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Birth
Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946, in New York City -
Trademark "Look"
His droopy visage was the result of a forceps accident at the time of his birth. -
Trademark "Voice"
A nerve was severed on accident during his birth, which also left him with slurred speech. -
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Living in Foster Homes
Stallone had to spend most of his first five years in the care of foster homes, as his parents were constantly at war and largely ignored their children. -
Academics
Sylvester struggled emotionally and academically, and was expelled from about 14 schools. -
College
Stallone went to live with his mother and her second husband in Philadelphia. There, he attended a special high school for troubled youth. After graduation, Stallone eventually went on to college. First, he attended the American College in Switzerland, where he studied drama. Stallone then went to the University of Miami, again choosing to focus on the dramatic arts. He left school before completing his degree to move to New York City to pursue an acting career. -
Jobs
While he waited for his acting career to take off, Stallone worked all sorts of jobs to make ends meet. He cleaned up lions’ cages at the Central Park Zoo, ushered at a movie theater and made an appearance in an adult film. He had a few uncredited parts in mainstream films, such as Woody Allen’s Bananas and Klute. He had a more substantial role playing a tough guy in The Lords of Flatbush with Henry Winkler and Perry King. -
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Marriage to Sasha Czack
Sylvester was an actor and director during the time of their wedding and all the details associated to it were covered by the news all over the world. They married the 28th of December, 1974. She gave birth to her first son Sage Moonblood on 1976. Her second son is named Seargoh and she was born in 1979. Seargoh was born autistic and this led to a strain in the marriage. The marriage shook off and the coupled ended up divorcing after 11 years. -
Other Interests
In addition to acting, Stallone had an interest in writing. He created a screenplay about a rough-and-tumble thug who struggles for a chance to make it as a professional boxer. According to several reports, Stallone refused to sell the script unless he was allowed to star in it. Despite having a pregnant wife and little money in the bank, he held out until he found two producers, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff, willing to let him play the lead. -
The Success of Rocky
Released in 1976 and directed by John G. Avildsen, Rocky became a critical and commercial hit. The film went on to earn 10 Academy Award nominations, including nods for best actor, director and picture. Rocky faced stiff competition but nabbed the coveted Oscar. The story of Rocky Balboa, the quintessential underdog, also struck a chord with moviegoers and earned the film more than $117 million at the box office. -
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The Rocky Legacy
After 7 "Rocky" movies, the book has come to an end, with the last one being Creed which came out recently. -
Continuing Rocky
Returning to the film that made him famous, Stallone wrote, directed and starred in Rocky II (1979). -
Rocky III
He kept the franchise going a few years later with Rocky III. -
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Marriage to Brigitte Nielsen
A friend of Stallone spoke of Nielsen and said that she was "a real conniver and schemer. She made a fool of him publicly. She used him. I don't think he ever thought anyone would get the better of him, and she did. He became a stepping-stone for her career." -
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Magazine
Stallone launched his own magazine entitled Sly in 2005. Aimed at the "over-40s" market, Sly was full of health tips, celeb interviews and a heavy dose of its publisher-in-chief. It folded after four issues.
