Sylvester Stallone reveals the most memorable moment of his career was getting 2006's Rocky Balboa made when many were skeptical about the film.
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky Balboa
Sylvester Stallone reveals the most memorable moment of his career was producing, directing, writing, and starring in Rocky Balboa. With a career spanning upwards of five decades, Stallone has cemented himself as one of the greatest action stars of all time. His first major claim to fame was writing and starring in the watershed boxing drama Rocky in 1976, which launched its respective franchise and made Stallone’s name almost synonymous with “champ.”
Rocky’s cultural impact led to the Stallone-helmed follow-ups, Rocky II, III, and IV, with the latter being an unapologetic, massively successful byproduct of the hyper-muscular 1980s. Following the titular Rocky’s battle with the seemingly invincible Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the Italian Stallion returned in 1990's Rocky V, which saw the Philadelphia slugger lose his wealth and be forced into retirement. The sequel failed to connect with audiences and is largely considered the worst film in the Rocky franchise. Over a decade later, Stallone returned for what he thought would be one last round in Rocky Balboa — a film that many were skeptical about, but ended up reviving the franchise in a big way.
Stallone often takes to social media to share behind-the-scenes photos and videos from his work on the Rocky franchise and other past films. Recently, the 75-year-old actor posted a tribute to Rocky Balboa, citing the underdog film as the most memorable film moment of his career.
Stallone's admission that the film was considered "a joke" certainly has truth to it. The actor was around 60 years old when filming Rocky Balboa, which led many to feel that the film’s premise — which saw the iconic boxer stepping back into the ring — was laughable. However, Rocky Balboa was ultimately praised by critics and earned over $156 million at the box office on a budget of only $24 million. The film helped to bring Stallone's Rocky back into the pop culture lexicon and arguably served as a launching pad for Ryan Coogler’s Rocky sequel Creed, which continues many plot points that were established in the Rocky franchise’s sixth installment.
Like Rocky V, Rocky Balboa was meant to be the final chapter in the Italian Stallion’s story. Thankfully, Stallone saw the potential in Coogler’s idea of a spinoff focusing on Apollo Creed’s (Carl Weathers) illegitimate son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan). Both Creed and Creed II were a critical and commercial success, with the latter earning Stallone his second Oscar nomination in nearly 40 years for portraying the same character. In Creed II, Rocky appeared to pass the torch and retire for good. However, Stallone has since teased a potential Rocky prequel series. For now, Jordan is currently directing and starring in Creed 3, continuing the heavyweight journey that began back in 1976 and ultimately ended with a surprise hit in the now beloved Rocky Balboa.
