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. Sylvester 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, Sylvester 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.
Career
Before 1969 he performed on stage using the name Mike Stallone. Then in 1970, he switched to Sylvester E. Stallone. While studying at the University of Miami Stallone acted in a drama called That Nice Boy in 1968. He also teamed up with John Herzfeld that year to make a low-budget film called “Horses”.
Stallone’s first major role was in a softcore adult film called The Party at Kitty and Stud’s where he earned $200 for two days of work. He took this job out of desperation after being homeless and sleeping in a bus terminal in New York City. Later on, the film was rebranded as Italian Stallion to capitalize on his rising fame.
Moving to New York City Stallone lived with his girlfriend Sasha Czack who worked as a waitress to support them. During this time Sylvester Stallone took various odd jobs including cleaning at a zoo and working as a theater usher though he got fired from the latter for scalping tickets. He spent a lot of time at the library improving his writing skills and reading Edgar Allan Poe.
By 1972 Stallone was almost ready to give up on acting. He tried unsuccessfully to get a role in The Godfather and ended up with minor parts in other films like What’s Up Doc? Things started to turn around when an agent saw him in a play and suggested him for a role in The Lords of Flatbush.
Around mid-1973 Stallone got his first major role in the independent film No Place to Hide which was later retitled Rebel. This marked a turning point in his career leading to more substantial roles and eventually to the iconic Rocky where he starred as the titular character.
Rocky brought Stallone worldwide fame and success winning several Oscars and becoming a cultural phenomenon. Stallone continued to build on this success with films like Rocky II Rambo and a string of action hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
In 2000 Sylvester Stallone starred in a movie called Get Carter which was a remake of a British film from 1971. Unfortunately, it didn’t do well with critics or audiences. After that, his career took a downward turn with more movies like Driven Avenging Angelo and D-Tox all of which were also failures.
In 2003 Stallone played a villain in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over which did well at the box office making nearly $200 million worldwide. He also had a small role in the French film Taxi 3 that year. Sylvester Stallone started to get noticed again for his part in the crime drama Shade which critics liked even though it had a limited release.
In 2005 Stallone co-hosted a reality TV boxing show called The Contender on NBC and he appeared in a few episodes of the TV series Las Vegas. He also published a book called Sly Moves which talked about fitness nutrition and his life.
After taking a break from movies Stallone came back in 2006 with Rocky Balboa the sixth movie in the Rocky series. It was a big success both financially and critically. Around the same time he started working on a remake of Death Wish changing the story to focus on a cop seeking revenge.
In 2008 Stallone returned as Rambo in the fourth movie of that series simply titled Rambo. It did well at the box office despite mixed reviews.
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.
In 2010 Stallone wrote directed and starred in The Expendables an action movie featuring a star-studded cast of action heroes. The film did great at the box office marking one of the biggest openings of Stallone’s career.
The Expendables 2 followed in 2012 receiving better reviews than the first film. Sylvester Stallone also co-wrote the book for the Rocky musical on Broadway.
Stallone continued to appear in action films like Bullet to the Head and Escape Plan in 2013 as well as the comedy Grudge Match alongside Robert De Niro. He also worked on developing films like a remake of No Rest for the Wicked.
In 2015 Stallone returned as Rocky Balboa in Creed a spin-off-sequel focusing on a new boxer played by Michael B. Jordan. The film was a critical success earning Stallone a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Stallone’s career diversified with roles in films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in 2017 and Escape Plan 2: Hades in 2018. He also began working on a sequel to Creed and a documentary about the making of the original Rocky.
Creed II was released in 2018 again receiving positive reviews. Stallone also announced plans for a Rocky sequel and prequel as well as a documentary on Rocky’s history.
In recent years Stallone has ventured into producing with Balboa Productions signing deals for film and TV projects. He continued his Rambo legacy with Last Blood in 2019 which performed well at the box office.
Stallone’s voice was featured in Mortal Kombat 11 in 2020 and he voiced King Shark in The Suicide Squad in 2021. He starred in the film Samaritan in 2022 and made his streaming debut in Tulsa King later that year.
In 2023 Stallone starred with his family in a reality TV series called The Family Stallone which was quickly renewed for a second season. He also returned to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and was the subject of a documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Stallone reprised his role in The Expendables 4 in 2023 but the film didn’t do well critically or financially.
Sylvester Stallone’s production company Balboa Productions has been busy after Creed II and Rambo V: Last Blood. They’re working on a movie about Jack Johnson the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion. Stallone helped get Johnson pardoned posthumously by President Donald Trump which led to this project.
Stallone is also set to star in a film based on the story “Hunter” originally intended for Rambo V. It’s about Nathaniel Hunter a tracker hired to hunt down a half-human experiment. They’re still looking for someone to write the screenplay. Another project in the pipeline is a movie based on the real-life story of FBI undercover agent Michael McGowan from the book “Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent” although no screenwriter has been hired yet. There’s also a film about black ops soldiers being developed with the script by retired Army Ranger Max Adams.
Stallone is adapting Chuck Dixon’s book series “Levon’s Trade” for television which may also become a film. On TV they’re working on a series based on Charles Sailor’s “Second Son” written by Rob Williams.
Looking ahead Stallone confirmed in early 2020 that a sequel to “Demolition Man” is in progress with Warner Brothers. He’s also eager to direct a film about Edgar Allan Poe’s life a project he’s been preparing for years. Additionally, he’s expressed interest in 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.
Personal life
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.
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.
