Another ‘Slap Shot’ Actor Has Died: Stephen Mendillo Was 82

Actor Paul D’Amato has died. He was 76.

The Massachusetts-born actor is famous for his roles in Heaven Can Wait, the Cher-starring Suspect, and the Best Picture-winning The Deer Hunter, but is best known for his role as the evil Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in the classic sports movie Slap Shot. He died at his Massachusetts home after a four-year battle with a rare brain disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy.

His fiancée, the actress Marina Re, told the Hollywood Reporter he was “wonderful.”

“He was the most wonderful, sweetest guy, he fought so hard against this horrendous disease,” she said.

In Slap Shot, the beloved hockey movie, D’Amato plays the despicable “Dr. Hook,” the captain of the rival team who was named as such for his reputation of using his hockey stick as a weapon.

“The first line that I ever said in a movie was, ‘Dunlop, you suck c–k,’” D’Amato said in a 2007 interview. “I was very nervous and excited at the same time. The scene was pretty simple and straightforward, and I realized that being nervous was no excuse. So, like James Cagney would want, I planted my feet, looked him square in the eye and told him what I thought of him … It worked out pretty well, butterflies and all.”

Professional hockey player Steve Carlson, who also appeared in the movie, mourned D’Amato in a post on Twitter/X.

“RIP Paul D’Amato. Sending heart felt condolences to Family and fellow friends, actors🌹 #ripdrhook,” he wrote.

RIP Paul D'Amato
Sending heart felt condolences to Family and fellow friends, actors🌹 #ripdrhook pic.twitter.com/J0q51Jchg4

— Steve Carlson #17 (@steve_carlson17) February 20, 2024

D’Amato is survived by his fiancée, his sister, his aunt and uncle, and his niece.