Tony Sirico Lifeless at 79: ‘The Sopranos,’ Paulie Walnuts — Obituary

Tony Sirico, finest recognized for enjoying mobster Paulie Walnuts on HBO’s The Sopranos, has died on the age of 79, our sister website Selection stories.

Sirico’s supervisor Bob McGowan confirmed the information, calling him “a really loyal and nice consumer” who “would at all times assist individuals in want.” No reason behind loss of life has been launched.

A local New Yorker, Sirico had his personal real-life run-ins with the legislation when a jail go to from an performing troupe stuffed with ex-convicts impressed him to pursue an performing profession. He performed a variety of gangster roles in movies like GoodFellas and Bullets Over Broadway earlier than touchdown the function that will outline his performing profession: that of tough-guy enforcer Paulie Gualtieri, aka “Paulie Walnuts,” on the HBO drama The Sopranos.

Sirico initially auditioned to play Uncle Junior, however that function went to Dominic Chianese as a substitute. Sopranos creator David Chase then supplied Sirico the function of Paulie, however Sirico would solely agree if Chase promised the character wouldn’t “grow to be a rat.” Sirico went on to seem in all six seasons of the Emmy-winning basic, successful a pair of Display screen Actors Guild awards as a part of the Sopranos ensemble.

Following The Sopranos, Sirico appeared in episodes of Chuck and The Grinder and lent his voice to episodes of Household Man and American Dad!.

Michael Imperioli, who starred alongside Sirico on The Sopranos as Christopher Moltisanti, paid tribute to him on Instagram: “It pains me to say that my pricey good friend, colleague and companion in crime, the nice TONY SIRICO has handed away at the moment. Tony was like nobody else: he was as powerful, as loyal and as large hearted as anybody I’ve ever recognized. I used to be at his aspect by way of a lot: by way of good instances and dangerous. However principally good. And we had a variety of laughs. We discovered a groove as Christopher and Paulie and I’m proud to say I did a variety of my finest and most enjoyable work with my pricey pal Tony. I’ll miss him endlessly. He’s really irreplaceable. I ship like to his household, mates and his many many followers. He was beloved and can by no means be forgotten. Heartbroken at the moment.”