewed on Movie Geeks United, the legendary character actor says it was only his daughter’s fond memories of his earlier collaborations with Sly that repaired an epic rift.
CAPTION: Burt (above): Much, ah, happier in the final Rocky flick.

Burt (above): Much, ah, happier in the Rocky finale.

“Rocky V…was a clinker. I was sore. In fact, he and I didn’t talk because I was sore about what we didn’t do to help that movie,” Burt tells host Jamey DuVall of the 1990 film.

“We really didn’t talk for years and years and years – until they told me he’d written another story [which] was turned down. But he believed in it,” Burt continues.

“My daughter…grew up with the Rocky things, and she was reminding me how we used to work together – write together, rehearse together – and the joy we used to have out of each other from working.

“So I was invited as part of the audience when [Sly] was doing that Contender [TV] series with Sugar Ray Leonard. And it was the first time we said hello in many years.
Yo, Paulie! With on-again pal Sly at the “Rocky Balboa” premiere.

Yo, Paulie! With on-again pal Sly at the “Rocky Balboa” premiere.

“And he said, ‘Burt, I’ve been turned down on this,” he adds of Sly’s script for Rocky Balboa, which would be brought to the big screen in 2006.

“But I only want to hear what you have to say about it.’ So he sent me a copy. And it was magnificent.”

Burt also chats with Jamey about working with co- star Jon Voight and the late director Hal Ashby on the 1982 comedy Lookin’ To Get Out, and about working with the late Rodney Dangerfield on 1986’s Back to School.

“At the beginning, we got off the wrong start,” Burt says of Rodney.

“So for a while I barred him from my trailer for poor conduct and deportment.”

To hear Burt’s full interview, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moviegeeksunited.

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