Who was Paul Herman? Tributes pour in as Goodfellas and The Irishman star dies on his 76th birthday

Paul Herman recently passed away at the age of 76. He was mostly known for his performances as Beansie in The Sopranos, Randy in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, and Whispers DiTullio in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.

The actor’s cause of death has not yet been revealed. His co-star Michael Imperioli paid tribute to him on Instagram and wrote,

Imperioli ended his post by saying that he will always miss Herman. Further details related to Paul’s funeral remain unknown for now.

Everything known about Paul Herman

Born on March 29, 1946, Herman became popular for his appearances in the dramedy Silver Linings Playbook and the crime drama, The Irishman.

Directed by David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook is based on Matthew Quick’s 2008 novel of the same name. Released on November 16, 2012, the film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success.

The Irishman, released on November 1, 2019, was based on the 2004 nonfiction book by Charles Brandt, I Heard You Paint Houses. The film received critical acclaim and several accolades, including ten nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards, five at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, and ten more at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

Paul also appeared in several other films like At Close Range, Crazy Heart, Cop Land, Analyze That, American Hustle, Once Upon a Time in America, We Own the Night, The Fan, The Day Trippers, and more.

The Brooklyn, New York native, has gained recognition for his recurring role as Peter “Beansie” Gaeta on The Sopranos. The Sopranos ran for six seasons on HBO with a total of 86 episodes until June 2007.

He was also praised for his performance in the HBO comedy-drama Entourage as Vincent Chase’s accountant, Marvin. He then played minor background characters in two crime films directed by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas and Casino. He appeared as the manager of Jeff Bridges’ character in the 2009 drama film Crazy Heart.

Paul and his brother, Charlie, ran the Columbus Café in the 1990s, located across from Lincoln Center. It was frequently visited by actors, ballet dancers, gangsters, and FBI and DEA agents. He also had a small ownership stake in the café along with Mikhail Baryshnikov alongside other actors.

Netizens pay tribute on Twitter

Although Paul Herman did not get to play any major roles in any film or TV series, his performances were always appreciated by the public. People paid tribute to him on Twitter when they heard about his demise:

So far, there are no known survivors of Herman, and detailed information related to his personal life is yet to be revealed.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

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