Fans are saying goodbye to Paul D’Amato, who was 76, after his death.
His co-star from the movie Slap Shot, Steve Carlson, shared a sad tweet with a photo of Paul, saying: “RIP Paul D’Amato. Sending heart felt condolences to family and fellow friends, actors #ripdrhook.” Paul played the tough guy Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in the funny ice hockey film from 1977.
It’s reported that Paul passed away in East Brookfield, Massachusetts on Monday because of a rare brain problem called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This illness makes it hard for people to move and happens when nerve cells in the brain get damaged.
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Paul had told the Hollywood Reporter he’d been battling this illness for four years. His fiancee Marina Re spoke to the publication too, calling him “the most wonderful, sweetest guy” and said he fought “so hard” against PSP.
Paul grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and had loved ice skating since he was young, reports The Mirror. He was in the US Army and then went to Emerson College in Boston.
He graduated in 1973, did acting in plays, and played hockey at college, according to a chat in Worcester Magazine in 2014.
As well as Slap Shot, Paul had a number of roles in US police drama Law & Order. He played the characters Art Lydell, Delbert Kort and Ralph Pena.
(Image: Universal)
Other movies and television shows Paul starred in included Suspect, American Playhouse and The Unusuals. But his Slap Shot role led to the creation of iconic Marvel character Wolverine.
Cartoonist John Byrne said: “He just had the look. He had the crazy eyes. And that’s what Wolverine needs to have.”
Towards the end of his life, Paul worked in a ski shop in Vermont. He is survived by his sister Andrea and girlfriend Marina.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
