Knockout Facts About Sylvester Stallone
“No one likes to fail at anything, but I believe I'm a better person for it. I learned life's lessons. You're given certain gifts and that's what you should try to be.”
Rocky Balboa and Rambo are the two personas you think of when you hear the name Sylvester Stallone. Sure, you’ve watched the movies countless times, so you know about those characters. But what do you know about the man behind the roles?
Keep reading to find out!
Sylvester Stallone Facts
1. Writing for a Fight
That first Rocky film? Stallone wrote that. In three days! He was inspired by the 1975 fight in Cleveland between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. Not many people gave the film (which was shot in 28 days) a chance, but it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1976, earned $225 million at the box office, and even scored some sequels.
2. Everything Happens for a Reason
It was a bit of a fluke that Rocky was made. Stallone had gone to an audition and mentioned that he was also a writer. The producers asked him if he had anything in the works, and Stallone said he did. He told them about Rocky and the producers were hooked!
3. Man of Bronze
There’s a giant, two-ton, 10-foot tall bronze statue of Rocky in Philadelphia that’s a major hit with tourists. But locals and art enthusiasts weren’t a fan with where it originally was put: at the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's steps.
It got moved to the local sports arena, but ended up back at the museum, this time at the bottom of the steps.
