"This dark haired, athletically built U.S. director/Screenwriter/Actor of European parentage will never be talked about by old school film censors in the same manner", says Alec Guinness or Richard Burton. However, worldwide movie fans have been flocking towards Stallone's movies for more than 30 years now, making "Sly" Hollywood’s biggest ever box office draws.
Sylvester Stallone and his personal life alley
Born in New York's Hells Kitchen on 6th July, 1946, the young Stallone went to the Miami’s University and America’s College of Switzerland. Eventually he obtained a B.A. degree. Since he had poor grades which restricted him to peruse higher education, he ended up joining as beauty school. This was before he attended Switzerland’s American College. Stallone’s teenage years were taxing as he witnessed his parent's separation in the year 1957. He moved to Philadelphia with his mother when he was 15 years old. This was the phase when he started lifting weights. At Devereaux High School he took up discus, football and fencing.
In the year 1974 Sylvester Stallone got married to Sasha Czack. However, the marriage ended 11 years later with a divorce. In the same year he married Brigitte Nielsen, this alliance was again not a success and they separated after two years. Stallone was a romantic person and so was involved with models, including Janice Dickinson, Naomi Campbell, Angie Everhart and Susan Anton. In 1977 he married Jennifer Flavin.
Early Career
Sylvester Stallone started his movie career in the year 1970, with Party at Kitty & Stud's as his first movie. Later the movie was re-released and was christened Italian Stallion. Stallone also acted as an extra character in movie ‘No-Place to Hide’ as Jerry Savage and ‘Lovers & Other Strangers’ in 1970. Since then he did several minor roles, movies like My Lovely, Farewell, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Lords of Flatbush, Bananas and Klute are a few of them. He did guest appearances in TV series Kojak and Police Story are a few to mention.
Stallone’s Success, Achievements and Accomplishments
Success came to Sylvester Stallone with Rocky, which was release in the year 1976. It was a stepping stone for the struggling actor. The movie won the Academy Awards moreover, Stallone was nominated for the Academy Award and the movie was his writing debut. Rocky II a sequel of the movie Rocky was released three years later. Stallone acted, directed and wrote the movie. Meanwhile, he acted in a number of other movies, including F.I.S.T, Paradise Alley and Cannonball Mafioso for which he received critical acclaim.
He starred in First Blood, Nighthawks and Escape to Victory before coming up with Rocky III. Rocky III installment far out-performed the Rocky I sequel at the box office takings. Another mega-franchise Vietnam veteran - John Rambo came up as a success series with First Blood. Later in the year 1985, Stallone came up with two hit series, Rocky IV and Rambo - First Blood II. With these movies he received international recognition. Other action films which gave Rocky recognition were Tango and Cash and Cobra.
Success in 1990s – The 90s decade started with another series of Rocky - Rocky V. Stallone did several movies but success evaded him. His next triumph walked in the year 1993 with Cliffhanger, Demolition Man and The Specialist. Other movies which Rocky did during this decade were Antz, Burn Hollywood Burn, The Good Life Day Light, Judge Dredd and Assassins. He won the best actor award for ‘Cop Land’ at the Stockholm International-Film Festival.
The 2000s journey – The beginning of the millennium gave Stallone's career a number of commercial and critical flops including Driven, Get Carter, D-Tox and Avenging Angelo. He gained back his box office repute in 2003 with Spy Kids trilogy. Stallone shifted towards reality television with producer Mark Burnett in The Apprentice. Stallone was both a mentor as well as the host to the 16 confident contestants striving for a career in professional fighting with a prize of $1 million. This TV series was appreciated by the critics however, struggled to find wide audience.
In 2006 Rocky Balboa came up as Stallone’s sixth and final series. The movie won the legendary prize. Stallone gave another heavyweight comeback with an international hit with a climax to the sequence. This hit took over $150 million across the world and gained well-merited positive reviews. There no looking back since then with Rambo installment in 2008, The Expendables in 2009, with movie icons Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis. Though their appearance was briefest of cameos, the names helped in creating an incredible buzz across the film. The film was a big hit at the box office in the year 2010.
Sylvester Stallone has created a highly respectable and enviable career in Hollywood. Moreover, he has significantly influenced modern popular ethnicity by his iconic movie characters.