Paul D'Amato (actor)

Paul D'Amato was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on October 2, 1949.{{cite web |title=Paul D'Amato |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/paul-damato |website=Television Academy |access-date=February 24, 2024 |language=en}}Russell Smith, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-paul-damato-h/141712760/ Paul D'Amato Has Made the Best of His Talent and Luck]", The Burlington Free Press (April 20, 1977), p. 1C, 4C. 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Get-ready-for-some-old-time-hockey-Whalers-to-799047.php|title=Get ready for some 'old-time hockey;' Whalers to welcome 'Dr. Hook Tim McCracken at Saturday's game|date=November 5, 2010|website=NewsTimes|access-date=October 17, 2022|archive-date=October 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017172733/https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Get-ready-for-some-old-time-hockey-Whalers-to-799047.php|url-status=live}} In 1974, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont, and acted in a local theatre ensemble. 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".Ray Murphy, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-genet-drama-powerful-st/141713309/ Genet drama powerful stuff]", The Boston Globe (May 16, 1975), p. 38.George McKinnon, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-pops-catches-elusive-b/141714757/ Pops catches elusive 'Bess'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220221613/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-pops-catches-elusive-b/141714757/ |date=February 20, 2024 }}", The Boston Globe (April 8, 1977), p. 13.

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.Maggie Maurice, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-actor-with-mar/141713443/ Actor With Marketable Mug Faces Pericles] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220221556/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-actor-with-mar/141713443/ |date=February 20, 2024 }}", The Burlington Free Press (August 7, 1980), p. D1. 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.{{cite web|authorlink=Frank Lovece|last=Lovece|first=Frank|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/movies/e3i55fbb4c9063b301d1cb81bba0691e7a6|title=Wolverine Origins: Marvel artists recall the creation of an icon|work=Film Journal International|date=April 24, 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505063540/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/content_display/news-and-features/features/movies/e3i55fbb4c9063b301d1cb81bba0691e7a6|archivedate=May 5, 2009|url-status=dead|access-date=June 21, 2013}} D'Amato also had a stage career, appearing in a Vermont production of Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre in 1980. 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]".Paula J. Owen, "[https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2019/01/06/sunday-sitdown-paul-damato-of-east-brookfield-ski-boot-fitter-actor-and-skier/6344874007/ At home on the slopes and the stage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220221624/https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/north/2019/01/06/sunday-sitdown-paul-damato-of-east-brookfield-ski-boot-fitter-actor-and-skier/6344874007/ |date=February 20, 2024 }}", Telegram & Gazette (January 5, 2019). Later in life, D'Amato joked about the occasions in which his characters menaced characters played by famous actors.{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/connecticut/enfield/actor-paul-damato-dies-avid-enfield-athletic-hall-fame-supporter|title=Actor Paul D'Amato Dies; Avid Charity Supporter Throughout Connecticut|first1=Tim|last1=Jensen|date=February 20, 2024|website=Enfield, CT Patch}} In the 1990s and 2000s D'Amato appeared as different characters in multiple episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 1996, he performed in an off-Broadway revival of the play, Requiem for a Heavyweight.Mark Kram, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news-heres-to-a-winn/141714285/ Here's to a Winner] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220221713/https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news-heres-to-a-winn/141714285/ |date=February 20, 2024 }}", Philadelphia Daily News (May 9, 1996), p. S-7.

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. In July 2012, he came out for an ice skating event to raise funds for Hope Lodge in Worcester.{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/westborough/bp--he-thanks-dr-hook-for-a-great-day|title=He Thanks 'Dr. Hook' For a Great Day|first1=John|last1=McGrath|date=August 1, 2012|website=Westborough, MA Patch|access-date=October 18, 2022|archive-date=October 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018030330/https://patch.com/massachusetts/westborough/bp--he-thanks-dr-hook-for-a-great-day|url-status=live}} 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.Ted Wyman, "[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-putting-on-the-foil-n/141713632/ Putting on the Foil Not Without Pitfalls] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220221604/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-putting-on-the-foil-n/141713632/ |date=February 20, 2024 }}", Ottawa Citizen (August 23, 2017), p. B3. By 2019, he was working as a boot-fitter in a Vermont ski shop, which facilitated his skiing hobby.

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

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.{{efn|Many news sources mislabel his age as "75" or "76".}}{{cite web |last1=Barnes |first1=Mike |title=Paul D'Amato, Tim 'Dr. Hook' McCracken in 'Slap Shot,' Dies at 76 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/paul-damato-dead-slap-shot-dr-hook-1235831416/#recipient_hashed=dd7e9bd1412c6a09610b7857b73e18bfa819e8f143e83e5c9f3065ffaf45913d&recipient_salt=27a4475f7393adeac802909bcf940a571267330b5f01fb847a33d247771158fe |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 24, 2024 |date=February 21, 2024}}

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• {{IMDb name|id=0195063|name=Paul D'Amato}}
• Matt Shields, "[https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1022-talking-with-dr-hook-from-slap-shot Talking With Dr. Hook From 'Slap Shot']", Bleacher Report (April 25, 2007)

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Category:1949 births

Category:2024 deaths

Category:Male actors from Worcester, Massachusetts

Category:Emerson College alumni

Category:20th-century American male actors

Category:Deaths from progressive supranuclear palsy

Category:American male stage actors

Category:American male film actors

Category:American male television actors

Category:Neurological disease deaths in Massachusetts