Neil Cavuto pays tribute to Paul Sorvino
Fox News host Neil Cavuto reflects on Paul Sorvino's legacy on 'Your World.'
Fox News host Neil Cavuto paid tribute to Paul Sorvino on "Your World" Monday, reflecting on the life and legacy of the Hollywood star who died of natural causes at the age of 83.
The "Goodfellas" actor, who was a frequent guest on "Your World with Neil Cavuto" over the years, met his wife Dee Dee Benkie, a political strategist, in the green room of the show before a televised segment, the Fox News host said. The couple returned to the show in 2015 to announce they were married and had eloped while standing in front of the Lincoln Center fountain.
Cavuto said he takes "great pride" knowing that his show was responsible for introducing the two and joked that it was clear from subsequent joint interviews that "Dee Dee was running the marriage and the good ‘Godfather’ figure was sort of just taking the orders."
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Dee Dee, shared a host of photos of the "Goodfellas" actor through the years while confirming his death online.
"Our hearts are broken, there will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage," she said in a statement.
The "Law & Order" actor, according to his representative Roger Neal. Sorvino had dealt with health issues in the last years of his life.
In his over 50 years in the entertainment business, Sorvino was a mainstay in films and television, playing an Italian American communist in Warren Beatty’s "Reds," Henry Kissinger in Oliver Stone’s "Nixon" and mob boss Eddie Valentine in "The Rocketeer."
He would often say that while he might be best known for playing gangsters, his real passions were poetry, painting and opera.
Dee Dee (Benkie) Sorvino first met Paul Sorvino in the green room at Fox News ahead of a Neil Cavuto appearance. The couple eloped in 2014. (Getty Images)
Cavuto described the actor as a big softy with a tough guy persona.
"You know, he played one of the scariest characters in any of the mob movies or series," the Fox News host said. "And I got to tell you, he was just a big old softy with a heart of gold."
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In addition to Dee Dee, Sorvino is survived by his three adult children, Mira, Amanda and Michael, and five grandchildren.
Fox News' Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.