‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Goodfellas’ Actor Paul Herman Dies At 76; Robert De Niro Pays Tribute To Co-Star

Paul Herman, a Brooklyn-born actor who starred as Peter “Beansie” Gaeta on “The Sopranos,” passed away Tuesday. He was 76.

Herman’s passing was announced by his “Sopranos” co-star Michael Imperioli on Instagram. The cause of his death was not disclosed.

“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,” Imperioli captioned a snap of the late actor.

He continued, “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.”

The announcement quickly prompted his former co-stars, co-workers and friends in the industry to pay tribute to him 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,” Tony Daza tweeted.

“The one & only. A loving soul with a great sense of humor, Paulie Herman. REST IN PEACE,” Lorraine Bracco wrote on Twitter.

Robert De Niro, who starred in “Goodfellas,” issued a statement to Variety, expressing his sorrow after hearing the news about his co-star.

“I am very sad about the passing of Paul Herman. He was a wonderful actor as well as a dear friend. He will be missed by all who knew and loved him, and by the profession he so proudly served through the quality of his work,” De Niro said.

Born in Brooklyn in 1946, Herman started his career in acting in 1982. His first film credit was in “Dear Mr. Wonderful,” a comedy that featured Joe Pesci and Karen Ludwig.

The late actor appeared in several movies throughout the ‘80s, including “Radio Days,” “Easy Money,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo” and “The Cotton Club.”

Herman eventually bagged roles for the small screen. He appeared on shows such as “Spencer: For Hire,” “Miami Vice” and “The Equalizer,” before nabbing the role of club owner Beansie on “The Sopranos.”

His portrayal of the exceptionally tolerant accountant Marvin on HBO’s “Entourage” also made a mark. He went on to recur on that show from 2004 to 2010, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

For his work in the industry, Herman received several accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild award for the ensemble cast of “American Hustle.” His participation in “Silver Linings Playbook” was also acknowledged when the New York Film Critics recognized the movie’s cast.