Sylvester Stallone is the man we have to thank for the legendary films, Rocky and Rambo , and the multiple sequels.
The latest Rambo chapter even comes out on September 20.
RELATED STORIES
Sylvester didn’t just wake up and become a household name. The actor and bodybuilder has had to overcome so much adversity in his life, including being homeless and losing his son, Sage.
Now, he may even be in the throes of a nasty divorce . Here are 15 things you don’t know about the actor.
He got his unique look during birth
You know the one: the lip droop and his slurred speech. Anyone who tries to impersonate him has this look down.
This was the result of mishandling at birth by a doctor who used a pair of forceps to deliver him.
A severed nerve caused his chin, lip, and part of his tongue to be partially paralyzed.
The actor was bullied as a child as a result, which led him to take up bodybuilding and acting as a way to boost his confidence.
He wrote ‘Rocky’ in three days
He got the inspiration for the film after watching a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner.
“It sounds pretentious, but it took three days—of which 90 percent was terrible,” Stallone told Howard Stern in 2005.
The movie then took 28 days to make.
Since the studio was taking a chance on a newcomer, they gave him a small budget and a stipulation that they could fire him within 14 days if he caused issues.
It’s a good thing they took a chance on him, as the film went on to make $225 million at the box office and won Best Picture at the Oscars.
He has five kids, including three girls
He’s one proud dad. He has sons, Sage and Seargeoh, from his first marriage with actress Sasha Czack. Then, he welcomed three daughters Sophia, 25, Sistine, 24, and Scarlet, 20, from his marriage to former model Jennifer Flavin.
He loves being a dad and often expresses his gratitude for his children on social media.
“I am a very very lucky man to have such wonderful, loving children who brought me nothing but joy,” he wrote on Instagram in 2021.
He lost his son, Sage
Sage was his son he had with his ex-wife, Sasha Czack. Sage tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 36 in 2012.
“It’s tough. It’s very very tough,” he said on GMA .
“It’s a horrible situation but, time, hopefully will heal and you try to get through it. It’s something that’s a reality in life.”
“It’s important to get back and try to start re-living your life. Otherwise you can go into a spiral.”
He once got Richard Gere fired from a movie
They briefly worked together on the film, The Lords of Flatbush . But tensions on set between Gere and Sylvester led to Gere’s dismissal from the film.
“He would strut around in his oversized motorcycle jacket like he was the baddest knight at the round table,” Stallone said in an interview with Aint It Cool .
One particular blow-up was the final straw for Gere.
When Richard ate chicken with mustard, some of it got on Stallone’s pants.
“I elbowed him in the side of the head and basically pushed him out of the car. The director had to make a choice: one of us had to go, one of us had to stay.”
He used to be homeless
He’s always been the ultimate underdog.
“I was broke and basically sleeping in the Port Authority bus station for three weeks straight,” the Rocky actor told Total Film .
He said that he worked for the money to get out of there instead of “doing something desperate.”
One thing that was extremely difficult, though, was when he was forced to sell his dog for $40.
Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, as he was able to buy back his dog for $15,000 once his career took off.
He had a small part in a porno
This happened while he was sleeping in a bus shelter, so he was desperate for any kind of work. The 1970 software adult film was called Party at Kitty and Stud’s and he appeared nude in the film for $200.
He and Jennifer Flavin are getting divorced
The couple are calling it quits after 25 years of marriage . Speculation of this first started when the Rocky star covered up a tattoo of Jennifer’s face on his arm with his late dog, Butkus.
On August 24, 2022, Flavin filed for divorce and accused the actor of moving assets from marital funds.
The actor’s rep, Michelle Bega, has since released a statement, telling TMZ that Sylvester says the following: “I love my family. We are amicably and privately addressing these personal issues.”
