Paul D’Amato Death: How Did Paul D’Amato Die?: American actor, Paul D’Amato best known for his appearance as the lead antagonist in the hockey film; “Slap Shot” has died. He was 75.
Paul D’Amato Death: How Did Paul D’Amato Die?
The actor died on Monday, February 19, 2024. D’Amato passed at his home in East Brookfield, Massachusetts from a brain disease called progressive supranuclear palsy which he had been battling for the past four years.
Former professional hockey player, Steve Carlson, who also appeared in the film; “Slap Shot” confirmed the news of D’Amato’s passing in a post he shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“RIP Paul D’Amato. Sending heart felt condolences to Family and fellow friends, actors🌹 #ripdrhook,” Carlson wrote in his post, which featured an image of D’Amato in the classic 1977 sports comedy.
Born in 1949, D’Amato began working as a stagehand as a teenager. When he was 21, he changed his career path to acting. He attended and studied speech and theatre at Boston’s Emerson College.
At Emerson College, he appeared in school productions and also played on the school ice hockey team. In 1974, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont, and acted in a local theatre ensemble
D’Amato’s combination of acting and ice hockey experience eventually landed him a role in the 1977 film “Slap Shot”, in which he played the main antagonist.
He appeared in films including; “The Deadliest Season”, “The Deer Hunter”, “Firepower”, “Six Ways to Sunda”, and “Heaven’s Gate”. During his stage career, he appeared in a Vermont production of Shakespeare’s Pericles, “Prince of Tyre” in 1980
Following his role in Slap Shot, he continued to act for decades. D’Amato made various appearances on Law & Order and its spinoff series Criminal Intent in the 1990s and 2000s.
He’s credited with undertaking 25 roles total on IMDb, having last appeared on screen in a 2009 episode of ABC’s The Unusuals. Per a 2019 Worcester Telegram & Gazette article, the actor spent his later years working at a ski shop in Westminster, Massachusetts.
Source: Ghgossip.com
