How Sylvester Stallone Went From College Dropout to an Iconic Action Star
In his decades-long career starring in action films, Sylvester Stallone has made a name and reputation for himself by playing every underdog-turned-hero worth naming. And it turns out his upbringing mimicked a similar plot.
Following a difficult childhood that included his parents' divorce, foster care, and dropping out of college, Stallone headed to New York City with a dream shared by so many: to become an actor. While his future was uncertain, Stallone was determined to make it big.
After a series of odd jobs (like cleaning cages at the Central Park Zoo and even soft porn), Stallone got his feet wet with acting in some uncredited roles in mainstream films, like Klute and Bananas.
But it wasn't until Stallone moved to California in the early 1970s that he dreamed up a screenplay on what would become Rocky-a film that follows a thug who struggled to make it as a professional boxer.
A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on Oct 15, 2018 at 2:14pm PDT
From rags to Rocky
Despite struggling finances ($106 in the bank) and a baby on the way, Stallone refused to sell the rights to Rocky unless he starred in it as the lead, Rocky Balboa.
While he was looking for producers to fund his movie, Stallone auditioned for another role for film producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff. Although he didn't get the part, he mentioned to them that he had a screenplay, and they told him to send the script to them once it was ready. After reading the script, Winkler and Chartloff wanted to produce it, except they didn't want Stallone to play Rocky. But Stallone stood his ground, and Winkler and Chartoff finally gave in and offered Stallone a million dollars to produce the movie with him as the lead. To his surprise and fortune, the first Rocky film racked in $117 million at the box office and earned 10 Academy Award nominations in 1977, including Best Screenplay and Best Actor. Ironically, Stallone earned a mere $23,000 from playing the lead at the time.
"Literally, I was parking cars 10 months earlier and now here we are [at the Oscars]," Stallone recounted to Today in 2014. "I rented a tuxedo and on the way to the Oscars the tie broke and the driver goes, 'You want to borrow mine?' I go 'nah, I guess it doesn't matter,' so I walk into the Oscars looking like Vinny Boom Bots, 'how you doin?' and people were like, 'oh my god, what arrogance, how dare he?"
Because the first movie was such a hit, Stallone went on to write and star in four more sequels. The actor took home $3.5 million for Rocky III, $12 million for Rocky IV, and $15 million for Rocky V.
Sylvester Stallone's movies have generated billions
Today, Rocky is a billion-dollar franchise, with eight different films spanning five decades. Playing Rocky Balboa was just the beginning of a successful career for Stallone. Since Rocky, Stallone has starred in more than 60 films, including Tango and Cash, Demolition Man, Cliffhanger, The Specialist, and The Expendables franchise.
His other notable films include First Blood, a 1982 American thriller, in which he collected $7 million. Six years later, he nearly doubled that salary with a $16 million paycheck for his role in Rambo III, and The Expendables 3 alone brought him $15 million in 2014. In all, Stallone’s movies have generated more than $4 billion worldwide.
Stallone's net worth is $400 million
Growing up "pretty broke," Stallone likely had no idea about the success that was to come. After nearly five decades in the entertainment industry, Stallone has become one of Hollywood's highest paid actors and screenwriters.
From comedies to dramas to thrillers, Stallone has done it all, although his true success has come from action films. In 2019, Stallone's estimated net worth is $400 million.
While Stallone has never took home an Oscar, he has won countless other awards, such as a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for Creed (2015), a People's Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor for Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV (1985), and a Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Creed, 2015).
He has a luxury car collection and owns a mega mansion
Because of his success, Stallone can afford a fleet of luxury cars, including an Aston Martin DBS and a custom Camaro SS. In fact, some of the cars in his collection were used in his movies. For instance, his 1950 Mercury was used in Cobra (it apparently has a $250,000 value). The Academy Award-nominated actor also has a love for car racing. He even performed some of his own driving stunts in Cliffhanger.
So where is this fleet of cars? The actor's car collection sits comfortably on his four-acre property in North Beverly Park-a gated community in Los Angeles-where you'll also find his family's 15,401 square-foot mansion. Some of his famous neighbors include Denzel Washington, and Mark Wahlberg. Not too shabby.
He donates to charity
Although Stallone is a millionaire today, he likes to give back to the community and help those in need. Stallone was given the Heart of Hollywood award in 2016 by the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors for his philanthropic work. He has supported a number of charitable foundations and organizations, such as the Pediatric Epilepsy Project, a foundation that supports children with epilepsy and conducts medical research for better treatment. Stallone has also auctioned off thousands of dollars worth of original Rocky props, donating large portions to charities for U.S. veterans and wounded servicemen.
From overcoming a challenging childhood to making it big in Hollywood and giving back to those in need, Stallone has inspired us with his Cinderella, Hollywood story to go after our dreams. As he puts it, "Now if you know what you’re worth. Then go out and get what you’re worth."
A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on Nov 28, 2018 at 12:19pm PST
Stay updated on the latest science-backed health, fitness, and nutrition news by signing up for the Prevention.com newsletter here. For added fun, follow us on Instagram.
('You Might Also Like',)
