Legendary “Top Gun” actor Frank Pesce has died at 75.
The Hollywood star succumbed to complications from dementia at his California home last weekend, his girlfriend Tammy Scher told Deadline on Wednesday.
In addition to “Top Gun,” Pesce starred in a slew of other 80s classics, including “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Flashdance,” “American Gigolo” and “Midnight Run.”
Pesce — who was close friends with Sylvester Stallone — had reportedly battle dementia for a number of years.
His last listed film credit was the 2015 “Rocky” spin-off, “Creed,” starring Michael B. Jordan.
Pesce was born in New York City in 1946, and kick-started his film career acting as an extra in “The Godfather II,” according to The Los Angeles Times.
The paper reported that he was also a a stand-in for the likes of Robert DeNiro in “Taxi Driver” and Frank Sinatra in “The First Deadly Sin.”
Pesce met Sylvester Stallone in the mid-1970s, and the pair formed a long-lasting friendship.
The star featured in the first “Rocky” in 1976, and appeared alongside Stallone again in the sports drama “Paradise Alley,” released in 1978.
In addition to his roles in the 1980s big-screen blockbusters, Pesce also appeared in TV shows such as “Knight Rider” and “Miami Vice.”
In 1991, Pesce turned his attention to writing, penning the screenplay for the movie “29th Street.”
The film revolved around an Italian-American man who wins over $6 million in the first New York State Lottery. Pesce claimed the movie was autobiographical, and the lead character was called “Joe Pesce”.
However, Pesce later admitted he never won the lottery, telling the Los Angeles Times: “Do you think I would be making movies if I won all that money?”
However, the film was still a critical success, and holds an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ‘
Pesce continued to score film and TV roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
In addition to girlfriend, he is survived by brother, Vito.
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