Actor Paul D’Amato, who served as an inspiration for the Wolverine comic character and featured in the wedding scene of The Deer Hunter, passed away at the age of 76 on Monday after a four-year struggle with a rare brain disease, as confirmed by his family.
D’Amato gained prominence for his role as a disillusioned Vietnam veteran in the 1978 Vietnam epic, The Deer Hunter, alongside Robert De Niro. Additionally, he showcased his versatility by portraying various characters in the police TV drama Law and Order.
His fiancée, Marina Re, shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he was the “most wonderful, sweetest guy” who fought “so hard” against his illness.
Notably, D’Amato’s portrayal of Tim ‘Dr. Hook’ McCracken in Slap Shot, a film also featuring Paul Newman, served as the inspiration for the X-Men comic book character Wolverine. Cartoonist John Byrne remarked about the late actor, stating, ‘He just had the look. He had the crazy eyes. And that’s what Wolverine needs to have.’
