Sylvester Stallone’s career screams success but it came after years of struggles. After continuing to play minor or supporting roles for a few years, he got his breakthrough from the first installment of the Rocky series beginning in 1976 and the rest is history. He continued his acting journey and quickly got into the list of highest-paid actors of the 1980-1990s era.
Sylvester Stallone Drastically Changed The Script When Offered Beverly Hills Cop
Creative Artists Agency’s agent Ron Meyer approached the Rocky star with the offer with Stallone wanting to change the direction which didn’t match with others. He shared,
“Ron told me, ‘Don’t change it,’ but I took the script and rewrote it as a kind of compromise, where the guy was action-oriented but he also had a wry sense of humor.”
The agent claimed,
“Nobody wanted his version, so I begged him, ‘Please, do the original script.’”
Even writer, Charles “Chip” Proser was asked to undo the changes while leaving most of Stallone’s character revisions intact.
“They offered me the rewrite when it was nothing more than Sylvester Stallone and an exotic gun—which was pretty ridiculous.”
However, Stallone was adamant about following his version which unfortunately didn’t happen. He was off from the project with another star getting pursued for the role.
Harrison Ford Turned It Down Before Eddie Murphy Accepted The Project
He shared at the time,
“It was offered to me after Stallone walked out.” He continued, “I decided I didn’t want to play a tough cop.”
The franchise eventually turned to its savior, Eddie Murphy with the film’s producers, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer begging him to accept the offer. He eventually jumped in prompting the script to further rewrites but the outcome was commendable.
It was an immediate blockbuster grossing $234 million at the North American domestic box office. The franchise brought two more sequels after it with a fourth film currently in development.
Source: High concept : Don Simpson and the Hollywood culture of excess
