Paul D’Amato Dies: ‘Deer Hunter’ and ‘Law & Order’ Actor Was 76

Martin Holmes
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Paul D'Amato in Slap Shot
Slap Shot/YouTube

Paul D’Amato, an actor best known for his roles in The Deer Hunter, Slap Shot, and several episodes of Law & Order, has died. He was 76.

According to Deadline, D’Amato passed away on Monday, February 19, after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain condition that is similar to Parkinson’s disease.

D’Amato’s long-time partner, fellow actor Marina Re, confirmed the passing on social media.

“It is with a sadness so deep, I cannot begin to convey, but the light and love of my life, my beloved Paul D’Amato took flight this afternoon,” Re wrote in a Facebook post late Monday night.

“I wanted to keep this to myself, to hold him forever and never let go, but he touched so many peoples lives, he was so loved, it wouldn’t be fair,” she continued. “He may have played tough bad guys, but a sweeter, kinder, more compassionate man does not exist. Whether skiing down the slopes, riding his motorcycle, skating on the ice, rollerblading through the village, or kayaking on the lake, he lived life to the fullest.”

Re added, “His courage and grace battling that cruel and relentless disease, PSP, made me fall in love with him all over again. It was the privilege and blessing of my life to be able to care for him these past four extraordinarily challenging years.”

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, D’Amato started his career as a stagehand before moving into acting at the age of 21. He attended Emerson College in Boston, where he performed in school plays and was part of the hockey team before graduating in 1973.

His big break came in the 1977 ice hockey movie Slap Shot, where he played the main antagonist opposite Paul Newman. D’Amato’s appearance in the film is said to have inspired the look of John Byrne’s rendition of the comic book character Wolverine.

D’Amato went on to star in several more films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including The Deadliest Season (1977), The Deer Hunter (1978), Firepower (1979), Heaven’s Gate (1980), and F/X (1986).

He also had a prolific television career, often being cast as a thug or henchman. In the 1990s and 2000s, D’Amato appeared as different characters in multiple episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. His last appearance came in a 2005 episode of Criminal Intent where he played Dom Iovino. He also starred in The Six Million Dollar Man, Murder Ink, and American Playhouse.

His last on-screen role came in Noah Hawley‘s 2009 detective drama The Unusuals, where he starred in the fourth episode.

He is survived by Re and his sister, Andrea.

Check out some tributes to D’Amato below.

Law & Order - NBC

Law & Order where to stream

Law & Order

Paul D'Amato




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