Sylvester Stallone - Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile

Biography

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Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is an American Academy Award-nominated film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He is often referred to by his nickname, "Sly". He achieved his greatest successes in a number of action films, notably the Rocky and Rambo series. His trademark sneery, double lazy eyes, and slurred speech are the result of paralysis in the left side of his face caused by birth complications.

Biography

Early life

Stallone was born in New York City, New York to Frank Stallone Sr., a beautician, and Jacqueline "Jackie" Labofish, an astrologer. Stallone's father was an immigrant from Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily while his mother is American; one of his maternal great-grandmothers, Rosa Rabinovich, was from Odessa, Ukraine. At fifteen, his classmates voted him the one "most likely to end up in the electric chair". In the 1960s, Stallone attended the University of Miami for three years. He came within a few credit hours of graduation, before he decided to drop out and pursue an acting career. After Stallone's request that his acting and life experiences be accepted in exchange for his remaining credits, he was granted a Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) degree by the President of the University of Miami in 1999.[1]

Early film roles

Stallone's career began with an appearance in a soft-core pornographic film called Party at Kitty and Stud's. The film was originally hard core and depicted sexual acts, but the film was re-cut in order to have scenes end just before any hard core action would take place. After Stallone's later success, the film was re-packaged as The Italian Stallion (a reference to Rocky Balboas nickname).

Stallone's first few film roles were minor, and included brief uncredited appearances in Woody Allen's Bananas (1971) as a subway thug, in the psychological thriller Klute (1971) as an extra dancing in a club, and in the Jack Lemmon vehicle The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) as a youth. In the latter film Jack Lemmon chases and tackles Stallone, thinking he is a pickpocket. He had his first starring role in the cult hit The Lords of Flatbush (1974). In 1975 he appeared in supporting roles in Farewell, My Lovely, Capone, and another cult hit Death Race 2000. He also made guest appearances on TV series such as Police Story and Kojak.

Success with Rocky

Stallone did not gain world-wide fame until his starring role in the smash hit Rocky (1976), awarded the Academy Award for Best Picture. On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Ali-Chuck Wepner fight which inspired the foundation idea of Rocky. That night Stallone went home, and in three days he had written the script for Rocky. After that, he tried to sell the script with the intention of playing the lead role. Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in particular liked the script, and planned on courting a star like Burt Reynolds or James Caan for the lead role. Stallone was offered several hundreds thousand dollars for the script, but he didn't accept, as he wanted to play the lead role himself. Reluctantly, the producers agreed.

The final result was an unqualified success; Rocky was nominated for ten Academy Awards in all, including two for Stallone himself, for Best Actor and for Best Original Screenplay. In addition to winning Best Picture, Rocky won for Best Director and Best Film Editing. Rocky cost about US$1.1 million to make, and grossed about US$225 million worldwide. The movie has made the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art a Philadelphia tourist attraction.

On the list of the top heroes of all time by American Film Institute (AFI) on 2003, he is listed seventh as Rocky Balboa behind Gregory Peck (Atticus Finch), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), Sean Connery (James Bond), Humphrey Bogart (Rick Blaine), Gary Cooper (Will Kane) and Jodie Foster (Clarice Starling).

Post-Rocky work

Stallone had another major franchise success as John Rambo in First Blood (1982) and the sequels, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and Rambo III. During the 80s he built a reputation as a major action star. His last major box office success was Cliffhanger; since then his career has been in decline - arguably due to a major viewer shift away from the 'action stars' of the 80s, but also due to his starring in a string of ill-advised movies, including several questionable attempts to move into the comedy genre (an attempt also made by fellow 80s action star Arnold Schwarzenegger, with similar results). However, due to his worldwide recognition & popularity (and the advent of DVD sales) until recently he was still able to command high salaries for roles. Stallone has new chapters in his Rocky and Rambo franchises upcoming and in production.

Serious actor

Following his breakthrough performance in Rocky, critic Roger Ebert said he could become the next Marlon Brando - however arguably Stallone has never recaptured the critical acclaim he won in his first lead role. Stallone did receive plaudits for his role in Cop Land in which he starred alongside Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, but the film was only a minor success at the box office. Stallone was paid a mere $60,000 to do Cop Land (1997) - it is rumoured he took the pay cut to in order to have a chance to play a serious role and escape his action hero typecast.

Director

Stallone's debut as a director came in 1978 with Paradise Alley, which he also wrote and starred in. In addition, he directed the sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive, along with Rocky II, III, and IV.

Co-writer

He has co-written several other films, such as Tango and Cash. His last major success as a co-writer came with 1993's Cliffhanger.

Current status

The new Rocky film Rocky Balboa (Rocky Balboa) is scheduled to be released on December 22 2006. At time of writing, Stallone is in production on the latest Rambo sequel Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye.

Personal life

Family

Stallone's family include his brother, former actor/singer Frank Stallone, his mother, who achieved notoriety in the middle 1990s as an astrologer and his son, Sage Stallone, who played Rocky's son in 1990's Rocky V and appeared in his 1996 movie, Daylight.

Interests

Stallone oil paints in his spare time and considers Leonardo Da Vinci his personal hero. He is a fan of the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Marriages

Stallone has been married three times, to Sasha Czack (1974–1985), Brigitte Nielsen (1985–1987), and Jennifer Flavin (1997–present). He has five children, sons Sage Moonblood, and Seargeoh, who is autistic (with Czack, born 1976 and 1979 respectively), and daughters Sophia Rose, Sistine Rose, and Scarlett Rose (with Flavin, born 1996, 1998, 2002 respectively). He and Flavin, an Irish-American, were married at Winston Churchill's birthplace, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, England.

In addition to these marriages, he has had romantic relationships with models Susan Anton, Angie Everhart, Pamela Anderson, Naomi Campbell and Janice Dickinson. The latter once believed that Stallone was the father of her daughter Savannah ([2]).

Business interests

Planet Hollywood

He part owns Planet Hollywood restaurants with Bruce Willis and formerly Arnold Schwarzenegger (who recently sold his part).

Instone Nutrition

Stallone is the CEO and self-proclaimed "Guinea Pig" of his nutritional supplement company Instone Nutrition.

Trivia

To get the lean, rugged look of a POW in the film Escape to Victory, Sylvester ate only 200 calories a day, all protein food, with an occasional potato, just so he would not faint. In the film he weighed in at 159 pounds, the lightest he ever weighed in his adulthood.
After Demolition Man, Jesse Ventura said on television that "He's big and rugged. You can slam 'im around, he's not gonna run cryin' to the producer."
Stallone made the list of "Top 10 stars of the year" eight times: 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1993.
He sang the theme song to his 1978 film Paradise Alley.
With the monetary success of the Rocky films, Stallone gave professional wrestler Hulk Hogan his first mainstream exposure, personally offering him the role as the character Thunderlips in 1982's Rocky III. Stallone inducted Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005.
He and The Contender co-host Sugar Ray Leonard were one of the pallbearers to the late Najai Turpin's funeral. Najai was one of the contestants of the show who committed suicide in 2005.

Filmography

Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye (2007) .... John J. Rambo
Rocky Balboa (2006) .... Rocky Balboa
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) .... The Toymaker
Shade (2003) .... Dean 'The Dean' Stevens
Taxi 3 (2003) .... Le premier passager (cameo)
Avenging Angelo (2002) .... Frankie Delano
D-Tox (2002) (released on DVD as Eye See You ) .... FBI Agent Jake Malloy
Driven (2001) .... John Tanto (also writer)
Get Carter (2000) .... Jack Carter
Antz (1998) .... Weaver (voice)
The Good Life (1997) .... Boss
Cop Land (1997) .... Sheriff Freddy Heflin
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997) .... Himself (cameo)
Daylight (1996) .... Kit Latura
Judge Dredd (1995) .... Judge Joseph Dredd
Assassins (1995) .... Robert Rath
The Specialist (1994) .... Ray Quick
Cliffhanger (1993) .... Gabe Walker (also writer)
Demolition Man (1993) .... John Spartan
Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! (1992) .... Sgt. Joe Bomowski
Oscar (1991) .... Angelo 'Snaps' Provolone
Rocky V (1990) .... Rocky Balboa (also writer)
Lock Up (1989) .... Frank Leone
Tango & Cash (1989) .... Raymond 'Ray' Tango
Rambo III (1988) .... John J. Rambo (also writer)
Over the Top (1987) .... Lincoln Hawk (also writer)
Cobra (1986) .... Lieutenant Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti (also writer)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) .... John J. Rambo(also writer)
Rocky IV (1985) .... Rocky Balboa (also director and writer)
Rhinestone (1984) .... Nick Martinelli (also writer)
Staying Alive (1983) .... Man on Street (cameo; also director, producer, and writer)
Rocky III (1982) .... Rocky Balboa (also director and writer)
First Blood (1982) .... John J. Rambo (also writer)
Nighthawks (1981) .... Det. Sgt. Deke DaSilva
Victory (1981) .... Captain Robert Hatch
Rocky II (1979) .... Rocky Balboa (also director and writer)
F.I.S.T. (1978) .... Johnny D. Kovak (also writer)
Paradise Alley (1978) .... Cosmo Carboni (also director and writer)
Cannonball .... Mafioso (1976)
Rocky (1976) .... Rocky Balboa (also writer)
The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) .... Youth in Park
Capone (1975) .... Frank Nitti
Death Race 2000 (1975) .... Machine Gun Joe Viterbo
Farewell, My Lovely (1975) .... Jonnie
The Lords of Flatbush (1974) .... Stanley Rosiello (also writer)
Bananas (1971) .... Subway Thug #1
Klute (1971) .... Extra/Man dancing in club
No Place to Hide (1970) .... Jerry Savage
Lovers and Other Strangers (1970) .... Extra
Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970) (re-released as The Italian Stallion) .... Stud

Salary

Avenging Angelo (2002) - $20,000,000
D-Tox (2002) - $20,000,000
Driven (2001) - $20,000,000
Get Carter (2000) - $20,000,000
Cop Land (1997) - $60,000
Daylight (1996) - $20,000,000
Assassins (1995) - $20,000,000
Judge Dredd (1995) - $20,000,000
The Specialist (1994) - $15,000,000
Demolition Man (1993) - $15,000,000
Cliffhanger (1993) - $15,000,000
Oscar (1991) - $15,000,000
Rocky V (1990) - $15,000,000
Tango & Cash (1989) - $15,000,000
Lock Up (1989) - $15,000,000
Rambo III (1988) - $15,000,000
Over the Top (1987) - $12,000,000
Rocky IV (1985) - $15,000,000
Staying Alive (1983) - $10,000,000
First Blood (1982) - $3,500,000
Rocky II (1982) - $10,000,000
Rocky (1976) - $23,000
Death Race 2000 (1975) - $1,000/week
Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970) - $200

Footnotes

External links

Sylvester Stallone at University of Miami Famous Alumni.

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