Paul D'Amato (actor)

Paul D'Amato (October 2, 1949 – February 19, 2024) was an American actor best known for his appearance as the lead antagonist in the hockey film Slap Shot. Apart from films, he also acted in various television series and stage productions, often cast as a thug or henchman.

Paul D'Amato
D'Amato in Slap Shot (1977)
Born	Paul D'Amato October 11, 1949 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	February 19, 2024(2024-02-19) (aged 74) East Brookfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Education	Emerson College
Occupation	Actor

Early life, education, and career

Paul D'Amato was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on October 2, 1949.^[1][2] D'Amato began working as a stagehand at the age of 14. When he was 21, he changed his career path to acting. He attended Emerson College, where he appeared in school productions and also played on the school ice hockey team.^[2][3] In 1974, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont, and acted in a local theatre ensemble.^[2] He played one of the three prisoners in a 1975 stage production of the Jean Genet play, Deathwatch, for which his performance was reviewed as "outstanding".^[4][5]

Film and stage career

D'Amato's combination of acting and ice hockey experience put him in contention for a role in the 1977 film Slap Shot, in which he played the main antagonist, Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken. He appeared in films including The Deadliest Season (1977 TV film), The Deer Hunter (1978), Firepower (1979), and Heaven's Gate.^[6] His appearance in Slap Shot served as the basis of Marvel Comics artist John Byrne's rendition of the X-Men comic book character, Wolverine.^[7] D'Amato also had a stage career, appearing in a Vermont production of Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre in 1980.^[6] In the 1980s, D'Amato was typically cast as a thug or henchman; in a 1983 pilot for the TV series Murder Ink, his character assaulted a character played by Ellen Barkin, and in the 1987 film Suspect, he "held a razor to Cher's throat... and stabbed [Dennis Quaid]".^[8] Later in life, D'Amato joked about the occasions in which his characters menaced characters played by famous actors.^[9] In the 1990s and 2000s D'Amato appeared as different characters in multiple episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.^[3] In 1996, he performed in an off-Broadway revival of the play, Requiem for a Heavyweight.^[10]

Later life

D'Amato continued to make public appearances in the 2010s, mostly evoking his appearance in Slap Shot. In November 2010, D'Amato dropped the ceremonial first puck at a hockey game between the Danbury Whalers and the Broome County Barons.^[3] In July 2012, he came out for an ice skating event to raise funds for Hope Lodge in Worcester.^[11] In August 2017, he participated in a reunion of members of the Slap Shot cast in Winnipeg for a golf tournament commemorating the 40th anniversary of the film.^[12] By 2019, he was working as a boot-fitter in a Vermont ski shop, which facilitated his skiing hobby.^[8]

Personal life and death

In the mid-1970s, D'Amato married Bertine Colombo of Montpelier, whom he met while they attended adjacent colleges.^[2] In 2019, he was engaged to Marina Re,^[8] with whom he remained at the time of his death.^[9]

D'Amato died in East Brookfield, Massachusetts, on February 19, 2024, at the age of 74. He had a four-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease.^[9][a][13]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	Magnum Force	Store Crook #2	Uncredited
1977	Slap Shot	Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken
1977	The Deadliest Season	Dave Eskanazi	TV movie
1978	Heaven Can Wait	Swimmer's Friend	Uncredited
1978	The Deer Hunter	Green Beret
1979	Firepower	Tagua
1980	Heaven's Gate	Bearded Mercenary
1986	F/X	Gallagher
1987	Suspect	Michael
1993	Dangerous Affairs	Harold Anderson
1994	Crimson Lights
1997	Six Ways to Sunday	Fishetti
1998	Men Under Water	Man at Counter
1999	The Opportunists	Dylan
2007	The Living Wake	Rutger
2007	Light and the Sufferer	Jimmy

Notes

1. Many news sources mislabel his age as "75" or "76".

References

1. "Paul D'Amato". Television Academy. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
2. Russell Smith, "Paul D'Amato Has Made the Best of His Talent and Luck", The Burlington Free Press (April 20, 1977), p. 1C, 4C.
3. "Get ready for some 'old-time hockey;' Whalers to welcome 'Dr. Hook Tim McCracken at Saturday's game". NewsTimes. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
4. Ray Murphy, "Genet drama powerful stuff", The Boston Globe (May 16, 1975), p. 38.
5. George McKinnon, "Pops catches elusive 'Bess' Archived February 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine", The Boston Globe (April 8, 1977), p. 13.
6. Maggie Maurice, "Actor With Marketable Mug Faces Pericles Archived February 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine", The Burlington Free Press (August 7, 1980), p. D1.
7. Lovece, Frank (April 24, 2009). "Wolverine Origins: Marvel artists recall the creation of an icon". Film Journal International. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
8. Paula J. Owen, "At home on the slopes and the stage Archived February 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine", Telegram & Gazette (January 5, 2019).
9. Jensen, Tim (February 20, 2024). "Actor Paul D'Amato Dies; Avid Charity Supporter Throughout Connecticut". Enfield, CT Patch.
10. Mark Kram, "Here's to a Winner Archived February 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine", Philadelphia Daily News (May 9, 1996), p. S-7.
11. McGrath, John (August 1, 2012). "He Thanks 'Dr. Hook' For a Great Day". Westborough, MA Patch. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
12. Ted Wyman, "Putting on the Foil Not Without Pitfalls Archived February 20, 2024, at the Wayback Machine", Ottawa Citizen (August 23, 2017), p. B3.
13. Barnes, Mike (February 21, 2024). "Paul D'Amato, Tim 'Dr. Hook' McCracken in 'Slap Shot,' Dies at 76". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2024.

External links

• Paul D'Amato at IMDb
• Matt Shields, "Talking With Dr. Hook From 'Slap Shot'", Bleacher Report (April 25, 2007)