CNN
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Actor Tony Sirico, who is best known for playing henchman Peter Paul “Paulie Walnuts” Gualtieri on HBO’s “The Sopranos,” has died, according to his manager Bob McGowan.
He was 79, according to his IMDB profile.
McGowan did not provide a cause of death, but called Sirico a “very loyal and long-time customer” of 25 years and someone who “always gave to charity”.
Sirico’s “Sopranos” co-star Michael Imperioli also shared the news on Instagram, saying Sirico died on Friday.
“Tony was like no one else: he was as tough and as loyal and as tall as anyone I’ve ever known,” he wrote. “I was by his side through so much: through the good times and the bad. But mostly good. And we laughed a lot. »
Brooklyn-born Sirico racked up several credits in the late ’80s and ’90s, appearing in films like “Goodfellas,” “Mighty Aphrodite,” and “Mickey Blue Eyes.”
But he became well known – especially in cable homes – thanks to “The Sopranos”, playing the colorful but brutal Paulie Walnuts when necessary.
At the time of his audition, he recalled in an interview, he was 55 and sleeping on his mother’s couch. He had auditioned for a different character, but creator David Chase approached him with a different role, which turned out to be iconic in its own right.
“He said, ‘Do you want the good news or the bad news? ‘” Sirico recalled in a 2021 interview. “I said, ‘Give me the bad news.’ He said, ‘You didn’t have Uncle Junior. But I have something in mind. Would you be willing to play a recurring role on the show? I have a character called Paulie Walnuts.
After the show ended, Sirico appeared on shows like “Lilyhammer,” “The Grinder,” and “Family Guy.”
But “Sopranos” — thanks in part to the show’s renewed popularity through streaming — remained his most memorable work.
“We found a rhythm as Christopher and Paulie and I’m proud to say I did a lot of my best and funniest work with my dear friend Tony,” Imperioli added. “I will forever miss him. He is truly irreplaceable. Sending love to his family, friends and many fans. He was loved and will never be forgotten. Heartbroken today.
Michael Gandolfini, son of the late “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini, also paid tribute to Sirico on Instagram.
“Tony Sirico was one of the kindest, fiercely loyal and sincere men I have ever known,” he wrote. “He was always Uncle Tony to me, and Tony always showed up for me and my family. I will deeply miss his pinches on the cheek and his contagious laugh. He was a phenomenal actor and an even better man.