{"id":1801,"date":"2022-07-26T14:52:20","date_gmt":"2022-07-26T14:52:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=1801"},"modified":"2022-07-26T14:52:20","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T14:52:20","slug":"remembering-paul-sorvino-goodfellas-and-law-order-actor-who-died-at-83","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2022\/07\/remembering-paul-sorvino-goodfellas-and-law-order-actor-who-died-at-83.html","title":{"rendered":"Remembering Paul Sorvino, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Law & Order’ Actor Who Died at 83"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Sorvino, who starred in Martin Scorsese\u2019s\u00a0Goodfellas<\/em>\u00a0and early seasons of the NBC series\u00a0Law & Order<\/em>, died yesterday of natural causes after suffering health issues over the past few years. He was 83 years old.<\/p>\n

His death was announced by his publicist Roger Neal on behalf of Sorvino\u2019s wife, Dee Dee Sorvino, who was at his side when he passed. In a statement, Dee Dee said, \u201cOur hearts are broken. There will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Anthony Sorvino was born April 13, 1939, in Brooklyn and starred in films like\u00a0Goodfellas, Nixon, Dick Tracy, The Rocketeer, For the Love of Money, That Championship Season, Reds, A Touch of Class<\/em>, and\u00a0Oh, God!\u00a0<\/em>among many others. On television, he starred in Seasons two and three of\u00a0Law & Order<\/em>\u00a0and on Broadway in\u00a0That Championship Season. <\/em><\/p>\n

Sorvino started his career as an advertising copywriter in an ad agency and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy before making his Broadway debut in the 1964 musical\u00a0Bajour.<\/em>\u00a0Six years later, he appeared in his first film, Carl Reiner\u2019s cult classic\u00a0Where\u2019s Poppa?<\/em> starring George Segal and Ruth Gordon. In 1971 he played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film\u00a0The Panic in Needle Park<\/em>, opposite a young Al Pacino in his first lead role in a feature.<\/p>\n

Sorvino received critical praise for his performance in Jason Miller\u2019s 1972 Broadway play\u00a0That Championship Season\u00a0<\/em>and was Tony-nominated for his performance. He reprised his role in the 1982 feature film version that starred Bruce Dern, Stacy Keach, Robert Mitchum, and Martin Sheen.<\/p>\n

Sorvino also had a standout supporting role in the Best Picture Oscar-nominated film\u00a0A Touch of Class<\/em>,\u00a0also starring Segal,\u00a0and in 1981 co-starred in his longtime pal Warren Beatty\u2019s film,\u00a0Reds<\/em>, the first of three such collaborations between the two.<\/p>\n

Sorvino might be best remembered for starring as Paul Cicero, aka Big Pauly, in Martin Scorsese\u2019s film\u00a0Goodfellas<\/em>. In 1991, he began a 31-episode stint on NBC\u2019s\u00a0Law & Order,<\/em>\u00a0portraying Det. Philip Cerreta, the partner of Chris Noth\u2019s Det. Mike Logan. After being wounded in the line of duty, the character was succeeded in the series by Jerry Orbach\u2019s Det. Lennie Briscoe.<\/p>\n

Dee Dee and Paul married in 2014 after a chance meeting on the Neil Cavuto show on Fox News Channel Network. Sorvino founded the Paul Sorvino Asthma Foundation with his wife Dee Dee and co-authored the book\u00a0Pinot, Pasta, and Parties.<\/em><\/p>\n

The death\u00a0of Sorvino\u00a0inspired many Twitter tributes, but none may be as touching as the one posted by his daughter,\u00a0Mira Sorvino. The Oscar-winning actor\u00a0said on social media<\/a>\u00a0that her \u201cheart is rent asunder- a life of love and joy and wisdom with him is over,\u201d and added, \u201cHe was the most wonderful father.\u201d<\/p>\n