Sylvester Stallone is known for starring in plenty of films. His Expendables and Rambo franchises are beloved. But it won’t be dismissive to say that the Rocky series of films cemented him as a verified action star in the eyes of the public. There have been a total of 9 films in the Rocky franchise, counting in the Creed movies as well.
They have amassed $1.7 billion at the worldwide box office till now. Multiple characters have woven in and out of the franchise over the years, but there was one character whose departure affected Rocky Balboa the most. Even though Stallone knew that it was the right decision, he still had a tough time breaking the news to that co-star.
Sylvester Stallone Fired His Co-Star To Give His Character More Emotional Depth
In an interview with USA Today, Sylvester Stallone revealed that initially, Talia Shire’s Adrian was going to be in Rocky Balboa, the sixth film in the franchise. But he changed that to give his character emotional pain. The actor said:
“In the original script for [Rocky Balboa], she was alive. But it just didn’t have the same dramatic punch. I thought, ‘What if she’s gone?’ That would cut Rocky’s heart out and drop him down to ground zero.”
Shire’s Adrian has been a part of the Rocky series from the very beginning. She has been one of the major pillars of the franchise, and even Stallone once said during The Making of Rocky Vs. Drago documentary that Shire should have been given more credit for her role. The Escape Plan star said:
“I don’t think that she was ever given the full credit for the success of the whole Rocky series because without her there is no him. He just wanted to redeem himself, that he wasn’t a bum from the neighborhood and that, in his eyes, he could look in the mirror. ‘Wow I amounted to something,’ and that was due to her.”
However, it wasn’t easy to tell the actress that her character was going to get killed off in the sixth film.
How Sylvester Stallone Reassured His Upset Rocky Balboa Co-Star After Firing Her
In an interview, Sylvester Stallone revealed that Talia Shire was upset when she got to know that her character was being killed off in the Rocky franchise. But the actor reassured her by saying that her character would remain the heart of the sixth film. He said:
“I told her, ‘Talia, you’re the heart and soul of this movie, but you’re just here in spirit, and that’s what’s going to drive the film. Your heart drove the first film.’ It’s what I call ‘The Adrian Factor.”
In the end, Stallone said that she understood where he was coming from and was even supportive of the decision to do so.
Rocky Balboa is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: USA Today
