Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone was born on July 6, 1946 in New York City. His father was a hairdresser and his mother was a former dancer. His mother, Jackie, had such difficulty in childbirth that forceps had to be used to assist in Sylvester’s delivery. His signature sneer and his unidentifiable accent, which is actually slurred speech, were the result of the nerve damage caused by the incident.
Sly, along with his younger brother Frank, was raised in a hostile environment. His parents fought a lot and later divorced. He was not shown much affection in his home, either. He recalled his mother telling him that he didn’t have a body he could work with and, on a separate occasion, his father even told him that he didn’t have a brain.
Stallone was emotionally deprived of parents, and he did not do well in school. As a matter of fact, he was expelled from school thrice. To make matters worse, after his parents got a divorce, he was sent to several foster homes. He eventually found his way back to live with his mother and attend a special school for troubled children.
His childhood was clearly trying for the young Sylvester, but, coming from such a difficult point in his life, he wanted to inspire people who were going through the same pains as he was. This was when he decided that he was going to be an actor. He went to Miami State University to study drama, but his desire was so overwhelming that he decided to leave school and head straight to New York.
Stallone auditioned tirelessly for castings in the city. He was determined that this is what he wanted to do. Even when agents denied him—telling him that the business had no place for someone with an injured face—and even when his own wife told him to get a ‘real job’, he never gave up. He had made up his mind that acting was the only thing he was meant to do.
This caused Stallone to live in a small apartment without air conditioning, with a wife whom he fought with unendingly. The situation, though, did not kill his hunger for his real dream. He would go to castings and liberally work tirelessly to any role he could manage to get. He played small roles in a number of films and even got a starring role in a pornographic production. This he accepted, believing that it might lead him to a bigger role, and partly just to make ends meet.
This venture did not go on any further, however it was difficult to get such small roles for Stallone, let alone get a starring role in any film. His apartment and his wife were cold and served him no comfort. He took comfort in the warmth of the city library, where he discovered his love for writing.
Stallone did have a flair for storytelling, he discovered. He would stay at the library or stay at his home, making up stories and scribbling certain scenarios. He was especially keen on inspirational stories where one overcomes an unbelievable situation, like his own.
For a time, he made a living selling these stories, but they were no bestsellers, and times were so difficult that Stallone even had to sell his dog just to get by. He was at his lowest point, but, as they say, the night is darkest before the dawn.
The story of Rocky Balboa was formed in Stallone’s mind when he watched a boxing match featuring the great Muhammad Ali. The underdog opponent, Chuck Whepner, managed to knock Ali out. Stallone was astounded and formed the idea of creating an underdog character who would overcome his troubles and rise to the occasion.
He went home and wrote the manuscript for Rocky. In three days, he had a screenplay and he had the vision of playing the starring role himself. He went to actor castings still hoping to land a role in a major film, but also having the freshly written screenplay in his back pocket.
Stallone went to a casting being conducted by Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler. When he didn’t get the role he was aiming for, he offered his manuscript. Fortunately, the team considered reviewing the script and was quite impressed by what Stallone had written. They offered Stallone a large amount of money to buy the material. They weren’t too happy, though, with the idea of him playing the lead role.
Stallone insisted that he play Rocky and wouldn’t sell his script even when the offer was increased to ridiculously large amounts. His script was so great that, finally, after heaps of negotiations, everyone agreed to let Stallone play the starring role.
His difficulties, however, did not end there. The movie was given a $1 million budget, barely enough to have a quality product. Stallone enlisted his family and close friends to play small roles in the movie and in the production. His wife was the set photographer, while his brother was an extra.
The movie also took its toll on Stallone’s body as he was not used to the kind of activity Rocky was doing. During shooting, he would feel his body almost giving up and falling to the ground. Still, he pushed and convinced himself that the outcome would be tremendous, if he could hold on just a bit longer.
It was in 1976 when Rocky was released to the public and Stallone cashed in on his hard labor. Although he ended up spending days in bed, nursing his sore body, the low budget film sold and inspired millions around the world. It also opened an avenue for Sylvester Stallone’s acting, writing and directing career.
Stallone went on to star in over 40 films and is still active today at 67. His writing skills are unmatched as he continues to come up with action-packed screenplays. He is also directing and producing high-quality material.
Being stubborn often has a negative connotation, but Sylvester Stallone’s life struggles and his means of getting out of the rut somehow debunked this idea. He was merely being stubborn, insisting on what he wanted, and taking nothing else, yet he achieved his dream and immense success followed thereafter. He has, since then, been an icon in the entertainment industry.
He epitomized the age-old proverb, “Try and try until you succeed.” He has proven there is nothing impossible when hard work and determination take action. And as for his dream, he has surely inspired—and continues to inspire—the whole world.
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