Sylvester Stallone

QUICK FACTS
NAME
Sylvester Stallone
OCCUPATION
Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Film Actor
BIRTH DATE
July 6, 1946 (age 72)
EDUCATION
University of Miami, American College in Switzerland
PLACE OF BIRTH
New York City, New York
ZODIAC SIGN
Cancer

One of the most popular action stars in film history, Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone is best known for playing boxer Rocky Balboa and Vietnam War veteran John Rambo.
Who is Sylvester Stallone?
Born on July 6, 1946 in New York City, Sylvester Stallone achieved fame as a writer and leader of the boxing film Rocky (1976), winner of an Academy Award. He continued to become one of the biggest action stars in the world, repeating his characters from Rocky and First Blood (1982) for various sequels. After a decline in the middle of his career, he rediscovered box office success with The Expendables (2010) and earned critical acclaim for reviving the Rocky franchise with Creed (2015), earning his first victory in the Golden Globe and another Oscar nomination.

Background and early life
The actor, writer, director and producer Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York City. One of the most popular action stars of all time, Stallone is best known for playing two heroic characters on the big screen: boxer Rocky Balboa and Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. His characteristic fallen face was the result of an accident with forceps at the time of his birth. A nerve was cut in the accident, which also left him with confused speech.


Stallone had a difficult childhood. Both he and his younger brother Frank were adversely affected by their parents' hostile relationship, which later ended in divorce. Sylvester spent some of his first years in foster care. When Stallone was around five years old, his father moved with the family to the Washington, DC area where he started his own chain of beauty salons. Stallone lived in Maryland for years, staying with his father after his parents' divorce in 1957. He fought emotionally and academically, and was expelled from several schools.

A few years later, Stallone went to live with her mother and her second husband in Philadelphia. There he attended a special secondary school for young people with problems. After graduating, Stallone finally went to college. First, he attended the American College in Switzerland, where he studied theater. Stallone then went to the University of Miami, again opting to focus on the dramatic arts. He left school before completing his degree to move to New York City to pursue an acting career.

Aspiring actor
While waiting for his acting career to take off, Stallone worked in all kinds of jobs to make ends meet. He cleaned the lions cages at the Central Park Zoo, ushered in a movie theater and even appeared in an adult movie called The Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970). Soon they followed some parts not credited in the films of the main current, like Bananas of Woody Allen (1971) and Klute (1971). He had a more important role playing a tough guy in the 1974 independent film The Lords of Flatbush with Henry Winkler and Perry King. Around this time, Stallone married Sasha Czack.

In addition to acting, Stallone was interested in writing. He created a script about a hooligan who struggles to have the opportunity to succeed as a professional boxer. According to several reports, Stallone refused to sell the script unless he was allowed to star in it. Despite having a pregnant wife and little money in the bank, he remained firm until he found two producers, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, willing to let him take the lead.

Action hero
Launched in 1976 and directed by John G. Avildsen, Rocky became a critical and commercial success. The film won 10 nominations for the Academy Awards, including a nod to the best actor, director and film. Rocky faced stiff competition in the category of best movie films such as Taxi Driver, All the President's Men and Network, but it turned out to be the small movie with a powerful punch and got the coveted Oscar. The story of Rocky Balboa, the loser par excellence, also played the chord with the audience and won the movie over $ 117 million at the box office.

To follow up on his innovative role, Stallone then starred as a labor organizer at F.I.S.T. (1978). He received some favorable reviews for his work, but the film failed to attract a large audience. Returning to the movie that made him famous, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rocky II (1979). He kept the franchise going a few years later with Rocky III (1982).

That same year, Stallone introduced a new character to viewers, John Rambo, a Vietnam veteran with problems and problems, in First Blood (1982). Rambo ends up going to war with the police in a small town after being bad