Sylvester Stallone is an American actor and filmmaker born on July 6, 1946. He’s won several awards, like the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award, and has been nominated for Oscars and BAFTA Awards. Stallone stands out because he’s one of only two actors, the other being Harrison Ford, to star in a top-grossing movie for six decades in a row.
His journey in acting wasn’t easy. When he moved to New York City in 1969, he struggled to find roles. But he started getting small parts in movies like The Lords of Flatbush in 1974. Stallone hit the big time in 1976 when he wrote and starred in Rocky as the iconic boxer Rocky Balboa. This film was a huge hit both critically and commercially, launching the successful Rocky franchise. In 1977, he made history by being nominated for two Academy Awards for his work on Rocky.
He then took on another iconic role as the troubled soldier John Rambo in First Blood in 1982, reprising the character in four more films. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, Stallone became one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, starring in action-packed films like Cobra, Tango and Cash, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, and The Specialist. His contributions to the film industry were recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984.
Stallone continued his success with films like Rocky Balboa in 2006 and Rambo in 2008. He then launched The Expendables franchise in 2010, playing the lead role of Barney Ross. He’s also starred in other successful movies like Escape Plan in 2013 and its sequels. In 2015, Stallone returned to the Rocky franchise with Creed, where he played the mentor to Apollo Creed’s son, earning him widespread praise and his first Golden Globe Award.
His career has seen many highs, including his recent role in the Paramount+ crime series Tulsa King, which he started in 2022. Stallone’s journey in Hollywood has been filled with ups and downs, but his enduring talent and iconic roles have solidified his place as a legend in the industry.
| Full Name | Sylvester Stallone |
| Date of Birth | July 6, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | New York City, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Filmmaker |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Spouse | Jennifer Flavin (m. 1997) Brigitte Nielsen (m. 1985–1987) Sasha Czack (m. 1974–1985) |
| Children | Sage, Seargeoh, Sophia, Scarlet, and Sistine |
| Net Worth | $400 million |
Sylvester Stallone’s Early Life and Education
Sylvester Stallone was born in a neighborhood called Hell’s Kitchen in New York City on July 6, 1946. His mom, Jacqueline Stallone was from Washington, D.C., and his dad, Frank Stallone Sr. was from Italy. He has a younger brother named Frank Stallone.
Originally, Stallone’s mom wanted to name him Tyrone after actor Tyrone Power, but his dad changed it to Sylvester. He was called “Binky” as a kid but later preferred to go by “Mike” or “Michael” because other kids teased him with “Stinky”. His middle name “Gardenzio” was shortened to “Enzio” from the Italian name “Gaudenzio”.
When Sylvester Stallone was born, there were some problems, and doctors accidentally damaged a nerve in his face. This left him with his distinctive facial expression and speech. He faced bullying because of this, but he got into bodybuilding and acting to deal with it.
He lived with his family in Maryland and Washington, D.C. as a child. His parents divorced when he was young and he moved around a bit between them. He went to various schools, including Notre Dame Academy, Abraham Lincoln High School, and Charlotte Hall Military Academy, before going to college at Miami Dade College and the University of Miami.
Stallone didn’t finish college right away. He left to pursue acting but later asked if his acting experience could count toward his degree. Eventually, the University of Miami gave him a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1998.
Film and stage career
1968–1976: early roles to breakthrough
Before 1969, Sylvester Stallone acted under the name Mike Stallone. Then, in 1970, he changed it to Sylvester E. Stallone. While he was studying at the University of Miami, Stallone played a part in a movie called That Nice Boy (also known as The Square Root), which was filmed in 1968. Also, in 1969, he and John Herzfeld made a low-budget film called Horses.
Stallone’s first big role was in a movie called The Party at Kitty and Stud in 1970. He got $200 for two days of work. Stallone later said he only did this movie because he was desperate. He had been kicked out of his apartment and was homeless for a few days. He even slept in a bus terminal for three weeks. Stallone said, “I had no choice. It was either do that movie or rob someone because I was at the end – the very end – of my rope.” The movie was later released with a new name, Italian Stallion, to make money from Stallone’s fame.
Stallone also acted in a play called Score in 1971, which later became a movie.
After moving to New York City, Stallone lived with his girlfriend Sasha Czack. She was trying to be an actress and worked as a waitress to support them. Stallone did odd jobs, like cleaning at a zoo and selling theater tickets. He even got fired for selling tickets at a higher price. Stallone spent a lot of time at the library, reading books by Edgar Allan Poe.
In 1972, Sylvester Stallone almost gave up acting. He tried to get a small role in The Godfather but failed. Instead, he got a tiny part in another movie. But then, a friend invited him to act in a play, and an agent watching the play thought Stallone would be good for a role in a movie called The Lords of Flatbush. Stallone got his first major role in a movie called No Place to Hide in 1973.
Years after it was first made, the movie got a makeover and a new name: Rebel. This time around, Sylvester Stallone was the main star. Then, in 1990, they tinkered with it again. They added in bits that didn’t make the final cut the first time, shot some new scenes to match, and even changed the voices, making it into a parody called A Man Called… Rainbo, kinda like what Woody Allen did with What’s Up, Tiger Lily?
Before hitting it big, Sylvester Stallone had some small gigs in movies. You might have missed him in MASH (1970), where he just sat at a table as a soldier, or in Pigeons (1970), where he showed up as a party guest. He even played a subway thug in Woody Allen’s Bananas (1971) and made a quick cameo as a dancer in Klute (1971). One of his memorable moments was getting tackled and mugged by Jack Lemmon in The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975).
He got his big break in The Lords of Flatbush (1974), where he had a leading role. After that, he appeared in supporting roles in movies like Farewell, My Lovely; Capone; and Death Race 2000. He also popped up on TV shows like Police Story and Kojak. There’s talk that he was in Mandingo too, but his scene supposedly got cut.
Stallone had small roles in other movies before his big break in Rocky in 1976. He wrote the script for Rocky after watching a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. Stallone didn’t admit that Wepner inspired him, but they settled a lawsuit about it later. Stallone wanted to play the lead role in Rocky, even though the movie studios wanted someone else. Eventually, he got the lead role and the movie was a huge success.
1978–1999: subsequent success
Sylvester Stallone had a big start in 1978 with two movies. In Paradise Alley, he played one of three brothers who got into wrestling. In F.I.S.T., he was a guy like James Hoffa involved in unions. In 1979, he wrote, acted, and directed Rocky II, which was a huge hit.
In 1981, he was in Escape to Victory with Michael Caine and Pelé, playing a soldier in a soccer game. He also starred in Nighthawks as a cop chasing a terrorist.
Then in 1982, he became famous as John Rambo in First Blood. Critics liked it, and it started the Rambo movies. He also did Rocky III, which was a big hit too.
Sylvester Stallone tried other kinds of movies too. In 1984, he was in a funny movie called Rhinestone with Dolly Parton. But it didn’t do as well as he hoped. He also did more Rocky and Rambo movies.
In 1985, he was supposed to remake a classic, but instead, he made Cobra, which was a success. He also started his own production company.
In 1987, he did Over the Top as a trucker trying to bond with his son. It didn’t do well. But in 1989, Tango & Cash did okay.
The 1990s started with Rocky V, which wasn’t a hit. Then came Oscar and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which both flopped. But Stallone bounced back with Cliffhanger and Demolition Man in 1993.
In 1994, he did The Specialist, which made money despite bad reviews. In 1995, he was in Judge Dredd, which didn’t do great in the U.S. but made money overseas.
He continued with Assassins in 1995 and a funny short film. In 1996, Daylight didn’t do well at home but made money elsewhere.
In 1997, Sylvester Stallone surprised people with Cop Land, where he played a heavyset sheriff. It did okay. In 1998, he did voice work for Antz, which was a hit.
Rocky won several Oscars in 1977, including Best Picture. Stallone’s use of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s steps in the movie made them famous, and now they’re called the Rocky Steps. There’s even a statue of the Rocky character near the museum. Stallone’s character in Rocky was so popular that he was put into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
2000–2005: declining years
In 2000, Sylvester Stallone was in a movie called Get Carter, which was a new version of an older British film. But it didn’t do well with critics or audiences. After that, his career went downhill. His next movies, Driven, Avenging Angelo, and D-Tox, also didn’t do well.
But in 2003, Stallone played a bad guy in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, and it was a big hit, making almost $200 million worldwide. He also had a small part in a French movie called Taxi 3 that year. And he got some attention for his role in a crime drama called Shade, even though it didn’t get a big release.
In 2005, Stallone co-hosted a reality TV show about boxing called The Contender. He also showed up on a couple of episodes of a show called Las Vegas. That same year, he helped put wrestling star Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame. Stallone even wrote a book called Sly Moves, which talked about his life, and fitness, and had lots of pictures of him.
2006–present: return to success
After taking a break from movies for three years, Sylvester Stallone made a big comeback in 2006 with the sixth Rocky movie, called Rocky Balboa. This movie was a hit with both critics and audiences, making a lot of money at the box office. Stallone wanted to make up for the disappointment of the last Rocky movie, so he decided to write, direct, and star in this one himself. The movie was made for only $24 million but ended up making over $70 million in the US and over $155 million worldwide.
In the same year, Stallone talked about making a new version of the movie Death Wish, where he would play a cop instead of an architect. But later on, he backed out of the project. However, he mentioned in 2009 that he might reconsider it. Eventually, the role went to Bruce Willis.
Stallone also started a partnership with a company to make a fancy brand of bottled water called Sly Water.
Then, in 2008, Stallone brought back another one of his famous characters, Rambo, in a movie simply titled Rambo. This movie did well at the box office, making over $113 million worldwide.
In 2009, Sylvester Stallone made a quick appearance in a Bollywood movie called Kambakkht Ishq, playing himself.
Stallone got a big honor in 2010 when he was voted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. That same year, he wrote, directed, and starred in a new action movie called The Expendables. It had a bunch of other action stars in it, like Jason Statham and Jet Li. The movie did well, making over $34 million in its opening weekend and becoming Stallone’s biggest opening ever.
The Expendables 2 came out in 2012, with even more action stars joining the cast. It got better reviews than the first one.
In 2013, Stallone was busy with several movies. He starred in Bullet to the Head and Escape Plan and also had a role in the comedy Grudge Match. He was also working on a few other projects that didn’t end up happening.
The third Expendables movie came out in 2014, but it didn’t do as well as the others. It got bad reviews and didn’t make much money.
In 2015, Sylvester Stallone returned to his role as Rocky Balboa in a movie called Creed. This time, the movie focused on a new boxer played by Michael B. Jordan. Stallone’s performance was praised, and he even got nominated for awards.
Stallone appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017, playing a character named Stakar Ogord. The next year, he was in Escape Plan 2: Hades and announced a sequel to Creed.
Creed II came out in 2018 and did well at the box office. Sylvester Stallone also worked on a documentary about the making of the original Rocky movie.
Stallone started his film studio in 2018 called Balboa Productions. He also announced another Rambo movie, which was released in 2019 and did well financially.
In 2020, Stallone lent his voice to a character in a video game and then voiced another character in a movie in 2021.
In 2022, Stallone starred in a superhero movie called Samaritan and made his streaming TV debut in a series called Tulsa King.
In 2023, Stallone and his family starred in a reality TV show called The Family Stallone. He also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and had a documentary made about him.
Later in 2023, Stallone returned to his role in The Expendables series, but the movie didn’t do well.
After the successes of Creed II and Rambo V: Last Blood, Balboa Productions has a lot in the works. They’re making a movie about Jack “Galveston Giant” Johnson, the first African-American boxing heavyweight champ. This project was announced after Sylvester Stallone helped get Johnson pardoned by President Trump.
Stallone is also set to star in Hunter, a movie based on a story that was originally planned for Rambo V. It’s about a guy named Nathaniel Hunter who hunts a half-human beast made by a secret agency. They haven’t picked a writer yet. Another movie in the works is based on the book Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent. It’s about Michael McGowan’s undercover missions. No writer has been hired for this one either. They’re also working on a movie about black ops troops, written by retired Army Ranger Max Adams.
Sylvester Stallone is adapting Levon’s Trade from a book series, which started as a TV show and is now becoming a movie. They’re also making a TV series based on the book Second Son, written by Charles Sailor.
Stallone announced in May 2020 that there’s a sequel to Demolition Man in the works with Warner Brothers. He’s excited about it.
He’s also keen on directing a movie about Edgar Allan Poe’s life and adapting Nelson DeMille’s novel The Lion’s Game.
Net Worth
Sylvester Stallone’s Net Worth is estimated to be $400 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Multiple tasks in media
In 1977, Sylvester Stallone made history with his movie Rocky, earning nominations for best actor and best screenplay, just like Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles before him. Stallone not only wrote the movie but also starred in it as the main character, Rocky Balboa. He’s famous for playing Rocky, John Rambo, and Barney Ross in recurring roles.
Stallone wrote, starred in, and sometimes directed the Rocky and Rambo movies. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the first Expendables movie. He directed, starred in, and wrote Paradise Alley, and wrote and directed Staying Alive, a sequel to Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. Stallone also wrote and starred in other films like Cobra and Driven, and co-wrote and starred in F.I.S.T., Rhinestone, Over the Top, Cliffhanger, and Creed II.
When asked in 2008 which character he’d rather be remembered for, Rocky or Rambo, Stallone said it was a tough choice but Rocky was his first love.
Sylvester Stallone has sung in some of his movies, like Too Close to Paradise in Paradise Alley, and Take Me Back in Rocky III. He sang duets with Dolly Parton in Rhinestone and performed on The Muppet Show in the 1980s. His last movie singing role was in Grudge Match in 2013, where he and Robert De Niro sang The Star-Spangled Banner together.
Personal life
Marriages and children
Sylvester Stallone’s love life has been quite the rollercoaster. He’s been married three times and has kids from two of those marriages.
First, he tied the knot with Sasha Czack back in 1974 when he was 28. They had two sons, Sage and Seargeoh. Sadly, Sage passed away from heart disease at 36, and Seargeoh was diagnosed with autism when he was young. But their marriage didn’t last, and they split up in 1985.
Then, Stallone jumped into marriage again, this time with model Brigitte Nielsen in 1985. Their short-lived marriage was big news in the gossip world.
After that, Sylvester Stallone had a thing with model Jennifer Flavin, but they took a break in 1994 when Stallone announced he was expecting a child with another model, Janice Dickinson. But DNA tests showed he wasn’t the father, so he broke off his engagement with Dickinson. Stallone also had a brief engagement with model Angie Everhart around 1995.
But then, he and Jennifer Flavin got back together and eventually got married in 1997. They have three daughters named Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet. Stallone’s daughters even got a special role at the Golden Globe Awards.
In 2022, there were reports that Jennifer had filed for divorce after 25 years of marriage, but thankfully, they worked things out and got back together in September.
Family and friends
Sylvester Stallone and his brother Frank have a good relationship. Frank created music for some of Sylvester’s famous movies like Rambo: First Blood Part II and Staying Alive. One of Frank’s songs, “Far from Over,” was a hit in the U.S. in 1983. Frank also appeared in small roles in many of Sylvester’s movies, especially in the Rocky series, where he played a singer on the street and contributed songs.
Sylvester’s half-sister, Toni Ann Filiti passed away from lung cancer in 2012.
Sylvester used to be close friends with Joe Spinell, but they had a falling out during the making of their last movie together, Nighthawks, in 1981. Spinell passed away in 1989.
Injuries
Sylvester Stallone, known for his tough roles and doing most of his stunts, has faced many injuries while acting. In Escape to Victory, he broke a finger trying to stop a penalty kick from Pelé. During Rocky IV, he asked Dolph Lundgren to hit him as hard as possible in the chest for a scene, ending up in intensive care for four days. While filming a fight with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for The Expendables, he broke his neck and needed surgery to insert a metal plate.
Legal issues
In February 2001, a dancer named Margie Carr accused Sylvester Stallone of raping her at a gym they both went to in Santa Monica in 2000. Stallone’s lawyer denied it, saying she had sold the story to a magazine before suing.
In 2007, Australian customs found synthetic human growth hormone in Stallone’s bag. He admitted to having it.
In 2013, Stallone paid his half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti $2 million to settle a lawsuit where she claimed he abused her. His reps said she was trying to blackmail him, but her son supported her claims.
In 2016, a report said Stallone assaulted a 16-year-old in Las Vegas in 1986. Stallone’s rep denied it, and his ex-wife and co-star backed him up.
In 2017, a woman said Stallone assaulted her in the 1990s. He denied it, and his lawyers said she tried to sell the story before. The DA investigated but didn’t charge him due to lack of evidence. Stallone filed a report against her for lying.
Views and beliefs
Sylvester Stallone grew up as a devout Catholic, but he drifted away from his faith as his acting career took off. However, when his daughter fell seriously ill in 1996, he found comfort in returning to his Catholic roots. By 2006, he had fully embraced his Catholic beliefs once again.
During his time in Hollywood, Stallone admits he faced many temptations and lost his way. But eventually, he turned to God and entrusted his life to Him.
Despite being known for his tough-guy roles, Stallone has surprising political views. He has supported both Republican and Democratic politicians, including donating to Joe Biden’s and Chris Dodd’s campaigns. Stallone believes strongly in gun control, even though he holds other conservative beliefs.
In 1994, he supported Rick Santorum’s Senate campaign with a donation. In 2008, he endorsed John McCain for president.
In a more spiritual twist, Stallone performed a Hindu ritual in 2015 for his son Sage, on the advice of a Vedic scholar.
During the 2016 presidential election, Stallone had mixed feelings about Donald Trump, calling him a larger-than-life character but not endorsing him. He also turned down an offer to lead the National Endowment for the Arts to focus on veteran-related issues.
In 2023, Stallone supported independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s re-election campaign in Arizona with a significant donation. Later that year, he and his family had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
