Actor Paul Herman, popularly known for his recurring role as Peter “Beansie” Gaeta in the crime drama series The Sopranos, died on Wednesday. He was 76.
Michael Imperioli, Herman’s co-star from The Sopranos, confirmed the actor’s death, who passed away on his birthday. “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,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
Imperioli added, “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 our community of actors and filmmakers.”
Herman had joined the series in its second season playing Beansie, a former drug dealer. He had reportedly appeared in a total of five episodes, and had made guest appearances in seasons four and six.
Born on March 29, 1946, Herman’s first film credit was the 1982 comedy Dear Mr Wonderful, starring Joe Pesci.
He went on to feature in several big-banner films, including James Foley’s At Close Range, Robert De Niro-starrer Once Upon a Time in America, James Gray’s We Own the Night, Al Pacino-starrer Heat, Bill Murray and Howard Franklin’s Quick Change, and David O Russell’s American Hustle, among others. He also guest-starred in several television shows, including The Equalizer and Miami Vice.
Frequently collaborating with Martin Scorsese, Herman had first worked with the director on the 1986 sports drama The Color of Money and The Last Temptation of Christ. He also had minor roles in Goodfellas and Casino. His last collaboration with the director was in 2019, with the film The Irishman.
Members from the industry paid their tributes to Herman.
Recommended
Actor Tony Danza took to Twitter, and wrote, “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.”
Actor Lorraine Bracco, Herman’s co-star from Goodfellas and The Sopranos, shared, “The one and only. A loving soul with a great sense of humor, Paulie Herman. Rest In Peace.”
“Rest in power Paulie Herman. You were the best,” wrote singer Diane Warren.