Sylvester Stallone shares how his personal struggles and ultimately amazing acting advice for aspiring actors.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Sylvester Stallone revealed some intimate details about trying to make it in Hollywood. The actor breaks down how he was typecast early on and the struggles he had to overcome while trying to break into the industry.
Stallone explains that he was only given tough guy roles in movies but, he was interested in something bigger. So, the aspiring actor wrote Rocky and pitched the movie to studios. However, studios were not interested in casting Stallone. Instead, they wanted to pay the actor a buyout fee for the script and cast Burt Reynolds for the lead role.
However, Stallone stayed persistent and vowed to only do the movie on his terms. Which was a gift and a curse. Stallone reveals that he was unable to take care of his own dog and sold it to a man at a 7-11. “I was pretty flat broke at that time, and really, I had nothing left. My cost 40 dollars, and I had to sell my dog because I couldn’t afford the dog food,” Stallone told Deadline. “Yeah, I had to sell my dog. At a 7-11. For 50 bucks. Then, when the movie happened, I tried to buy him back. The guy goes, “Well, I want 1500.” I went, “Oh my God.” He ended up being in the movie, Butkus. I figured, that poor dog had suffered with me in New York for five years. He deserved to be in the movie.”
“I was pretty flat broke at that time, and really, I had nothing left. My cost 40 dollars, and I had to sell my dog because I couldn’t afford the dog food”
Stallone goes on to explain how he was able to survive emotionally and physically without any food or money saying “I don’t know, but I thought, you hit about five or six major crossroads in your life. That was just an unconscious thought because I wasn’t smart enough then to have actually figured out life.”
Stallone also reveals that it was a lot of luck that made the movie Rocky successful and make him an A-list celebrity overnight. When asked about what that felt like, Stallone reveals some amazing acting advice. That actors should enjoy the moment and fully embrace what is happening. “It was overwhelming, and I don’t think I was mature enough at this time to really understand and fully enjoy the moment. I tell young actors, please, really focus on this moment. Take a mental picture of it, and keep that film in your mind because it comes maybe once in your lifetime.”
I tell young actors, please, really focus on this moment. Take a mental picture of it, and keep that film in your mind because it comes maybe once in your lifetime.”
