'Goodfellas,' 'Godfather of Harlem' actor Paul Sorvino dies at 83

Paul Sorvino (L) has died, his wife Dee Dee (R) announced. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI.
1 of 5 | Paul Sorvino (L) has died, his wife Dee Dee (R) announced. File Photo by Chris Chew/UPI. | License Photo

July 25 (UPI) -- Actor Paul Sorvino died Monday at age 83. His wife, DeeDee, announced his death on Instagram.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news with Sorvino's publicist, Roger Neal. The trade says Sorvino died of natural causes.

"The love of my life & the most wonderful man who has ever lived is gone," DeeDee wrote on Instagram. "I am heartbroken."

A prolific actor with 172 IMDB credits, Sorvino was a singer and stage actor before delving into film and television. His '70s films include Where's Poppa?, The Panic in Needle Park, The Day of the Dolphin and The Gambler.

The '90s brought notable character work to Sorvino, beginning with 1990's Goodfellas. Earlier that same year he'd played comic strip mobster Lips Manlis in Dick Tracy.

Roles in The Rocketeer, The Firm, Nixon, and Bulworth ensured audiences recognized him whenever he showed up. That included the younger audience who saw him as the Capulet patriarch in Romeo + Juliet or kids who saw him as the bad guy in See Spot Run or heard his voice in Hey Arnold!

Sorvino continued acting through 2021 on the EPIX drama Godfather of Harlem. He has other projects listed in post-production.

Sorvino's three children, Mira, Michael and Amanda, are also actors. Mira won the Academy Award for her role in Mighty Aphrodite and recently starred on the Starz horror-comedy Shining Vale.

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Anita Pointer
Anita Pointer of the Grammy-winning Pointer Sisters stands with Andy Madadian (C) and La Toya Jackson (L) as Madadian is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. Pointer, who performed alongside her sisters June and Ruth, died at the age of 74 on December 31 following a battle with cancer. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

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