Hollywood’s biggest hitter
outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another mega-franchise was about to commence for the busy actor – Rambo, with First Blood, also in 1982.
It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing former Green Beret John Rambo and snarling, “Don’t push me”, but Stallone didn’t want to play the role. It took a decade to come to screen and, during that time, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Robert De Niro and John Travolta all signed up and then dropped out.
Sly never had a problem getting ripped, but he had to take it to a whole new level for this movie.
During filming he would work out two to three hours in the morning, spend 10-12 hours shooting and then finish off with another two to three hours’ workout.
Playing Rambo made Stallone one of the biggest-ever bankable Hollywood stars and today he has an estimated net worth of $400m.
He cemented his hardman image with more hits such as Cobra, Cliffhanger and Judge Dredd.
With a reputation for doing his own stunts, Stallone suffered many injuries, in Rocky IV he asked Still packing a punch: Stallone in 2006’s Rocky Balboa Dolph Lundgren to punch him really hard – and ended up in intensive care.
His star began to wane in the mid 90s and he made a series of forgettable films, before scoring big
Rocky again with Rocky Balboa in 2006, the plot mirroring his own career to some extent. The former heavyweight champion, long retired, decides to go for one more big fight.
“Things really started to slow down for me about 10 years ago, and I had a lot of time for introspection . ... It is kind of bittersweet. That is why I wanted to write this film. If I had been cranking out films, very successful ones, I wouldn’t have done this one,” Stallone explained to People magazine in 2007.
More success followed with The Expendables and two sequels, and roles in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and Creed which saw him back in the guise of Rocky.
Stallone once said: “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up,” and true to his word, Rocky 7 and a prequel series may be in the pipeline.
He told Variety earlier this year: “There’s a good chance that Rocky may ride again.”