LEGENDARY Sopranos and Goodfellas star Paul Herman has died at the age of 76.
Castmates paid glowing tributes to the screen star, of Brooklyn, New York, after he died on his birthday yesterday.
Herman was best known for playing Peter “Beansie” Gaeta in The Sopranos.
His passing was confirmed by fellow star Michael Imperioli – who played Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama.
Imperioli said on Instagram: “Our friend and colleague Paul Herman has passed away. Paulie was just a great dude.
“A first-class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor.
“Goodfellas, Once Upon A Time In America, The Irishman, and of course The Sopranos are some highlights.
“Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us.
“I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends, and community of actors and filmmakers.”
Lorraine Bracco, who played Karen Hill in Goodfellas, said: “The one and only. A loving soul with a great sense of humor, Paulie Herman. REST IN PEACE.”
Actress Debi Mazar, who started her career with a supporting role in Goodfellas, said she had a “long history” with Herman that dated back to the 1980s.
Paying tribute, Tony Danza posted on social media: “Paul (Paulie) Herman was one of the greatest guys of all time. A great actor and a great friend.
“If you visited NYC from LA, he was the entertainment director. We will all miss you so much, Paulie.”
British-American star Frances Fisher branded the actor’s death an “end of an era”.
‘Always a smile’
She said: “Paulie Herman – Beloved by All. From the old NYC days at Cafe Central & Columbus to the West Coast nights at Ago, Paulie always had a smile and a table.
“Decades of memories in every conceivable haunt and hamlet. An actor, a horseman, a man about town, a bit of a health nut, a bottom line trusted friend.”
American actor Kevin Corrigan said Herman was “great” in the David O’Russell dramedy Silver Linings Playbook.
Fans have also paid their own tribute to the Sopranos star.
One said: “Loved him as Beansie but also his three roles in New York Stories. So sad.”
Another commented: “Always enjoyed his memorable performances.”
A third said: “RIP. Great character actor. In addition to his role as Beansie, I loved his small part in The Daytrippers.”
Herman appeared in more than a dozen films alongside Robert De Niro including Falling In Love, Once Upon A Time In America, Little Fockers, and American Hustle.
His last was 2019’s The Irishman, directed by Martin Scorcese.
He was also in the Scorcese movies The Color Of Money and 1995 crime classic Casino.
His cause of death remains unknown.
