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SPENCER – Paul D’Amato, a native of Spencer perhaps best known for his part as Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in the 1977 film Slap Shot, has died.
D’Amato was 75 years old and had been battling a rare brain disease known as Progressive supranuclear palsy for four years, according to published reports. He was living in East Brookfield. He died on Monday (Feb. 19, 2024).
D’Amato spent his early years in Spencer and attended acting classes in Worcester during high school. He went on to attend Emerson College where he played ice hockey and did some acting. He later moved to Vermont and acted in community theater there.
The first time he laced up a pair of skates was at Lake Lashaway in East Brookfield, D’Amato told Bleacherreopt.com in 2007. When his family moved, they usually found themselves near a spot where he could skate, D’Amato said in that interview.
At the time he told Bleacherreport.com that Bobby Orr was his favorite all-time hockey player though he modeled his Slap Shot character, Dr. Hook, after “Dave Schultz, Bobby Schmautz, and the shark in Jaws.”
His acting career also included roles in The Deer Hunter, Firepower and Suspect, acting alongside Robert De Nero, Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson and Cher, among others.
His performance as Dr. Hook was the inspiration for the look of Marvel’s Wolverine
In his later years, D’Amato used his fame to help with philanthropic endeavors, sometimes hitting the links for fundraisers, appearing at hockey games or supporting the Springfield Hockey Heritage Society.
