Sylvester Stallone and Rocky Balboa are a match made in heaven. The Hollywood superstar is also known by the name Italian Stallion which originated from his iconic fictional character that he played in the cult Rocky film franchise. Over 5 films between 1976 and 1990, Stallone became synonymous with the boxing hero, who inspired generations of people with his passion inside the boxing ring.
The actor, who also wrote the script for the films, became part of an elite group of stars who received Oscar nominations in the same year for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. The cult success of Rocky initiated the revival of Rocky Balboa in 2006 with the Creed series starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone who reprised his famous role. Despite being the talisman of one of the most memorable franchises, Stallone admitted that he wasn’t always seen as the best choice for Rocky Balboa.
Sylvester Stallone Did Not Trust Himself As Rocky
The character of Rocky Balboa cannot be envisioned with anyone else but Sylvester Stallone. The action superstar inspired a generation of viewers with his iconic portrayal of a passionate boxing hero. Despite Stallone personally creating the characters and writing the script for the film, the actor confessed that he never saw himself as a titular hero.
In a candid talk with Stephen Colbert, the Rambo star admitted that he had doubts and fears about his physical appearance which stood in the way of playing the character. The actor also put himself in other contenders’ shoes and ascertained their possible opinions about him taking on Rocky Balboa.
“Whose that guy with the crooked mouth? Forget him. He looks like a heavy hand. He could be used in a gym scene”
The Creed star also went on to add that he would personally have considered it a terrible choice casting himself for the film and that he was incredibly lucky to have got the chance to portray the iconic fictional boxer over multiple films.
A Relationship For The History Books
It is common knowledge that Sylvester Stallone is the brain behind the Rocky franchise, having written the original screenplay for the first film in just three days after watching a boxing match between Chuck Wepner and Muhammed Ali. The film went on to win multiple Academy awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, making it one of the greatest sports films of all time.
Following Rocky’s success, Stallone went on to write five more movies from 1979 to 2006, even directing three of them. These films then gave rise to the Creed series starring Michael B. Jordan. The Expendables star was nominated for an Oscar under the Best Supporting Actor category, which was his 3rd Oscar nomination after the first film, in which he was nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role. With over 4 decades of success, the Rocky franchise has amassed worldwide sales of $1.7 billion, making it one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing film franchises.
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