Did you know that Sylvester Stallone was dirt broke, with barely $100 to spare, and down for the count, before he rose to international stardom in Rocky?
March 1975, Sly watched the Mohammed Ali vs Chuck Wepner fight. Chuck was a nobody club fighter who went the distance with Ali – sound familiar? Sly spends the next 3 days and nights writing the screenplay that was Rocky I. He submits the script to United Artists who initially offered him $20,000 for the script only and apparentely Burt Reynolds was pinned for the lead Balboa role.
Sly instinctively knew that he was on a winner but for this to be his ticket, he had to be the lead actor. A few negiotiations later, United Artists up the stakes from $20k to $100k, and eventually $300,000 but didn’t want the risk of an unknown Sylvester Stallone playing such a crucial role. Sly didn’t give in, and eventually United Artists offered him the initial measly $20,000 and around $340 a week for the acting role (the minimum acting wage). Obviously, the rest is history. Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, grossing in more than $20 million, and propelling Sly to phenomenal success with Rocky I, II, III, IV, and V, and Rambo I, II, III, and IV.
The moral of the story? Listen to your gut, and hang in there.
Amazing. I didn’t know some of the details – esp. that Mohammed Ali vs Chuck Wepner was the inspiration, that’s awesome. Goes to show that wherever you start from, if you want to be a winner, you have to be a fighter and a champion.
Very inspirational story!
I also heard that at one point, Stallone was so financially desperate that he sold his dog to some guy on the street in front of a convenience store. Later, when he got his role in Rocky, he went back and bought the dog back frmo the same guy, who was relectant to sell it. And the dog you see in Rocky was Stallone’s real dog.
one must catch his time
Stalone caught
this “TIME” comes again only for lucky people
so be awake
nice share about this actor
i like Rocky Balboa
A simple thing as believing in yourself and the abilities that you have is the difference between success and failure. If you don’t believe in yourself then you are on the road to failure. I honestly believe that being successful really comes down to this one attribute. The mind is a complex thing and we know that if we tell ourselves something over and over our sub-conscious mind believes it. In fact it can’t tell the difference!
How do these guys do it? Arne Swarzenegger is the same, megha famous & rich despite having no acting talent or being particularly good looking. I think I should try & track down their autobiographies, they clearly have something different..
I like such very much especially the theme of the story
I loved the rocky series. I also think that sly is a great actor however after he got older his acting got a lot worse, and it also depriciated his image in my head.
Sly I think is a great actor. But for every great actor there is always a story that would make them successful. Usually success comes from hardships, and big traumatic events. People tend to decide and work hard only after these events and they try harder than avarage people.
Rocky is all about the human spirit of never giving up, just like Sly. America loves the underdog who never gives up despite the odds. Look at Rudy, Doug Flutie, ect., ect.
Very inspirational story!
Amazing. I didn’t know some of the details – esp. that Mohammed Ali vs Chuck Wepner was the inspiration, that’s awesome. Goes to show that wherever you start from, if you want to be a winner, you have to be a fighter and a champion.
Hi, guys! I am from Russia. In our country we like this movie as you. This story can teach us a lot.
My favorite episodes are the first,second and the last. I don’t like like episode where Sly fight with Ivan Drago, because it shows our life wrong. Best wishes to Sly, we are waiting for “The Expendables 2″.
Good day, from Russia with love.