Actor Sylvester Stallone has come a long way since his days as an aspiring director and
screenwriter.
Stallone became a household name as the writer and star of his 1976 Academy Award-winning
film "Rocky."
The success of his writer debut made him one of Hollywood's most in-demand stars and paved
the way for a series of "Rocky" sequels as well as five "Rambo" films.
Stallone's reign as an action star carried him through four decades, with lead roles
in films like "Nighthawks," "Tango & Cash," "Demolition Man," and "The Expendables."
He even used his chops in the 2003 kid-friendly movie "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over," as well in
a number of voice over roles.
Born in New York City by way of a forceps accident that severed a nerve and left him
with slurred speech, Stallone always took a humble approach to his flourishing career
in entertainment.
The "Get Carter" star once said, via Goal Cast,
"I am not the richest, smartest, or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because
I keep going and going and going."
Prior to his success, Stallone lived as a struggling actor.
In February 2021, the icon took time to reflect on his early days as a broke young adult with
dreams of making it big in Hollywood.
The renowned actor, director, and screenwriter shared a throwback black-and-white photo of
himself on Instagram, and wrote,
"This is exactly what an unemployed, going nowhere fast, 22-year-old actor/writer living
in a $71 a month apartment looks like.
There’s always a way out if you Want to get out.
There’s always a way up if you want to REALLY go up."
The established movie star shared the encouraging message while working on three more action
films, including the dark superhero film "Samaritan," a sequel to "Suicide Squad," and the director's
cut of "Rocky IV."
He's also rumored to be returning for a fourth installment to "The Expendables."
His continued work as an actor and director shows Stallone's resilience with no plans
of slowing down.
In May 2020, while answering questions from fans on Instagram, Stallone revealed that
he's writing an autobiography, explaining,
“Actually I’m starting one pretty soon, pretty much about the journey of getting here
and about staying here, and coming back.”
We all know how much Stallone loves to tell a story, and his memoir is sure to be action-packed.
In the 2020 documentary "Becoming Rocky," Stallone gives an in-depth look at his determination
to get his "Rocky" script made into a movie, and the concessions he made along the way.
The documentary's director Derek Wayne Johnson spoke with Express about how the original
script had to be adapted during filming.
Apparently, the original story was much darker and grittier than the one we know today.
According to Johnson,
"So the script [...] Although it was a beautiful script [...] it actually was a harder, darker
script in the beginning.
[...] As Sly would say: much more in the line of 'Mean Streets' - the [Martin] Scorsese's
classic.
[The director] came in and helped Sly sweeten it up a bit and made it a little bit more
charming.
I thought that was fascinating."
The determination ultimately paid off for Stallone.
According to Box Office Mojo, the first "Rocky" film grossed over $117 million worldwide,
and led to a string of successful sequels.
1979's "Rocky II" grossed $85 million, while 1982's "Rocky III" beat the original, grossing
$125 million.
And the franchise didn't end there.
In 1979, fresh off the heels of "Rocky II" and with "Rocky III" in the works, Stallone
told Roger Ebert,
"[T]here'll never be a 'Rocky IV.'
You gotta call a halt.
[...] I could go on playin' Rocky forever, but it's like even the Bowery Boys got a little
embarrassing when they were 50 or 60.
They shoulda been the Bowery Seniors."
"It ain't about how hard you hit.
It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
Ultimately, Stallone ended up making not only "Rocky IV" in 1985, but also "Rocky V" in
1990.
After taking a break from the character for a decade and a half, Stallone returned in
2006 with "Rocky Balboa" and reprised the role again a decade later in 2015's "Creed"
and 2018's "Creed II."
Stallone is living proof that anybody can make their wildest dreams a reality, and cash
in on them big time.
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