Sylvester Stallone has created a name for himself as an award-winning actor, screenwriter, and director best known for his roles as Rocky Balboa and John Rambo. Take a look at his career highlights spanning over five decades

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Sylvester Stallone, whose birth name is Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, was born in New York City on July 6, 1946. While he grew up in Manhattan, he attended high school in Philadelphia.

He discovered a passion for acting during his two years studying abroad at the American College of Switzerland from 1965 to June 1967, prompting him to then study drama at the University of Miami from 1967 to 1969. A few credits short of graduating, he moved back to N.Y.C. where he struggled to find work.

However, once he did, his star never stopped rising. Here, on his 77th birthday, celebrate the iconic actor’s life in photos.

Sylvester Stallone’s Early Life

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Stallone’s first on-screen gig was 1970’s adult film The Party at Kitty and Stud’s, in which he was underpaid and found himself homeless. Though nothing was ever done with the film at the time, it was renamed and released as Italian Stallion several years later.

“I’d been bounced out of my apartment and had spent four nights in a row at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, trying to avoid the cops, trying to get some sleep and keeping my pens and books in a 25-cent locker,” Stallone told Playboy.

“It was either do that movie or rob someone, because I was at the end —the very end — of my rope,” he added. “Instead of doing something desperate, I worked two days for $200 and got myself out of the bus station.”

02.Sylvester Stallone’s First Starring Role

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His little stints in theater helped him get the attention of casting directors, leading to his first starring role in 1974’s The Lords of Flatbush, a dramedy about Brooklyn teenagers set in the 1950s.

Though the independent film was extremely low-budget, it gave Stallone and costar Henry Winkler a valuable opportunity before their breakout roles as Rocky Balboa and “The Fonz,” respectively.

03.Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky’ Success

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After finding inspiration from the championship match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner on March 24, 1975, Stallone wrote the screenplay for what became the highest-grossing film of 1976: Rocky.

In addition to penning the script, the actor also starred as the eponymous boxing icon, a gig that spawned five sequels and two spinoffs, though 2015’s Creed was not written by Stallone.

04.Sylvester Stallone’s First Academy Award Nomination

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After Rocky debuted in 1976, nonstop critical acclaim, accolades, and rave reviews followed. Stallone’s work on the mega blockbuster earned him his first two Academy Award nominations: one for Best Actor and one for Best Screenplay.

The film itself received 10 nods and won three including Best Picture and Best Director. It also won best picture at the Golden Globes and received a Grammy nomination for best score soundtrack for visual media.

05.Sylvester Stallone’s Directorial Debut

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The following year, Stallone made his directorial debut with 1978’s drama Paradise Alley. Taking on an athlete of a different sport, the actor played one of three brothers who get involved with professional wrestling.

This was the first of many titles helmed by Stallone, who later went on to direct works like 2008’s Rambo and the film series The Expendables from 2010 to 2014.

06.Sylvester Stallone’s ‘First Blood’ Role

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Stallone starred in and co-wrote 1982’s First Blood, another smash hit following Rocky Balboa. Playing Vietnam veteran John Rambo, a former Green Beret, Stallone saw critical and box office success for his role.

As a result, First Blood spawned four followup films centered around Stallone’s character. Rambo: Last Blood was the final feature in the franchise, which premiered in 2019.

07.Sylvester Stallone’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Stallone was honored with a prestigious star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on June 14, 1984. The actor was inducted alongside country music legend and former costar Dolly Parton.

The two took the lead in 1984’s Rhinestone, a film that chronicles a country music singer (Parton) and her pursuit to turn the next person she sees into a Nashville-style crooner — that person being Stallone’s character, a tough New Yorker who can’t sing a note.

08.Sylvester Stallone’s Comeback Hits

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While Stallone continued his success with the Rocky and Rambo franchises over the years, he landed roles in other well-received titles like 1986’s Cobra and 1989’s Tango & Cash.

He eventually made a comeback with 1993’s action thriller Cliffhanger and Demolition Man later that year. In 1994, he continued his string of hits with The Specialist and Assassins in 1995.

09.Sylvester Stallone’s WWE Hall of Fame Honor

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Stallone stepped into the spotlight in a different way when he became a co-announcer of NBC’s reality boxing series, The Contender, alongside Sugar Ray Leonard in 2005.

That same year, he had the honor of inducting pro wrester Hulk Hogan into the WWE Hall of Fame. In fact, the actor offered Hogan the opportunity for a cameo in Rocky III, in which he played a wrestler named Thunderlips.

10.Sylvester Stallone’s ‘Rocky’ Spinoff

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In addition to the five Rocky sequels, the franchise has continued on with multiple spinoff films in recent years.

In 2015, Creed premiered starring Michael B. Jordan as the late former heavyweight champion Apollo Creed’s son. The picture chronicles the aspiring professional boxer as he strives to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Stallone revives his character as Rocky, whom Jordan’s character confides in as his personal trainer. Stallone received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his work.

Creed II, a sequel to the film was released in 2018, and Creed III premiered earlier in 2023.

11.Sylvester Stallone’s Golden Globe Win

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Stallone took home best supporting actor for his role as Rocky Balboa in Creed at the 73rd annual Golden Globes in 2016. This marked the first-ever Golden Globe win for the actor.

Receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, the actor told his peers: “Please, thank you! I’m going to try not to get emotional because I am the sum total of everyone I’ve ever met.”

“The last time I was here, it was 1977,” said Stallone of his previous two nominations.

He wrapped his speech: “Most of all, I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.”

12.Sylvester Stallone’s Recent TV Ventures

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Stallone has transitioned his career from the silver screen to the small screen in recent years. In addition to guest starring on shows such as This Is Us, the actor made his first starring turn on TV last November on Tulsa King.

Playing the role of mob member Manfredi on the Paramount+ series, Stallone’s character begins to build his own criminal empire with a new group of unlikely allies after being exiled by his former boss to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The series is helmed by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and Terence Winter.

13.Sylvester Stallone’s Personal Life

Stallone has been married three times and is the father of five.

He first wed Sasha Czack in 1974 and had two sons: Sage Moonblood in 1976 and Seargeoh in 1979. The couple divorced in 1985.

Stallone then tied the knot with model and actress Brigitte Nielsen in 1985, before splitting two years later.

He wed Jennifer Flavin in 1997, with whom he shares three daughters: Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet (pictured).

After 10 years of marriage, Stallone and Flavin briefly broke up in 1985, but reconciled in 1995. In May 2022, they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

In the spring, the family debuted a reality show about their life, The Family Stallone.