Tony Burton, the character actor best known for his roles in the Rocky movies and Assault on Precinct 13, has died after a lengthy illness. He was 78.
Burton played Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and Apollo Creed's (Carl Weathers) cornerman Tony 'Duke' Evers in six Rocky movies.
As the convict Wells he had a very memorable screen pairing with the late Darwin Joston in John Carpenter's seminal siege thriller Assault on Precinct 13.
Burton's other film credits included Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Steven Spielberg's Hook, while on television his many shows included Frank's Place, Kojak, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Rockford Files and The Incredible Hulk.
An accomplished boxer and American footballer in his youth, Michigan native Burton spent three-and-a-half years in prison in California for robbery but said the experience was instrumental in him turning his life around and becoming an actor.
"I got my high school diploma and a degree from the University of California. But most important, I got myself together and found out who I was and how I could proceed without destroying myself," he said in an interview with the United Media news syndication service in the US in 1988.
Upon his release Burton began acting with theatre groups. His agent also represented Rocky co-star Carl Weathers, who helped him secure his role in the Oscar-winning 1976 movie.
Paying tribute on Twitter, Weathers said Burton's "intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies successful".
@E_Woodyard @TheSlyStallone Sad news. RIP Tony Burton. His intensity and talent helped make the Rocky movies successful. #BePeace
— Carl Weathers (@TheCarlWeathers) February 26, 2016
